Pablo Peschiera

Directing camp this summer is Hope College Assistant Coach, Pablo Peschiera!

Dr. Pablo Peschiera has been a lacrosse player, coach, official, and camp director. His playing career began with the Kalamazoo Blackhawks Lacrosse Club before he attended Hope College, where he played lacrosse for two Hope College league championship teams, and was elected president of the club. While earning his master’s degrees, he played for Western Michigan University’s Lacrosse Club, and the Grand Rapids Lacrosse Club. After completing his Ph.D. in Houston, Texas, he returned to Michigan to play for many years for the West Michigan Blue Dragons Lacrosse Club. He enjoys the camaraderie and creative teamwork of lacrosse and started for all his teams as a close defender.

As a coach, Peschiera served as the defensive coordinator for the men’s varsity program at East Grand Rapids High School under Mike Schanhals (Head Coach of men’s varsity at Hope College), where he helped the Pioneers win their program's first state championship in 1993. In 1994 East Grand Rapids went 14-0 to complete its only undefeated season, and to finish with another state championship.

In 2006 and 2008, while an assistant professor at The University of Wisconsin—Stevens Point, Coach Peschiera served as the assistant coach of the UWSP Men’s Lacrosse Club.

In 2008, Hope College hired Peschiera as a professor in the English Department. Since then, he’s assisted in several coaching, advising, and supporting roles for the Hope College Men’s lacrosse team. He served as Assistant Coach when Hope competed in the Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association (MCLA) as a part of the Central Collegiate Lacrosse Association. The Flying Dutchmen were the Central Division Champs in 2010.

In 2018 and 2019, Coach Peschiera served as the head coach of the U 12 boys team at West Side Lacrosse.

Peschiera assisted the Flying Dutchmen’s varsity program to two NCAA Division III Tournament appearances, three regular-season MIAA titles and double-digit wins five times, including a team-record 15 wins in both 2022 and 2018. In 2019 Hope College won its first NCAA Division III Tournament victory with a 22-17 win in the first round at Illinois Wesleyan University.

Peschiera completed his Doctorate of Philosophy from the University of Houston in 2005. He earned Masters degrees in both creative writing and English Language and Literature/Letters, from Western Michigan University in 1998. and received his bachelor's degree in English Language and Literature/Letters from Hope College. He has published over 100 poems, book reviews, interviews, and translations from Spanish, and has served as Interim Chair of the English Department at Hope College.