Rocky Point's Joe Spallina Officially Introduced at Stony Brook

Joe Spallina said his parents taught him that there are winners and losers and there’s nothing in between. Based on his coaching resume, you can take a guess where he lands.

Spallina, a Rocky Point native, has done nothing but win as an athlete and coach, which is why it was easy for Stony Brook to hire him as the head women’s lacrosse coach at the university this week.

He was officially introduced, along with the school’s new men’s lacrosse coach, Jim Nagle, in a press conference Tuesday afternoon at the indoor sports complex on campus.

“Joe Spallina is the most popular hire we’ve had,” said Stony Brook Athletic Director Jim Fiore. "Every men’s lacrosse player, every women’s lacrosse coach on Long Island has called me about him. Joe is a person who believes in Stony Brook, believes in Long Island and believes in the talent on Long Island. Our great days are ahead of us.”

Spallina recently led the Adelphi women’s team to three straight Division II national titles and a 73-2 record in four seasons. As the head girls lacrosse coach at Rocky Point High School, Spallina won three Suffolk County titles and had an 87-9 record. As a player he won two national titles at Adelphi.

“Great moments are born with great opportunity,” he said, quoting former U.S. Hockey coach Herb Brooks, “and that’s what I have here today. We have an opportunity to move the Stony Brook women’s lacrosse team to new heights. Our goal of the America East championship starts now. The goal is to be the best, average is not acceptable.”

Unlike Nagle, who inherits a men's program that is established and used to recent success, Spallina will have to dive in and build. The Stony Brook women finished the 2011 season 4-11.