Tim McCormack Named Pac-12 Coach of the Year

SAN FRANCISCO - Sun Devil Lacrosse Head Coach Tim McCormack was selected as the Pac-12 Coach of the Year for the second straight season, the conference announced as part of their postseason awards.
 
The award is voted on by the other coaches in the league, with McCormack impressing his peers by taking Sun Devil Lacrosse to new heights. He becomes the first Arizona State Head Coach to win the award this academic year. McCormack joins a list of the best coaches to ever call Tempe home, as the 78th Sun Devil since 1979 to earn conference coach of the year honors.

McCormack was also the only ASU Head Coach to receive the award last year, as he took home 2021 Pac-12 Coach of the Year. This makes him one of only 15 head coaches in the history of Sun Devil Athletics to win back-to-back conference coach of the year honors. He is the first to accomplish the feat since Zeke Jones was named Pac-12 Wrestling Coach of the Year in both 2017 & 2018. Included on this exclusive list are legendary head coaches Linda Vollstedt, Jim Brock, John Spini, and Greg Kraft.
 
Through three seasons in Tempe, McCormack has been in charge of one of the nation's biggest turnarounds. He currently has a 24-16 record as the Head Coach at Arizona State. To put that in perspective, ASU was 12-24 in the previous two seasons under the previous coaching staff. He has put Sun Devil Lacrosse on the map, creating national buzz around the program. Take a closer look at the accomplishments of the 2022 team under the direction of Tim McCormack:

SUN DEVILS IN THE RANKINGS
Arizona State is currently ranked in the Top-25 in one of two major national polls, the fifth straight week they have been ranked. This is the first instance in which ASU stayed in five consecutive Top-25's and most times in a season they have been ranked. Inside Lacrosse/IWCLA slot the Sun Devils at No. 23 in their latest polls, matching the highest spot ever occupied by the program. ASU is also receiving votes and on the cusp of cracking the most recent U.S. Lacrosse Magazine Top-20. 

Head Coach Tim McCormack has challenged his team with an extremely difficult schedule and it has paid off, as the Sun Devils are looked upon favorably in two key metrics. Arizona State has the No. 12-rated strength of schedule having played nine Top-25 teams through 16 games. Because of their success in those game, Arizona State has a RPI of 26, which has climbed dramatically over the past few weeks. No team in the country played a tougher non-conference schedule in the nation than the Sun Devils according to Lax Reference.

BRACKETOLOGY
U.S. Lacrosse Magazine and Inside Lacrosse recently published their weekly bracketology and Arizona State fans will recognize a familiar name. The Sun Devils are in the NCAA Tournament field as an at large team according to both publications. U.S. Lacrosse Magazine projects Arizona State to play Virginia in a first round matchup at the Chapel Hill Regional, hosted by No. 1 seed North Carolina. Inside Lacrosse has the Sun Devils traveling to the Evanston Regional and taking on Notre Dame in a first round matchup hosted by No. 4 seed Northwestern. 

What is helping Coach McCormack's team separate itself is the lack of bad losses, as all seven of their defeats in 2022 have come at the hands of teams currently in the Top-25. To take that a step further, three Sun Devil losses have been against teams in the Top-10. ASU is one of four Pac-12 teams making a push for a NCAA berth, joined by USC, Stanford, and Colorado in producing a banner year for the league. Only the ACC and Big Ten (5 each) have more teams in the mock field than the Pac-12, both of which are almost double the size of the Pac-12. The Pac-12 Lacrosse Tournament represents another opportunity for the Sun Devils to increase their postseason appeal, with extremely intriguing potential semifinal matchups.

QUALITY WINS
Coach McCormack's team has a fearless mentality, unafraid of high pressure situations or hostile environments. Despite playing the 12th-toughest schedule in the nation, Arizona State is 9-7 and has defeated three ranked teams. The resume of the Maroon & Gold includes several impressive wins that will prove to be a huge boost come postseason time.

March 13th - Arizona State 20, #23 Colorado 6
Arizona State took control of the game early and never looked back, overwhelming the ranked Buffaloes during an 8-0 second period. The 14-goal margin of defeat was the largest in the nine-year history of the Colorado program. They claim their second win over a Top-25 team as a program, doing it in impressive fashion. 

April 3rd - Arizona State 13, @ #14 Rutgers 12 (OT)
Sun Devil Lacrosse earned a dramatic comeback victory on the road over No. 14 Rutgers. They pick up their first victory over a Top-15 opponent in program history, handing the highly-touted Scarlet Knights only their second loss of the season. Carley Adams scored the game-winning goal in the first sudden death overtime period, sending the strong contingent of Sun Devil fans that had made the trip into a frenzy.
 
ASU was down by as many as four goals at several points of the game in less than ideal weather, but showed resiliency and toughness in mounting a valiant comeback effort. Arizona State was responsible for the final three goals of the game, stunning the home crowd and earning the program's first victory over a Big Ten opponent.
 
April 8th - #25 Arizona State 18, #22 Stanford 11
Sun Devil Lacrosse finally got over the hump, defeating Stanford for the first time. Arizona State proved to be the better team from the opening draw, outscoring the No. 22 Cardinal each of the four quarters en route to an impressive 18-11 victory. Now that Head Coach Tim McCormack has defeated Stanford, his program has now beaten all five Pac-12 opponents. In a matchup of Top-25 teams, the No. 25 Sun Devils controlled the action in front of a lively home crowd.

The Maroon & Gold backed up a road win over No. 14 Rutgers with a second straight Top-25 victory, the first time the program has accomplished the feat.

April 17th - #23 Arizona State 16, @ Colorado 8

Arizona State had never won in Boulder, but that changed in a big way on April 17 thanks to a complete and focused effort. The Sun Devils jumped out to a 7-0 lead and never looked back, utilizing a balanced attack and aggressive defense to overwhelm the Buffaloes from the opening whistle. ASU took the home crowd out of the game as Colorado never got back within four goals, with the Maroon & Gold eventually establishing a running clock thanks to a double-digit lead.

TESTS AGAINST THE BEST
The Sun Devils have matched up with some of the nation's best teams during their 2022 campaign. It started with a trip to the Midwest, when they took on No. 11 Michigan and No. 5 Northwestern on the road in their first two games. Arizona State would then host No. 11 Florida, the highest ranked team to ever play at Sun Devil Soccer/Lacrosse Stadium. Cap that off with a road trip to the nation's best scoring defense in No. 5 Stony Brook and you begin to see why Arizona State is unafraid of any challenge.

CONFERENCE CONTENDERS
With the win over Stanford back on April 8th, Arizona State and Coach McCormack have now beaten every other Pac-12 program. They picked up at least one victory over every Pac-12 team this season, sweeping the season series with Colorado, Oregon, and California. The seven conference wins and winning percentage of 70% both represented new program highs. The third place finish in the Pac-12 was also a new best, with ASU claiming the No. 3 seed in the conference tournament for the first time. They look to build off the success at last year's Pac-12 Tournament, where they reached the semifinal round for the first time. 

THE EVOLUTION OF CARLEY ADAMS
The development of Carley Adams continues to be fun to track, as her career completely changed after the arrival of Coach McCormack and his staff. Through her first two seasons, Adams played in 33 games and had 15 points (13 goals & 2 assists). Over her past 40 games, she has 170 points (120 goals & 50 assists). Adams is up to 44 goals and 25 assists this year and has elevated her game as of late. Over her past five games, she has totaled 32 points. Adams is one of only nine players in the country with at least 44 goals and 25 assists. 

Players with 44+ goals & 25+ assists
Carley Adams, ASU, Goals: 44, Assists: 25
Meaghan Tyrell, Syracuse Goals: 63, Assists: 30
Grace Lipponer, Manhattan Goals: 56, Assists: 30
Aurora Cordingley, Maryland Goals: 54, Assists: 38
Jamie Ortega, North Carolina Goals 53, Assists: 30
Catriona Barry, Duke Goals: 53, Assists: 43
Nicole McNeely, Siena Goals: 45, Assists: 38
Livy Rosenzweig, Loyola Maryland Goals: 52, Assists: 27
Emma Lopinto, Florida Goals: 46, Assists: 27

GLAGOLEV IN ELITE COMPANY
Senior Emily Glagolev has proven to be one of the best all-around attackers in the nation, showing off her ability to both pass and score. She has been utilized perfectly in Coach McCormack's offense, making it very challenging to gameplan for the Sun Devils. Glagolev is one of only four players in the nation to have 40+ goals and 33+ assists. Here is the exclusive list she is a part of:

Players with 40+ goals & 33+ assists
Emily Glagolev (Arizona State): 33 Assists and 40 Goals
Catriona Berry (Duke): 33 Assists and 53 Goals
Aurora Cordingley (Maryland): 38 Assists and 54 Goals
Nicole McNeely (Siena): 38 Assists and 45 Goals

SHE IS ONLY A FRESHMAN?
Katie Vahle has emerged as one of the best first-year goalkeepers in the country under the tutelage of former goalkeeper Tim McCormack. At a position that is extremely difficult to make the adjustment to the college level, Vahle has enjoyed a seamless transition. Vahle made a career-high 14 stops against USC and now has double digit saves in five games this season. She is currently sixth in the country in saves by a freshman, the only Power 5 conference player in the Top-6. . Here is a look at the top newcomer net minders statistically speaking:

Most saves by a freshman goalkeeper 
1. Elise Plamer (William & Mary) 167 saves
2. Anya Waller (Howard) 163 saves
3. Amelia Carlile (Longwood) 141 saves
4. Lily Rathburn (Furman), 132 saves
5. Bryn Knight (East Carolina) 131 saves
6. Katie Vahle (Arizona Sate) 130 saves

PLAYER'S PERSPECTIVE

Coach McCormack and star goalkeeper Katie Vahle have quickly established a strong bond in their first season together. The results on the field have come quicker than expected, with Vahle establishing herself as one of the conference's best already. She provided her thoughts on what the transition has been like to be coached by McCormack.

On the head coach being a former goalie
"Having Tim (Tim McCormack) as a former goalie is a huge reason why I came to ASU. He doesn't try to fix the way we play and he embraces all the different ways all of us in goalie world play."

On what she's learned from Coach McCormack

"I would say I've learned a lot from the mental aspects of being a goalie. Being a goalie is one of the hardest positions not physically but mentally and it's easy to be in a negative headspace but Coach knows how it feels to be in our shoes and does everything he can to make sure we don't feel pressured and just have fun." 

On how important his leadership and presence is to the team
"That's very important, he always makes sure that having fun is a number one priority and that's what our team is all about and he provides a safe space for all of us to be who we are and play with freedom which is something not a lot of programs have."

TRANSFER TAKEOVER
Attackers Taylor Pinzone and Emily Munro have benefited greatly from the decision to transfer to Arizona State and learn from Coach McCormack. Northwestern graduate transfer Taylor Pinzone has enjoyed a breakout season in a Sun Devil uniform. Through 16 games of her Arizona State career, Pinzone already has 37 goals and 12 assists (49 points). In 50 games with the Wildcats, she had 34 goals and six assists (40 points). In a similar manner, Emily Munro has taken her game to another level since transferring from Oregon. Through two seasons at Arizona State, Munro has registered 51 points (41 goals and 10 assists). In her prior two seasons with the Ducks, she finished with 12 points (nine goals and 3 assists). 

PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Arizona State has had 19 individuals receive the Pac-12 Player of the Week honor in Head Coach Tim McCormack's three seasons, after previously only winning an award three times in the two prior seasons. This is the sixth time and second consecutive week the program has swept Pac-12 Player of the Week, all of which have come under Coach McCormack.

The program carries over the momentum from last season, where they were the most decorated team when it came to weekly honors. Of the possible 20 recipients of a Pac-12 Player of the Week award in 2021, ten were Sun Devils. In 2022, a Sun Devil earned the distinction six times. This comes in addition to the National Player of the Week honor given to Taylor Pinzone by Inside Lacrosse and Carley Adams by U.S. Lacrosse Magazine earlier in the year.

SUN DEVIL PAC-12 COACHES OF THE YEAR BACK-TO-BACK SEASONS

BASEBALL
Pat Murphy (2009, 2008, 2007)
Jim Brock (1982, 1981)

WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY
Walt Drenth (2000, 1999)

MEN'S DIVING
Mark Bradshaw (2011, 2010, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003)

MEN'S GOLF
Randy Lein (2000, 1999*, 1995, 1996)
Steve Loy (1990, 1989)

WOMEN'S GOLF
Melissa Luellen (2007, 2006)
Linda Vollstedt (1995, 1994, 1993)

WOMEN'S GYMNASTICS
John Spini (1996*, 1995*, 1994*)

LACROSSE
Tim McCormack (2021, 2022)

WOMEN'S TRACK AND FIELD
Greg Kraft (2008, 2007, 2006)

WRESTLING
Zeke Jones (2020, 2018, 2017)
Thom Ortiz (2006, 2005)
Lee Roy Smith (1998, 1997)
Bobby Douglas (1990, 1989, 1988, 1987, 1986, 1985)

HOW TO FOLLOW
Every game of the 2022 Pac-12 Lacrosse Tournament be featured live on Pac-12 Networks and the Pac-12 Now App. More information can be found at the tournament central page. For in-game updates, follow our Twitter and Instagram accounts (@SunDevilWLax). Like our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/sundevilwlax/) for content throughout the season. Visit our website, TheSunDevils.com, for the latest updates and information on the program.