Prospect Day at Roanoke College For Women’s Lacrosse

A four-year letter winner at the goalie position at the University of Maryland, Schwartz helped the Terps to three NCAA Division I championship games (1982, 1984, 1985) and was named to both the ACC’s All-Tournament team and the North/South Senior All-Star game in 1985. As a goalie with Maryland’s field hockey team, Schwartz also was a four-year letter recipient and still remains fourth on the Terps’ all-time goals against average list.

Schwartz began her coaching career in 1989 as an assistant field hockey coach at North Alleghany High School (Pa.). After three years at North Alleghany, Schwartz moved on to Mt. Lebanon High School (Pa.) where she served as the head coach of the girls’ lacrosse team for two years. While in Pennsylvania, Schwartz founded the Pittsburgh Women’s Lacrosse Club in 1991. After that, Schwartz coached at Shady Side Academy (Pa.), where she coached the school’s first four high school All-Americans and earned the Midwest School Girl’s Lacrosse Association Coach of the Year Award (1994).

Schwartz’s accomplishments garnered her a coaching career at the college level. In 1996, she became the head women’s lacrosse coach of Davison College (N.C.). Schwartz joined Roanoke College’s women’s lacrosse team in the 2005 season as the program’s eighth head coach since the program began in 1978.  

Mary Schwartz has been coaching at Roanoke College for 14 seasons (2005-2016). Her overall record totals 123-87 overall and 75-27 in the ODAC, which makes her coach with the most wins in Roanoke College Women’s Lacrosse history. She has coached 61 All-ODAC selections, 23 ODAC All-Tournament Team selections, 23 VaSID All-State Team selections, 19 IWLCA All-Region selections, five IWLCA All-American selections. Schwartz has also coached three ODAC Rookies of the Year and three ODAC Players of the Year. She has coached 29 ODAC All-Academic Team student-athletes. She was rewarded ODAC Coach of the Year in 2009.

Schwartz has served on several NCAA Women’s Lacrosse Committees, including a stint as the chairperson of the NCAA Division I South Region selection committee. She has also served as a Second Vice President of US Lacrosse and as an Executive Board member with the organization. As of 2016, she is currently serving her second year as a NCAA Division III At Large Representative for the IWLCA Board of Directors. Schwartz also serves as the Athletic Department’s Senior Women’s Administrator and supervises the Student-Athletic Advisory Committee.

Tamburello comes to Salem after one year as the lead assistant at Pomona-Pitzer College in Claremont, Calif. As a member of the Sagehens staff, Tamburello was involved in all facets of the women's lacrosse program including on-field instruction, practice and game planning and all recruiting efforts.

Tamburello made the jump to the collegiate ranks last season after having success as a high school coach in both Florida and Northern Virginia.  His Oak Hall High School team in Gainesville, Fla., won back-to-back district championships, leading to a pair of Gainesville Sun Coach of the Year honors for Tamburello.

"I'm very excited to get started and work alongside Coach Schwartz," said Tamburello. "The tradition and school pride in Roanoke is amazing, and something I can't wait to be a part of. The opportunity to work with such a recognized program and to come in and make an immediate impact is very special. I am so thankful for this opportunity and can't wait to get on the field."

Prior to his time at Oak Hall, he spent two seasons as the head coach at Fauquier High School in Warrenton, Va., earning the 2014 Battlefield Group Coach of the Year.

Tamburello is a 2010 graduate of Radford University with a degree in Exercise, Sport and Health Education.