WINTER PARK, Fla. (May 23, 2011) - Chris Lewis has been named as an assistant coach for Rollins men's lacrosse, Tars head coach RJ Rossi announced Monday.

"We are extremely excited to welcome Coach Lewis to our team, and look forward to having him as part of our staff," Rossi said.  "Coach Lewis will be a great asset, and we are confident his expertise will help elevate the team to new levels of success."

Lewis will serve as the defensive coordinator and goalie specialist for the Tars, and brings with him nearly 10 years of coaching experience where he has produced nine NE-10 All-Conference players, a two-time All-American and DII Goalie of the Year, as well as multiple NEILA All-New England selections.

Lewis comes to the Tars after serving as the head assistant coach for NE-10 powerhouse Merrimack College for the past four seasons.  As defensive coordinator and goalie coach for the Warriors, he rapidly changed the face of the Merrimack defense, turning the unit into one of the top squads in Division II.  In addition to working with the defense, Lewis was also heavily involved in recruitment and scouting efforts.

In his four seasons of working with the defense at Merrimack, the Warriors were ranked in the top five in scoring defense in both 2009 and 2010, and led the nation in man-down efficiency in 2008, racking up a success rate of 89 percent.

During Merrimack's 2011 campaign, Lewis led the Warrior defense that held opponents to just 7.6 goals per game, and marked the fourth consecutive year Merrimack finished within the top 10 in scoring defense.

Following the 2010 season, Lewis was selected to coach the NEILA East/West All-Star game, coaching the East squad to victory.

Prior to coaching at Merrimack, Lewis served as the head coach at Wilmington High School in Connecticut, as well as assistant coach at both Saugus and Revere High School in Massachusetts.

Lewis graduated with a degree in chemistry from SUNY Oswego.