Andy Shay was hired as Yale's Forst Family Head Coach of Men's Lacrosse coach for the 2004 season and has transformed the Bulldogs into perennial National Championship contenders. He enters his 22nd season in 2025-26.
In 2024, Shay was named Ivy League Coach of the Year after guiding the Bulldogs to a strong 11-win season, highlighted by Matt Brandau earning Player of the Year honors. Brandau solidified his place as one of the most accomplished student-athletes in Yale men's lacrosse history. He concluded his stellar career as the program’s all-time leader in goals, assists, and total points, finishing with 198 goals, 162 assists, and 360 points. Beyond setting Yale records, Brandau also became the Ivy League’s all-time leader in career goals and points. His accolades included being a three-time All-American and a three-time first-team All-Ivy selection.
Shay and the Elis reached the pinnacle in 2018 as the Bulldogs went 17-3 overall and won the NCAA Division I National Championship. The Elis followed it up with a second-straight appearance in the national title game in 2019.
Shay, the 2018 USILA Division I Coach of the Year, led Yale to its first NCAA Lacrosse Championship after directing the Bulldogs to their first perfect Ivy League season since 1956. The Ivy and ECAC Coach of the Year then helped his squad march through the NCAAs with wins over UMass, Loyola, Albany and Duke. The 13-11 win over the Blue Devils on Memorial Day at Gillette Stadium not only allowed the Bulldogs to raise the national championship trophy for the first time, it was the school-record 17th victory. It was also the first of two straight appearances in the national championship game (Yale lost to Virginia in the 2019 title game at Philadelphia).
The .728 winning percentage over the 10-year stretch from 2010-2019 is the best for the Elis. Shay, a three-time Ivy League Coach of the Year, has also directed the Bulldogs to 14 straight Ivy League Tournament appearances, five Ivy Tournament Titles, four regular-season Ivy League Championships and nine NCAA appearances.
Shay's teams won three (2015-17) straight league tournament titles. Winning the 2016 version was part of a 13-3 campaign that included jumping out to a 10-0 start and being ranked No. 1 for a few weeks.
His 2013 team was one of his most successful with a 12-5 mark, an Ivy League Tournament title, a win in the first round of the NCAAs at Penn State and a final No. 7 national ranking. Only a late comeback by top-ranked Syracuse in the final minutes of their NCAA Quarterfinal contest at College Park, Md., prevented the Elis from making the national championship weekend for the first time since 1990. The team made history by becoming the first squad to win back-to-back Ivy Tournament championships.
The Bulldogs’ 2010 season marked the first post-season appearance since 1992 and the first Ivy championship since 1990. Shay’s squad was ranked as high as No. 9 at one point during that campaign.
Shay (193-113, 21 years), named Yale head coach on June 25, 2003, helped guide the University of Massachusetts to the 2002 and 2003 NCAA quarterfinals as an assistant coach for four years under Greg Cannella. During his tenure, the Minutemen won two ECAC championships and three New England titles. UMass posted an impressive 37-9 overall record in his last three seasons.
Shay served as the recruiting and defensive coordinator for the Minutemen. In 2002 and 2003 his defensive unit allowed under 10 goals a game and ranked third in nation in scoring margin. The 2001 squad led Division I in man-down defense, allowing opponents only 11 goals in 80 chances (.138).
Prior to joining UMass’ staff, Shay was an assistant coach at Delaware, where in 1999 he helped the Blue Hens capture the America East title with a 14-3 record and advance to the NCAA Tournament for only the second time in school history. In June of 1999, Shay was selected to join Delaware head coach Bob Shillinglaw on the coaching staff of Team USA for the inaugural World Cup of Lacrosse. Team USA defeated Team Canada in a best-of-three series at John Hopkins University in Baltimore.
Shay began his coaching career as the head coach at Morrisville (N.Y.) Junior College, and he compiled a 20-17 record in three years. His 1995 team established a school record with a 10-4 mark, qualified for the regional playoffs and was ranked No. 5 in the final national poll.
Shay is a 1994 graduate of Le Moyne College where he was a four-year starting defenseman and served as team captain for two years. He was an All-Empire League selection as a senior when he led the team to a league title.
He and his wife, Sheila, their sons, Logan and Griffin, and daughter, Everly, live in Guilford.
