HAMILTON – Mike Abbott, architect behind Colgate's offensive resurgence since 2012, was promoted Monday to associate head coach of the Raider men's lacrosse program.
 
Abbott just completed his fourth season at Colgate under head coach Mike Murphy, and it was quite a campaign. The Raiders (10-6) tied for the Patriot League's regular season title and then captured their second tournament championship with impressive wins over Bucknell and Army.
 
Colgate advanced to the NCAA tournament for the second time in four years, finishing 14th nationally in the final Cascade/Maverik Media Poll.
 
Colgate during the Murphy era owns a 41-24 (.631) record, tying for the second-most wins in Raider men's lacrosse history for any four-year period.
 
"I'm really excited and really fortunate to be part of the Colgate family," Abbott said. "Coach Murphy hired me four years ago, and to be with him all four years and with the success we've had, I'm very fortunate that he thinks so highly of me.
 
"I also owe a thank-you to Vicky Chun, Ann-Marie Guglieri and our entire Colgate Athletics management team. They are so supportive of us in everything we do."
 
Colgate's offense under Abbott has posted two of the top eight scoring seasons in school history, beginning with 2012's run to the NCAA tournament quarterfinals. That year under Tewaaraton Award-winner Peter Baum '13, Colgate scored 236 goals and 129 assists for 365 points – tops on the program season charts in all three categories.
 

The 2012 Raiders achieved the highest final ranking in program history with the No. 8 spot in the Nike/Inside Lacrosse Media Poll. Statistically, Colgate sported the top offense in the Patriot League and ranked second nationally in scoring offense at 13.1 goals per game, third in man-up offense at 48.5 percent, and fifth in points per game at 20.3.
 
Building the Culture
Colgate in 2015 finished with 169 goals for seventh-best in school history, 97 assists to tie for seventh, and 266 points for eighth. The Raiders this year were especially skillful in man-up situations, when they converted 56.0 percent to place second in Division I behind national-champion Denver at 60.3.
 
Colgate shot the ball at a 35.3-percent clip to finish fourth nationally.
 
"On paper, the 2012 and 2015 seasons were more successful than the other two years," Abbott said. "But throughout the course of the four years, just building the culture and molding it in the framework and vision of Coach Murphy, and having the guys really buy in to what we are doing with the academics, the athletics and the community, that's what is most important. The culture is where we needed it to be."
 
Colgate continued that multilevel success in 2015. Five team members were named All-Patriot League, led by first-teamers Ryan Walsh and Matt Clarkson. Anthony Abbadessa was chosen Patriot League Rookie of the Year – Colgate's third such honor in the last four seasons. In addition, John Baker and Matt Yeager were selected to the 12-member Academic All-Patriot League Team.
 
"The guys seem to understand how much the coaching staff works for them to be successful on the field and in life," Abbott said. "That's our goal – to try and help shape those young men as they complete their four years."
 

"Mike has really reworked the way this program plays offense." -- Mike Murphy

Murphy has molded a terrific staff that continues to pay dividends. In addition to Abbott's duties as offensive coordinator, assistant coach Stephen Toomy handles the defensive responsibilities and Matt Abbott serves as volunteer assistant. Bobby Dick manages the lacrosse operations to round out the staff.
 
"I'm really excited to promote Coach Abbott to associate head coach," Murphy said. "He is a loyal assistant and has become a great friend over the course of these four years. His prowess on the offensive side of the ball and everything that he does has garnered great attention and rightly so.
 
"For our athletic director, Vicky Chun, to allow me to do this is a testament to her support and the university's support of our program. It's a great thing for us to be able to do for Mike, and it rewards his continued love for everything Colgate."
 
Success Between the Lines
Abbott came to Colgate from SUNY Cortland, where he served as an assistant coach for five seasons. At Cortland, he was the recruiting and offensive coordinator. He helped lead the Red Dragons to the 2009 NCAA championship, along with three-straight title game appearances from 2007-09 and other NCAA tourney runs that reached the semifinals in 2010 and quarterfinals in 2011.

The Syracuse native also experienced success between the lines. As a player, Abbott won a Division I national championship in 2003 while at Virginia before moving to Cortland, where he was a two-year member of the men's lacrosse team and tallied 114 career points from 83 goals and 31 assists. He helped lead the Red Dragons to the NCAA Division III title as a senior in 2006 and twice was named All-America First Team.
 
Abbott was the ECAC Upstate New York and SUNYAC Player of the Year as a junior, and received All-ECAC First Team and All-Conference honors as a senior. He earned his bachelor's degree in kinesiology from SUNY Cortland in 2009.
 
Mike's brother, Matt, serves as a volunteer assistant on the Colgate staff in addition to his play with the Chesapeake Bayhawks of Major League Lacrosse and the U.S. National Team. And Mike's father, Tom, is one of the top Division I lacrosse referees.
 
"Having my brother, Matt, as our volunteer the last four years and having my family close by has been great for me," Abbott said. "With Coach Toomy the last two years and Coach Murphy all four, it's a great relationship. Coach Murphy gives us a tremendous amount of responsibility and freedom, and that amount of trust means a lot."
 
Murphy expects a continuation of the improvement Colgate Lacrosse has seen over his first four years.

"Having been associated with Colgate for so long – eight years against them and four with them – Mike has really reworked the way this program plays offense," Murphy said. "We've had some of the top offensive outputs in school history during Mike's four short years here, and that's a credit to him and our players.

"I am very fortunate with Stephen and Mike that I am able to give them great autonomy on their sides of the ball. Mike's loyalty to Colgate and to our family goes without saying. To be able to make this announcement promoting Mike is a no-brainer for us."