Demorest, GA – Piedmont College Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Jim Peeples has announced the hiring of Tim Dunton as the new Head Coach of Men’s Lacrosse for the Lions. Dunton comes to Piedmont following a successful 13-year career as the Head Men’s Lacrosse Coach at Lasell College in Newton, Massachusetts becoming the second Head Coach in the history of the Lions lacrosse program replacing Pete Manderano, the program’s coach for the first four years of existence.
“We are very excited about Tim Dunton joining the Athletic Department at Piedmont College and taking on the leadership of our men’s lacrosse program,” said Peeples of the newly added coach. “Tim brings 13 years of successful head coaching experience to our program, but more importantly, he is a great fit for Piedmont College.
“Piedmont is a special place that attracts tremendous young people and Tim will impact the young men in our men’s lacrosse program in more ways than being their lacrosse coach,” Peeples continued. “He will be a builder of successful men that will graduate and be tremendous alumni. I am looking forward to supporting Tim as he builds on the early success that Pete Manderano had starting our program.”
Dunton takes over a Piedmont team fresh off a semifinal appearance in the Inaugural Southeast Independent Lacrosse Championship (SEILC) this past season. The Lions also graduated its first-ever senior class as the program moves into its fifth year of competition during the 2015-16 academic year, the first in the Dunton era for the Green and Gold.
“I want to thank Dr. Mellichamp, Dr. Misner, Dr. Rettig, Coach Peeples and the entire selection committee at Piedmont for the opportunity to take the reigns of the Lions Men’s Lacrosse program,” said Dunton of his new position. “From the moment I first spoke with Coach Peeples, I could feel the enthusiasm for athletics that Piedmont has. It is no coincidence that the programs at Piedmont are successful. I’m very excited about the opportunity to work with the young men that are a part of this team.
“After visiting campus, I was very impressed with the athletic facilities and the vision that the college has for growth. The entire staff that I met with has been extremely welcoming throughout this entire process and I’m looking forward to working along side of them. I am extremely excited about getting under way at Piedmont. I can’t wait to get into the office and work with Coach Gantz trying to build this program into a consistent winner!”
Dunton continued, thanking his previous colleagues, “I’d also like to thank Lasell College for the 13 great years that I enjoyed there. Kristy Walter hired me as a young coach recently out of college and taking that chance on me is something that I will forever be grateful for. I’m also thankful for the countless friends that I’ve coached along side with and the great young men that I had a chance to coach at Lasell.”
Just prior to accepting his new role at Piedmont, Dunton led Lasell College to a 9-7 overall record in 2015 including a 5-3 record in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC). The Lasers earned a postseason win with a 21-8 victory over Rivier in the GNAC Quarterfinals before falling to Emmanuel (MA) in the Semifinals, the eventual GNAC champ.
Dunton should bring a defensive fire to the Lions in Demorest as his team ranked nationally in several NCAA Division III categories including a top ten spot in caused turnovers. The Lasers were 7th in the country with 12.5 caused turnovers per game and also ranked 11th in the country in ground balls per game as well.
Along with his defensive success, Lasell showed balance this past season ranking in the top-40 in the nation in both scoring offense and scoring defense while ranking 26th in scoring margin outscoring opponents by almost five goals per contest in 2015. The Lasers possessed the most efficient attack in the GNAC during 2015 scoring 12.38 goals per game while also ranking 2nd in total goals (198 in 16 games), 2nd in assists (123), and 3rd in goals against average (7.66) while topping the league in man-up scoring percentage (34.9).
In his time with Lasell, Dunton led his team to conference tournament appearances in nine seasons across two league affiliations with one of those campaigns resulting in a championship game appearance, that coming during the 2011 season. In a 2008 postseason run, Dunton’s team earned the first-ever postseason victory by a Lasell athletic program as his Lasers defeated Plymouth State 10-5 before falling to his alma mater, Endicott College, in the ECAC title game.
Prior to Lasell’s current GNAC era, Dunton helped guide his team to postseason appearances in the ECAC during the 2003, 2005, 2006, and 2008 seasons during an 8-year affiliation with the Pilgrim League. Dunton’s postseason showings included four in the ECAC and five in the GNAC including a run to the title game in 2011, the first year of affiliation in the GNAC for Lasell.
Since moving Lasell to the GNAC as a founding league member, Dunton’s Lasers have dominated going 36-7 in five seasons since the league’s inception. In all five of those seasons, Dunton’s teams have posted winning records and most recently finished in the league’s top four this past year.
Overall, Dunton mentored 44 All-Conference selections during his 13 years with Lasell as the program’s head coach including three Rookies of the Year, two Players of the Year, and four All-New England honorees. Named Coach of the Year in 2005, Dunton owned a 107-98 record in his time with Lasell earning his 100th career victory just this past season against Centenary (LA) on March 15, 2015.
Dunton’s 107 career wins has him just outside the top 40 in the country on the NCAA Division III Winningest Active Coaches list. Named as the Head Coach of the Lasers’ lacrosse program just prior to the start of the 2003 season, Dunton owns a 65-37 mark in conference play over his 13-year career as well.
Success was not limited to the field for Dunton who also served in several administrative capacities at Lasell including his time as a representative for the Pilgrim League on the USILA (United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association) Top 20 panel. Dunton also served as a representative on the NCAA Regional Advisory Committee gaining invaluable knowledge of the selection process for the NCAA Division III Men’s Lacrosse National Tournament.
In his 4th year on staff at Lasell, Dunton was named Assistant Director of Athletics, a post the coach would serve in for the next nine years before elevating to Associate Director of Athletics in 2014. In his administrative work, Dunton oversaw equipment and facility operation, assisted with contest management, managed travel for the department, and served as a member of development committees.
Spending his collegiate playing days at Endicott College in the late ’90s, Dunton was a four-year letter winner for the successful program which is coming off its 8th CCC (Commonwealth Coast Conference) title and 5th NCAA National Tournament appearance after the 2015 season. In Dunton’s time at Endicott, the Gulls went an impressive 42-19 earning double-digit win totals in each of his four seasons with the team.
After his first three seasons saw the Gulls compete as a Division III Independent, Dunton’s final season at Endicott saw the Gulls usher in a new era as a new member of the CCC going 6-2 in league competition making an appearance in the Quarterfinals of the league’s championship tournament.
During his time with the Gulls where he was named a captain in his senior season, Dunton was a four-year letter winner and earned All-Conference accolades during his twilight campaign in 2000. In that same season, the midfielder participated in the NEILA East-West Senior All-Star Game as well capping a fine four-year career for the Gulls.
A native of Billerica, Massachusetts, Dunton graduated in 2000 from Endicott College in Beverly, Massachusetts with his Bachelor of Science in Communications with a concentration in Media Production. Dunton went on to earn his Master of Science in Sports Administration with a concentration in Sports Leadership from Lasell.
Dunton will be relocating from his hometown to the Peach State along with his family: wife, Karen, daughter, Madison and son, Logan.
What they’re saying about Coach Dunton:
“I would like to congratulate Tim Dunton in the Piedmont College athletic department and community on the hiring of an outstanding and respected men’s lacrosse coach but even more importantly a true gentleman in every facet. It has been a pleasure and a reward to see the growth of Tim Dunton first hand as a player, assistant coach and a well accomplished head coach. I could not think of a better person to build the Piedmont men’s lacrosse program. The values, work ethic and loyalty that coach Dunton displays as a mentor, coach and family man will reflect in his everyday interactions with the Piedmont student athletes and community. Although New England is losing a very fine coach and man in Coach Dunton our loss in New England is Piedmonts gratifying gain! I wish Coach Dunton, his family and Piedmont all the success and happiness in years to come.”
Sean Quirk, Endicott College
Associate Athletic Director
