Jake Plunket is entering his fourth season as the head men's lacrosse coach at Albright College.
As the first varsity lacrosse head coach, Plunket has been responsible for building the program from the ground up. Albright lacrosse, previously a club sport, began competition in the spring of 2012.
Albright went 13-6 in 2014 and won the ECAC Mid-Atlantic championship for a second straight year. The Lions received votes in the national polls on three occasions, while playing #3 Stevenson and #12 Montclair State to within a goal.
The 11-10 loss to defending national champion Stevenson came in the 2014 Commonwealth Conference championship game, the Lions' second Commonwealth title appearance in three years.
Albright won the 2013 ECAC Mid-Atlantic Championship, along with a second consecutive Commonwealth playoff appearance. They also produced six All-Commonwealth selections. The Lions defeated #16 Widener in the regular season, and earned votes in the national polls in just their second year as a team.
In 2012, the Lions exceeded all expectations by going 16-3 with a squad comprised almost entirely of freshmen. Albright defeated defending champion Widener in the regular season to earn the top seed in the MAC playoffs, and hosted Widener at Shirk Stadium in the first-ever Commonwealth Conference championship game (a 7-5 loss).
Plunket was named the Commonwealth Conference Coach of the Year after recruiting one of the nation's deepest freshman classes. Freshman Bryan Smith was the Commonwealth Rookie of the Year, while classmate T.J. Holston earned first team All-Conference honors. Another rookie, Phil Potter, finished in the top-10 in the nation in assists, and freshman goalie Andrew Torak was named the conference Defensive Player of the Week four times.
Plunket’s appointment came just two months after Albright College announced a $1 million dollar gift from the John K. Roessner III Trust to underwrite the start-up costs for both men’s and women’s lacrosse programs, as well as the construction of a new multisport grass practice field.
A native of upstate New York, Plunket holds a bachelor’s degree in physical education from Syracuse University. He came to Albright after a standout playing and coaching career. As a player, Plunket was a four-year member of the Syracuse University men’s lacrosse team. During his time with the Orange, Plunket led his squad to two Division I national titles and was named team captain in 2005.
Plunket went on to play professionally for the Rochester Rattlers from 2007-08, winning the MLL championship in 2008.
In 2005 he joined the coaching staff of Division III powerhouse SUNY Cortland, and worked primarily with the team’s defense.
During his three seasons at Cortland, Plunket played a major part in leading the Red Dragons to two conference tournament championships, three NCAA tournament appearances, and a 2006 national title. He also coached 16 All-Americans as well as numerous all-conference selections.
In 2008, Plunket became assistant coach at Hampden-Sydney College. During his two-year stint with the Tigers, he was actively involved in the recruitment of athletes, coordinated offensive strategies and assisted with the team’s defense and goalies. After finishing the 2009 season with an 8-9 record overall, Plunket helped to lead the Tigers to a program-best 13-win season in 2010.
Plunket resides in Sinking Spring with his wife Jess, a former two-time IWLCA All-American lacrosse player.
| The Plunket File |
| Year | GP | Won | Loss | Pct. | Accolades |
| 2014 | 19 | 13 | 6 | .684 | ECAC Mid-Atlantic Champions / Commonwealth Tournament |
| 2013 | 19 | 15 | 4 | .789 | ECAC Mid-Atlantic Champions / Commonwealth Tournament |
| 2012 | 19 | 16 | 3 | .842 | Commonwealth Tournament / Coach of the Year |
| Career | 57 | 44 | 13 | .772 | |
