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Erich Skelly
Erich Skelly
Bio

Erich Skelly (Grand Island, N.Y.) is an accomplished collegiate coach with more than 15 years of NCAA Division I and Division III coaching experience. He is recognized for his ability to build strong team cultures, develop student-athletes, and elevate competitive programs. His coaching philosophy emphasizes accountability, leadership, academic success, and personal growth, using athletics as a vehicle to prepare young people for success beyond college.

Skelly completed his second season as the Head Coach of Russell Sage College Men's Lacrosse in 2026.  In his first year at the helm, the Gators had two first-team All-Empire 8 Conferenceselections, LSM Joe Johnson and midfielder Anthony Marrone. Johnson also received All-American honors.  Marrone had one of the best seasons from the midfield in Gator history scoring 56 goals and 6 assists.  Johnson, who led the nation in scoring from the defensive position, had an historic year netting 23 goals and 3 assists while also securing 86 ground balls and 32 caused turnovers. In 2026, the Gators had another national highlight with sophomore goaltender, Jordon Hankel, averaging 19.58 saves per game, which ranked third in the nation.
 
During these two seasons coaching at Russell Sage College, he has contributed to student-athlete development, recruiting, program operations, and competitive growth within the department. His time at RSC further strengthened his experience working within the Capital Region collegiate athletics community and mentoring student-athletes both on and off the field

“I am extremely excited to join the Russell Sage Athletics Department and lead the men's lacrosse program,” said Skelly at the time of his hiring.  “A big thank you to Jim Lyons, Director of Athletics, and the entire search committee for this opportunity.  Everyone in the department has been so welcoming and the team is eager to compete at an extremely high level.  I would also like to thank everyone on my career path who has helped me get to Russell Sage, I have had some amazing mentors and coached some incredible student-athletes to get to this point.  I look forward to taking the Russell Sage Men's Lacrosse program to the next level. GO GATORS!!”

"I am very pleased to announce the hiring of Erich Skelly as the second head coach in the history of Russell Sage men's lacrosse,” commented Lyons.  “We deeply appreciate the dedication and hard work that Ryan Lanigan put into starting and developing our program and I feel strongly that Coach Skelly is the right person to lead us into the next stage of our growth.  Erich's passion for teaching lacrosse and developing young people was evident immediately in the interview process. Gator lacrosse couldn't be in better hands, and we are thrilled to welcome Erich into the Russell Sage Athletics family."   

Prior to Russell Sage, Skelly served as Head Men’s Lacrosse Coach at Albright College, where he led a major cultural and competitive turnaround within the program. Under his leadership, the team doubled its win total, significantly improved academic performance, developed all-conference athletes, and established one of the strongest team cultures in recent program history.

Before becoming a head coach, Skelly spent six years at Sacred Heart University as the Defensive and Recruiting Coordinator for the Division I men’s lacrosse program. During his tenure, the program achieved three consecutive playoff appearances, set multiple school records, and developed numerous all-conference athletes, All-Americans, and professional draft selections.

His coaching background also includes Division I experience at Binghamton University and Division III experience at SUNY Brockport, where he coordinated top-ranked defensive units and helped mentor multiple academic and athletic award recipients.

A New York native, Skelly earned both his Bachelor’s degree in Physical Education and Master’s degree in Education from SUNY Brockport, graduating magna cum laude while earning numerous academic and athletic honors throughout his collegiate career.

Known for his energy, passion, and relationship-driven leadership style, Skelly has built his career around helping student-athletes maximize their potential both competitively and personally."