Current time in Baltimore 7:28 p.m. Wednesday, August 20, 2008
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In only two seasons as Head Coach of the Greyhounds, Charley Toomey guided Loyola back to the NCAA Tournament. Coach Toomey, who shined on the national stage as a player at Loyola, has the program on track and ready to make some noise in college lacrosse.
Coach Toomey, who is now in his third season as head coach of the Loyola College lacrosse program, began his coaching career at Evergreen in 1991, and after nine seasons as an assistant coach with the Greyhounds, is a true representation of the program's past success and its future expectations.
Toomey has been on Loyola's staff for the past nine years, developing goalie talent, running the defense, and the program. Last year, Loyola reached its 15th NCAA Tournament and earned marquee wins over No. 1 Duke and perennial power Syracuse en route to a 7-5 regular season record and a 5-2 ECAC mark.
The win over Duke at the First Four in San Diego was the program's first victory against a No. 1 team since 1993. The `Hounds win over Syracuse was also its first over the Orange since 1993 - helping the program earn its first at-large NCAA Tournament berth since 2001.
In his first season as head coach, Toomey led the Greyhounds to a 6-6 overall record and a 5-2 conference mark to earn him ECAC Coach of the Year honors. The Greyhounds finished 4-1 at home that season, defeating No. 2 Georgetown (14-10), as well as conference foes Penn State and Rutgers. The win against Penn State on March 4 marked Coach Toomey's first career win as head coach, while the win over Georgetown marked Loyola's first win over a Top-10 team since 2004.
In just two seasons at the helm, Toomey has a 10-4 ECAC record and a 9-2 record at Diane Geppi-Aikens Field. In that time, the Greyhounds have led the nation in man-up offense and have held a Top-10 ranking in the national polls.
A defensive specialist, Toomey served as defensive coordinator with the Greyhounds prior to his appointment as head coach. His contributions to the unit and to the program, along with his coaching style and work ethic, earned him recognition in Lacrosse Magazine, which featured him as one of the nation's top assistants in 2005.
Starting his coaching career at his alma mater, Toomey served as an assistant coach during the 1991 and 1992 seasons. With his help, the Greyhounds advanced to the NCAA Tournament both seasons and Toomey moved on to the Naval Academy Prep School, where he served as the head coach during the 1993 and 1994 seasons.
Toomey stayed in Annapolis with his next stop, moving over to the college ranks as an assistant at the U.S. Naval Academy from 1994 to 1996. At Navy, he worked with the goalies and defensive midfielders. He then accepted the head coaching position at Severn School in 1996 and coached there for three successful seasons.
A return to Loyola College in 1998 proved prosperous for the Greyhounds. With a focus on the defensive unit and goalies, Loyola has continued to improve its defense and has been able to recruit some of the best young talent in the country. As head coach, Toomey's defensive unit held opponents to just over eight goals per game last season, holding teams to six or fewer goals five times.
As a student-athlete at Loyola from 1987-90, Toomey was a two-time All-America selection at goalie, earning honorable mention honors in 1989 and third-team accolades in 1990. He owns two of Loyola's top-six single-game save performances in the cage, and he also ranks among the Greyhounds' all-time saves leaders. His 22 saves against Rutgers in the 1990 NCAA tournament also tie him for the top postseason mark in school history. Toomey, who finished his collegiate career with an amazing 25-5 overall record, was the last Loyola goalkeeper to start an NCAA Championship Game, starting the 1990 NCAA Final against Syracuse.
Toomey went on to play professional lacrosse for the Baltimore Thunder and the Boston Blazers in the early 1990's and has guided Major League Lacrosse goalies like Mark Bloomquist, Tim McGeeney and Michael Fretwell since his return to coaching.
Toomey currently resides in Millersville, Md. with his wife, Sara. The couple has three young daughters, Emma (9), Sophie (6) and Lyla (5).
