Joe May will enter his fourth season as the head men's lacrosse coach at Plattsburgh State in 2019.
In his third year as head coach, May took the 2018 team back to the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Championship after winning the programs first ever title in 2017. The Cardinals went 7-9 overall and 5-1 in the conference. May saw eight players named to the
All-SUNYAC teams. Senior Ryan Hubbard earned another All-America and the SUNYAC offensive player of the year. Hubbard was also named to the 2018 Nike/United State Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) NCAA Division III All-America Team as an Honorable Mention selection and was named to the 2018 Intercollegiate Men's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IMLCA) All-East Region Second Team. Hubbard and senior Billy Mollar went on to play in the 2018 Nike/United State Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) Division III North-South Senior All-Star Game. The two seniors were also named as Nike/United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) NCAA Division III Scholar All-Americans. May also had senior Sean Hayes named the 2018 SUNYAC Men's Lacrosse Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
In just his second year as the head coach at Plattsburgh State, he guided the Cardinals to their first-ever State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) title in 2017, as the team went 12-6 overall (5-1 SUNYAC). Earning the No. 2 seed in the SUNYAC Tournament, Plattsburgh State edged The College at Brockport, 8-7, in the semifinal round before upending top-seeded SUNY Cortland, 10-6, in the championship game. It marked not only the program's first-ever win over Cortland, but it also ended the Red Dragons' streak of nine consecutive SUNYAC titles. Plattsburgh State also qualified for the NCAA Division III Tournament for the first time, earning a first-round bye. Ryan Hubbard earned United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) Honorable Mention All-America, SUNYAC Offensive Player of the Year and ECAC North Offensive Player of the Year honors for his efforts during the season, and he joined four Cardinals on the All-SUNYAC teams.
May guided the Cardinals to an 8-8 overall (4-2 SUNYAC) record during his first year at the helm of the program in 2016, playing one of the tougher schedules in NCAA Division III. Following the season, he had five student-athletes earn All-SUNYAC honors, while Brendan Damm was named a USILA Division III Scholar All-American.
Prior to taking over the program at Plattsburgh State, May worked as an assistant coach at Ohio Wesleyan University in 2015. May helped the Battling Bishops go 18-1 overall that season and reach the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Division III Tournament. Ohio Wesleyan's 18-1 ledger tied the program's record for victories in a single season and broke the school record for fewest losses in a season.
May served as assistant men's lacrosse coach at Plattsburgh State from 2011-13. During that time, he assisted in all aspects of the Cardinal lacrosse program, including recruiting and monitoring student-athlete academic progress, while serving as the Cardinals' defensive coordinator.
May was a four-year member of the men's lacrosse team at SUNY Geneseo, where he was twice named All-American. He competed at the USILA/LAXWORLD 2011 Division III Senior North/South All-Star game, earned All-SUNYAC First-Team honors and SUNYAC All-Tournament Team honors twice.
In 2010, May was named to the SUNYAC All-Academic team and graduated from Geneseo in 2011 with a degree in psychology. May earned his master's degree in student affairs counseling from Plattsburgh State in May 2014.
Career Record as Head Coach
| Season |
Record |
Pct. |
Conf./Place |
Note |
| 2016 |
8-8 |
.500 |
4-2/3rd |
SUNYAC Tournament Semifinalist |
| 2017 |
12-6 |
.667 |
5-1/2nd |
SUNYAC Champion
NCAA Division III Tournament Second Round |
| 2018 |
7-9 |
|
5-1/2nd |
SUNYAC Tournament Finals |
| Career Totals |
27-23 |
.540 |
14-4 |
|
