Following his departure from Virginia, Lars Tiffany, who secured two National Championships during his ten-season tenure, is expected to be a sought-after figure. Several potential destinations exist for the former Virginia head coach.
SMU as a Potential New Program
SMU is reportedly exploring the addition of a men’s lacrosse program. The addition would place SMU alongside institutions such as Duke, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Syracuse, and Virginia in the ACC. This would give Tiffany an opportunity to build a brand-new program.
Tiffany has a history of recruiting players from Texas, including current players Sean Browne, Ben Boyer, and Reese Stepanian, and past players such as Matthew Nunes, Anthony Ghobriel, Cade Saustad, and Thomas Mencke. The Cavaliers played a neutral-site game in Houston, Texas, against Towson, winning 11-6 during the 2025 season. With the trajectory in sports such as football and basketball, if SMU invests in lacrosse, the Mustangs have the potential to be an elite program.
Professional Opportunities in the PLL
A move to the professional level could provide a change of pace for Tiffany. Head coach openings in the PLL occur almost every season, and Tiffany’s resume makes him a top candidate. Possible openings could include the Maryland Whipsnakes and the Philadelphia Waterdogs. The PLL could allow Tiffany to remain coaching while waiting for another college job to become available.
Return to Brown or a Move to Johns Hopkins or Denver
Prior to Virginia, Tiffany led Brown to an NCAA Final Four appearance. Brown fell to Maryland in overtime in the semifinals. Since Tiffany’s departure, Brown has made the NCAA Tournament once and hasn’t had a winning season since 2022. A Tiffany return to Brown could revitalise the program.
Johns Hopkins has had three NCAA Tournament quarterfinal appearances under Peter Milliman but zero trips to Championship Weekend in addition to three losing seasons. Johns Hopkins hasn’t made a Final Four since 2015. Bringing Tiffany in could be the solution to finally bring the Blue Jays back to the pinnacle of the sport.
Another program eyeing a resurgence is the Denver Pioneers, whose last Final Four came in 2024 in the program’s first season under Matt Brown. Brown took over after Bill Tierney stepped down after a legendary collegiate coaching career, which included bringing Denver to the Final Four five times.
With his track record, Tiffany’s next move will be closely watched within the sport.