In June of 2012, Jason Archbell was named head coach of the Bowdoin men's lacrosse program.
Over his first few seasons, Archbell has continued the great tradition of Polar Bear men's lacrosse, leading the team to 56 ...
In June of 2012, Jason Archbell was named head coach of the Bowdoin men's lacrosse program.
Over his first few seasons, Archbell has continued the great tradition of Polar Bear men's lacrosse, leading the team to 56 victories, including a 12-5 campaign in 2016, when Bowdoin earned the third overall seed in the NESCAC tournament. Since coming to Bowdoin, over a dozen players have been recognized in All-NESCAC, All-New England and All-American honors while Archbell himself was recognized as the NESCAC and NEILA Coach of the Year in 2016.
Most recently an assistant coach at the University of Pennsylvania, Archbell is the seventh coach in the history of the Polar Bear men's lacrosse team and just the third since 1970. He assumed the helm from 22-year head coach Tom McCabe, who retired following the 2012 campaign.
Archbell spent the previous two seasons as an assistant at Penn, where he served as a defensive assistant and recruiting coordinator. The Quakers enjoyed one of their finest seasons in 2011, posting an 8-7 mark and reaching the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2006. In 2012 Penn played one of the most difficult schedules in Division I and, despite a losing record, earned wins versus ranked North Carolina and Harvard.
He comes to Bowdoin with extensive Division III experience. A 2002 graduate of Hampden-Sydney, his coaching resume includes stops at Washington & Lee, Denison, Kenyon and Virginia Wesleyan.
Archbell arrived at Penn from Washington & Lee University in Lexington, Va., where he spent two years as the Generals' assistant coach and defensive coordinator. During his time at W&L, the Generals went 27-10 overall and won the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) championship in 2009.
As the defensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator at Denison University in 2008, Archbell helped the Big Red to a 14-3 record behind a defense that allowed a nation-low 5.34 goals per game. As coach of the goalies, he oversaw goalkeeper Alex Baruch who was the national Division III Goalie of the Year. Archbell also spent two years as the defensive coordinator at Kenyon College, helping the Lords to a 23-6 record during that time and a spot in the 2006 NCAA Division III Championship. Archbell got his coaching start at Virginia Wesleyan College, where he spent three seasons as a defensive coordinator.
Archbell played his college lacrosse at Hampden-Sydney College, captaining the squad his senior year. The Tigers made three NCAA Championship appearances and won the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) once during his career. Archbell was a two-time All-ODAC defenseman and earned honorable mention All-America as a senior.