5 Potential Landing Spots for Former Virginia Lacrosse Coach Lars Tiffany

Where could Lars Tiffany end up next after Virginia announced that he is not returning?

Virginia Athletics

Earlier this week, Virginia announced that Lars Tiffany would not return to the lacrosse program. During his tenure in Charlottesville, Tiffany won two National Championships over ten seasons. Tiffany is a top coach in the sport and will be highly sought after. Here are five possible landing spots for the former Virginia head coach:

For the top coaches in the Virginia search: Virginia Lacrosse Coaching Candidates: Top Replacements for Lars Tiffany

SMU

This past week, a report revealed that SMU is exploring adding a men’s lacrosse program for the first time in school history. By adding lacrosse, SMU would slot in alongside Duke, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Syracuse, and Virginia in the ACC. With the ACC being the premier lacrosse conference, it would give Tiffany a fresh start to build a brand-new program.

Further, Tiffany has had a history of recruiting players from Texas, including current players Sean Browne, Ben Boyer, and Reese Stepanian, and past players such as Matthew Nunes, Anthony Ghobriel, Cade Saustad, and Thomas Mencke. To add, during the 2025 season, the Cavaliers played a neutral-site game in Houston, Texas, against Towson, winning 11-6. With the upward trajectory in sports such as football and basketball, if SMU invests in lacrosse, the Mustangs have the potential to be an elite program.

Premier Lacrosse League

If Tiffany chooses to take a break from the college game, moving to the professional level for a little while could be a nice change of pace. There’s a head coach opening in the PLL almost every season, and Tiffany’s resume makes him a top candidate if he wanted the job. Possible openings could include the Maryland Whipsnakes and the Philadelphia Waterdogs. The PLL could serve as a great way for Tiffany to remain coaching at the highest level while also giving time for another top college job to open.

Brown

Prior to Virginia, Tiffany announced himself to the lacrosse world at Brown, where he led the Bears to an NCAA Final Four appearance. Brown fell to Maryland in overtime in the semifinals and likely would’ve advanced to the National Championship if Dylan Molloy, the Tewaarton award winner, wasn't playing through a broken foot. Since Tiffany’s departure, Brown has made the NCAA Tournament once and hasn't had a winning season since 2022. A Tiffany return to Brown could revitalize a program in desperate need of a spark.

Johns Hopkins

Under Peter Milliman, the Blue Jays have had varying success with three NCAA Tournament quarterfinal appearances but zero trips to Championship Weekend in addition to three losing seasons. Johns Hopkins hasn’t made a Final Four since 2015. Bringing Tiffany in could be the solution to finally bring the Blue Jays back to the pinnacle of the sport.

Denver

Another program eyeing a resurgence is the Denver Pioneers, whose last Final Four came in 2024 in the program’s first season under Matt Brown. Brown took over after Bill Tierney stepped down after a legendary collegiate coaching career, which included bringing Denver to the Final Four five times and winning the 2015 National Championship. Since 2024, Denver has slid back, posting a 7-7 record in 2025 before a 6-8 record this past season. Inserting Tiffany has the potential to reestablish Denver as the Midwest powerhouse it once was.