UMBC

Stephenson, who served as the head coach at Binghamton University since the program’s inception in 2001 until March of 2011, returns to Baltimore, where he was the first full-time assistant coach for the Retrievers from 1995-2000.

“I am absolutely thrilled to have Ed Stephenson return to UMBC,” Zimmerman said. "Coach Stephenson is a person of principle and strong character. He has proven himself to be one of the top defensive minds in the game of lacrosse and is admired and respected by his colleagues. His ability to relate to players both on and off the field is invaluable to their growth and development.”

Stephenson built a very successful program at Binghamton both on and off of the field. In 2004, the Bearcats’ third year of competition, Stephenson directed the squad to an undefeated conference regular season. He earned America East Coach of the Year honors that season, as the Bearcats were the nation’s top team in scoring defense. In 2006, he piloted the squad to its first top-20 ranking at No. 16.

Stephenson led Binghamton to six consecutive America East Championship tournaments (2004-09) and the 2004 title game.

The program earned a prestigious National Sportsmanship Award in 2004 and 2006, demonstrating the highest levels of integrity and character. Under Stephenson, the Bearcats maintained the highest men’s lacrosse team grade-point average and earned the highest percentage of academic honorees in the America East Conference from 2005-10.

Stephenson also coached the inaugural Division I women’s lacrosse team at Binghamton in 2001.

The Baltimore native was selected from an outstanding field in the summer of 1995 to become UMBC’s first full-time assistant men’s lacrosse coach. He directed the defense and bolstered the recruiting efforts through the 2000 campaign. The Retrievers (9-3) were the most-improved team in the nation in 1997 and reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time at the Division I level in 1998, then returned to the 16-team field in 1999. UMBC’s 1998 squad permitted just 8.19 goals per game, a school record, and finished sixth in the nation in goals-against average.

Stephenson has served on the NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Rules Committee (2008-11), the USILA Men’s Lacrosse weekly ranking committee from (2006-11) and the NCAA Men’s Lacrosse All-America voting committee (2008-11), and he was an NCAA site representative for the 2010 NCAA Division I first-round games in Ithaca, N.Y.

Stephenson had an outstanding playing career, earning All-America honors as a defenseman at Towson University in his senior season of 1989. He captained the South squad in the North-South All-Star Game that spring and also played for the Pittsburgh Bulls of the Major Indoor Lacrosse League from 1990-92.

Stephenson earned his bachelor’s degree from Towson in physical education in 1992 and served as an assistant coach for the Tigers from 1992-95 before coming to UMBC. He was elected to Towson’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2002.

“Coach Stephenson is very familiar with UMBC and the America East Conference,” Zimmerman said. "He has a healthy perspective on the balance between athletics and academics and his energy is contagious. Our players will benefit immensely from their interaction and relationship with Coach Stephenson.”