OWNER & DIRECTOR, Joe Conner Jr.

Over the last two decades, Joe Conner coached Division I men’s lacrosse at Bucknell University, winning a Patriot League championship, and then coached at Dartmouth College in the Ivy League, winning top 20 nominations, before moving to D III, where he currently coaches women’s lacrosse at St. Vincent College.


Over his time at Dartmouth, Conner helped the Big Green reach new heights, both as a team and offensive unit. In 2023, Dartmouth finished with its most wins and first time at .500 or better since 2008. under Conner’s leadership. In 2023, Dartmouth began the season 4-0 for their best start since 2003 and was one of just two undefeated teams in the nation in mid-March (the other being eventual National Champion Notre Dame).

At Bucknell, Conner coached the team to the top shooting percentage in the nation in 2012, setting program records in goals (179), assists (108) and points (287) along the way. In 2016, his Bison offense ranked 20th nationally with over 11 goals per game. In 2018, Bucknell scored nearly 12 per game as the team finished the year ranked 16th in the nation. The top-three offensive players on the team were all selected in the 2018 Major League Lacrosse Draft, including Will Sands who set the program record with 55 assists while scoring 20 goals as well to become the fourth Bison with at least 70 points in a season.
 
Conner was also Bucknell’s recruiting coordinator during his tenure. In 2013, three Bison student-athletes were listed among Inside Lacrosse’s top 25 freshmen, more than any team in the nation. The following year, his recruiting class was ranked 13th nationally by Inside Lacrosse with three recruits among the publication’s Power 100 Recruit Rankings.
Five of his players from Bucknell played in the pros.

 
Prior to his stint at Bucknell, Conner spent two years as the assistant coach at Mount St. Mary’s. He helped the Mountaineers earn the second seed for the Northeast Conference (NEC) playoffs, and in his final season coached the defense, which produced the ninth-lowest goals against average in the country.
 
Conner is a 2007 graduate of Mount St. Mary’s and received his master’s degree in business administration from his alma mater in 2009.
 
A native of Maryland, Conner played both lacrosse and football. He earned All-America honors in lacrosse and was the quarterback for the record-setting football team that won four-straight state championships and 50 consecutive games in Frederick County.
 
Conner and his wife, Erin, have three children — sons Ethan and Jace, and daughter Gia— and currently live outside of Pittsburgh, PA.

  • Erin Conner

    Communications & Customer Service

  • Justin Conner

    Defensive Trainer

  • Jason Conner

    Goalie Trainer

“Coach Conner was integral in my development as a player. He has a great ability to improve individual skill sets. He is the ultimate player’s coach.”

Sean O’Brien, pro lacrosse player

“Coach Conner brings an infectious, positive energy to each practice that consistently elevates the attitude and play of those he is coaching. He was intrumental in helping me develop my offensive skills.”

Connor O’Hara, pro lacrosse player

“ Coach Conner was much more than a lacrosse coach to me. Not only is he one of the smartest minds in the game, but his unwavering belief in me both on and off the field inspired me to push myself beyond what I thought was possible. His understanding of X’s and O’s is second to none, but what truly sets him apart is his ability to instill confidence in his players while inspiring them to have a deeper respect for the fundamentals of the game. Simply said, I would not have achieved my lacrosse dreams without Coach Conner.”

Will Sands, PLL pro lacrosse player

Players need to be given opportunities to find movement solutions through well designed drills.

“Effective and efficient training matters greatly. Just because you are exhausted, doesn’t mean you got any better.”

Our Values

Players need to be trained and built up to maximize their strengths.

“Successful teams focus more on strength building than on weakness remediation.”

Hard work is fun, and growth is success.

“It’s an honor to help students define their own success and have fun working hard to achieve it.”