Ryan Cavanagh was hired as the head men's lacrosse team's coach in Aug. 2011. In his four seasons helming the program, the Cardinals have never failed to appear in the SUNYAC Tournament and have advanced to the SUNYAC Tournament Finals in each season since 2013. With a 51-23 record through four seasons - including a 21-5 mark at home - Cavanagh owns the most career wins and the highest winning percentage (.689) of any Plattsburgh State lacrosse coach.
The newest chapter in Cavanagh's coaching tale saw him and the Cardinals maintain their status as one of the premier programs in the SUNYAC as well as the region. By way of a 4-2 league mark, Plattsburgh State sewed up the second overall seed for the SUNYAC Championship Tournament for the second time in program history and headed to the SUNYAC Tournament Finals for the third straight season after taking care of SUNY Potsdam 15-7 in the Cardinals' second-ever home playoff bout.
Some six individuals from Cavanagh's 2015 squad - which cobbled together an overall mark of 13-6 - earned All-SUNYAC recognition.
Still riding high after a historic 2013 campaign, Cavanagh - the reigning SUNYAC Coach of the Year - guided his squad to a 13-6 record in the 2014 campaign. One of the team's biggest highlights came at the Field House Lacrosse Complex when the Cardinals bested No. 17-ranked St. Lawrence 16-12. It was the first win for Plattsburgh State over the Saints in program history.
Having collected a 4-2 record in SUNYAC play, Cavanagh's team earned the third seed in the SUNYAC Tournament and hit the road to dispatch the number-two seed and North Country rival SUNY Potsdam before advancing to the SUNYAC Tournament title bout for the second straight season.
Following the latest successful chapter penned by Cavanagh and his staff, three Cardinals earned All-SUNYAC recognition while two - Charlie Dullea and Brendam Damm - found themselves on the receiving end of All-American accolades from the USILA. In addition to the pair of on-field All-Americans, Tim Lawrence was named a Scholar All-American after drawing the curtain on his collegiate career.
After guiding the Cardinals through a historic 2013 season, Cavanagh was named SUNYAC Coach of the Year, becoming the first coach in the 15-year history of the program to receive the league's highest coaching honor.
In 2013, Cavanagh and his staff led the Cardinals to a 14-4 record and produced the best season in Plattsburgh State history. In addition to setting a new mark for single-season victories, Cavanagh and the Cardinals captured the No. 2 seed in the SUNYAC Tournament for the first time and picked up the program’s first postseason victory – a 15-7 win against Brockport in the SUNYAC Semifinals. Plattsburgh State also made its first appearance in the SUNYAC Championship game and saw seven of its players selected to the SUNYAC All-Conference Team, setting a new program record. Twenty-one Cardinal lacrosse players have received All-SUNYAC honors during Cavanagh's tenure.
Cavanagh spent three seasons as the Cardinals’ top assistant after serving as a student assistant coach during the 2008 season. During his tenure the Cardinals have continued to rise among the Division III ranks, culminating with Plattsburgh State’s first appearance in the USILA Top 20 Coaches Poll in March 2013. The Cardinals were ranked for eight straight weeks and listed as high as 16th in the weekly poll during the 2013 season,
Cavanagh played for the Cardinals from 2005-2007 after his collegiate career began at Nassau Community College. He earned All-SUNYAC honorable mention honors as a senior and still holds Plattsburgh State records with a .630 single-season face-off winning percentage and a .581 career face-off percentage. Cavanagh was named the team's most improved player in his junior year and the team’s most valuable player following his senior campaign.
A Northport N.Y. native and a graduate of Kings Park High School, Cavanagh has strengthened the program’s Long Island recruiting base. He also received the SUNY Plattsburgh Vision Award for Community in May 2010 after spearheading the team’s involvement with the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, a children’s cancer research organization. With his guidance over the past five seasons, the Cardinals have raised over $38,000 for St. Baldrick’s through numerous events including four “Cardinals Clip Cancer” games.
Cavanagh, a former team captain, graduated from Plattsburgh State in May 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in political science.
The Cavanagh Coaching Record | Season | School | Record | Pct. | Conf./Place | Notes |
| 2012 | Plattsburgh State | 11-7 | .611 | 4-2/3rd | SUNYAC Semifinals/Five All-SUNYAC Players |
| 2013 | Plattsburgh State | 14-4 | .778 | 5-1/2nd | SUNYAC Coach of the Year/SUNYAC Championship Game/Four All-Americans |
| 2014 | Plattsburgh State | 13-6 | .684 | 4-2/3rd | SUNYAC Championship Game/Three All-Americans |
| 2015 | Plattsburgh State | 13-6 | .684 | 4-2/2nd | SUNYAC Championship Game/One All-American |
| Three years | Plattsburgh/Career totals | 51-23 | .689 | 17-7 | Eight All-Americans |
