Limestone taps head coach Cerino as Director of Athletics

[Sonny]

Limestone College President Dr. Walt Griffin has announced that Mike Cerino has been named the College’s Director of Athletics. He becomes the fifth Director of Athletics in the history of the Saints athletics department. Cerino served as Senior Associate Athletics Director since the summer of 2006. He will continue to serve as the Head Coach for the Saints’ men’s lacrosse team.

In making the announcement, Griffin commented, “The Limestone College Athletics Department serves 420 student athletes through eighteen intercollegiate sports. Next year we will add men’s and women’s track and field. In the past three years, Limestone has vaulted from 10th to 6th to 2nd place in the all-sports competition within our conference. I believe Limestone has become a model NCAA Division II program, fostering both athletic and academic excellence.

“Just as Mike Cerino led our men’s lacrosse program to regional and national prominence, I believe he is capable of achieving similar success with Limestone’s entire athletics program,” continued Griffin.

"I am extremely honored to have been given the opportunity to be the next Director of Athletics at Limestone College,” stated Cerino. “It is my goal to provide the direction, enthusiasm and leadership to make Limestone athletics a program in which our students, alumni and supporters can take great pride."

Cerino’s tenure at Limestone has been one of tremendous achievement. In his first year back at Limestone after leaving the men’s lacrosse program in 2000, he led the team to a 14-2 record and its eighth straight NCAA tournament semifinal appearance in 2007.

Founding the lacrosse program in 1990, Cerino built the Saints into a premier team, exemplified in 2000 with a NCAA Division II National Championship. During this 11 year period, he went 80-56 (.588) winning three conference championships and received the honor of being named Deep South Coach of the year in both 1994 and 1998. Additionally, the team earned a top-10 national ranking in the final Division II poll on eight occasions. Following the 2000 season, Cerino was named Street and Smith’s College Lacrosse USA Division II Coach of the Year. He is also a two-time recipient of the Jim "Ace" Adams National Sportsmanship Award from the National Intercollegiate Lacrosse Officials Association.

At the conclusion on the 2000 season, Cerino stepped down at Limestone to take a faculty and varsity head coaching position at Charlotte Latin School in Charlotte, N.C. In December of 2001, Cerino was named the Head Men’s Lacrosse Coach and Assistant Professor of Physical Education at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Va. Over the course of his five years in Lexington, Cerino compiled a record of 53-24 (.688), third best all-time in the history of the program. During this stretch, Washington and Lee received NCAA tournament berths in 2002 and 2004. Cerino was also named Old Dominion Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 2002 and 2004.

He currently serves on the Intercollegiate Men's Lacrosse Coaches Association Board of Directors and was also selected to be a presenter at the 2006 IMLCA Clinic. Cerino has also served on the USILA Division III All-America Committee, the National Ranking Committee and was chairman of the NCAA Division II Men’s Lacrosse Executive Committee.

After an outstanding playing career at Pfeiffer University, Cerino earned his bachelor of science in economics in 1988. He also earned a master’s degree in physical education from Gardner-Webb.