Dan Paccione

Dan Paccione was named associate head coach of the Red Storm lacrosse program in the fall of 2014 after spending the previous eight seasons as the top assistant coach and offensive coordinator at St. John's.

In addition to his responsibilities as offensive coordinator, Paccione previously oversaw St. John's man-up unit and acts as the program's recruiting director.

Since his arrival in Queens in 2007, Paccione has mentored an attacking unit which has evolved into one of the most potent and explosive in the country.

Under his guidance, two of Paccione’s best offensive weapons in 2016 were honored by the BIG EAST for their impactful play in the attacking unit. Graduated senior Eric DeJohn and rising junior Jason DeBenedictis were both named to the 2016 All-BIG EAST Team, with first and second team honors respectively. The Red Storm attacking unit also finished 2016 ranked in the top half of the BIG EAST conference for a number of statistical categories including assists per game (third), points per game (third), ground balls per game (third), man-up goals (t-first) and man-up scoring percentage (first).

The Red Storm’s offense, under the tutelage of Paccione, was potent in 2015 and included two 30+ goal scorers and two attackmen named to the All-BIG EAST Team. Stefan Diachencko led the team in goals with 40 and added six assists, and Eric DeJohn notched 38 goals and 26 assists. DeJohn’s impressive 2015 campaign landed him a spot on the first-team All-BIG EAST squad. The entire attacking unit ranked near the top of a number of BIG EAST categories including third in man-up goals (16), points per game (15.50), and assists per game (5.64), and fourth in goals per game (9.86).

In 2014, the Red Storm ranked among the statistical leaders in the BIG EAST Conference in a number of categories, including posting a league-best man-up scoring percentage (.414) and ranking top-3 in goals (11.43), assists (6.64) and points (18.07) per game. St. John's scored in double figures in 11 of 14 games during the season and demonstrated an ability to find the back of the net in high-pressure situations, winning overtime games over Long Island rival Hofstra and BIG EAST foe Villanova as well as outscoring Stony Brook, 5-0, in the fourth quarter to stage a late-game comeback in a duel for local bragging rights.

Three of Paccione's attackmen were rewarded for stellar 2014 campaigns with national and all-conference awards and accolades. Most notably, senior Kieran McArdle capped a record-breaking career by being named a Tewaaraton National Player of the Year nominee and USILA All-America second team pick for the second-consecutive year. Under Paccione's tutelage, McArdle also repeated as BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year and conference "Triple Crown" winner as he led the league in points (5.71), goals (2.86) and assists (2.86) per game. A two-time unanimous first team All-BIG EAST selection, McArdle scored a single-season program-record 40 goals in 2014 and ended the year as St. John's all-time leader in career points, goals and assists as well as the first player in program history to record 200 goals, 100 assists and 100 goals in a career. In August 2014, after being drafted fifth overall in the 2014 Major League Lacrosse Collegiate Draft by the Florida Launch, McArdle was named MLL's 2014 Cascade Rookie of the Year.

Also earning individual acclaim in 2014 were fellow senior attackmen Kevin Cernuto and Ryan Fitzgerald, who were named All-BIG EAST second team. Cernuto scored seven hat tricks in 2014 and finished the season with 110 career goals, second most in St. John's history, while Fitzgerald marked his final season by recording career highs in points (33) and goals (22). At the end of the season, McArdle, Cernuto and Fitzgerald were selected to play in the annual DI/DII North-South All-Star game.

Paccione led one of the nation's top attacking units during a record-breaking 2013 season, as the Red Storm averaged 12.46 goals per game, fifth best in the country and tops in the BIG EAST. St. John's also featured a man-up unit that converted at a 41.2 percent clip for the season, which ranked 11th in the NCAA. Three St. John's players scored over 20 goals during the year, two scoring over 30, as the Red Storm (9-4, 3-3 BIG EAST) posted the most wins since program reinstatement in 2005 and the second-most ever for a lacrosse team at St. John's.

Individually, McArdle tallied 36 goals and 49 assists to become the school record-holder in assists and points in a season in 2013, and finished the regular season as the NCAA assist-per-game leader (3.77) and second in the NCAA for points per game (6.54). McArdle was also named a unanimous first team all-conference pick along with Cernuto, who, with 3.69 points per game, gave St. John's the league's top two scorers.

Paccione led a dynamic offensive attack during the 2012 season as the team averaged 9.07 goals per game and featured a man-up unit that converted at 44.8 percent clip for the season, which ranked eighth in the NCAA. Four St. John's players scored over 20 goals during the year, the highest amount to ever reach the 20-goal plateau in one season. McArdle was recognized as an Honorable Mention USILA All-America selection after totaling 28 goals and 32 assists as a sophomore as well as a first team All-BIG EAST selection after leading the conference in both points and assists.

Paccione has helped five different players earn All-BIG EAST recognition during the team's four seasons in the conference. McArdle was a first team pick as a senior, junior and sophomore, including two unanimous nods, while Cernuto was a second team pick in 2014 along with Fitzgerald and first team selection in 2013. Terence Leach received second team honors in 2012 and Harry Kutner was a second team honoree in 2010.

In eight seasons with the Red Storm, Paccione has also worked closely with the face-off specialists, helping St. John's to a top-25 national ranking in face-offs his first two seasons. As the offensive coordinator, he coaches the man-up attack unit as well as opening up the offensive attack. Paccione helped instill a more "run and gun" style offense, helping the Red Storm build an ominous presence downfield.

Prior to St. John's, Paccione spent a season at Stony Brook University, where he worked primarily with both the face-off unit and wing players. He also tutored the man-up personnel, which finished in the top 10 in the country for shooting percentage.

From 2004-05, Paccione worked as an assistant to Yale head coach Andy Shay, where his primary responsibilities included face-off and wing play personnel. During his two-season tenure with the Bulldogs, the face-off unit finished with one of the nation's best winning percentages at the X (.663).

Paccione played lacrosse for the University of Massachusetts and graduated in 2002 with a bachelor of science degree in sports management. He led the Minutemen to two ECAC Championships in 2001 and 2002, and the NCAA Quarterfinals in 2002. In 2002, Paccione also earned first team All-ECAC honors and the UMass offensive Most Valuable Player award when he recorded 34 goals and 13 assists for 47 points, and won 86-of-156 face-offs for a .548 winning percentage.

After graduating from UMass, Paccione played for the New York Saints of the National Lacrosse League (NLL). He was also selected by the Long Island Lizards as the 11th overall pick in the Major League Lacrosse (MLL) draft. He played for the Lizards from 2002-03 and helped the team win the MLL Championship in 2003. In 2004, Paccione played for the Philadelphia Barrage, another squad that won the MLL Championship. The following season, Paccione suited up for the Lizards again, and the team advanced to the MLL Championship game. In 2006, Paccione played for the Chicago Machine.

Paccione and his wife, Katie, a physical education teacher in Farmingdale, N.Y., reside in Wantagh, N.Y. The couple was married in August 2007 have three children, Devin (7), Madison (5) and Luke (2).