Joe Bucci joined the UMBC men’s lacrosse staff as a volunteer assistant in the fall of 2016. He was promoted to a full-time assistant coach in October, 2018.
In 2020-21, Bucci assumed the duties of defensive coordinator and the Retrievers excelled under his tutelage. The 2021 America East regular season champions finished the campaign ranked No. 6 nationally in scoring defense (9.55 GAA) and No. 5 in man-down defense (75%). The defensive midfield was one of the nation's best, led by America East First Team LSDM Colin Kasner and SSDM Mason Edwards. Sophomore close defender and first-year starter Ricky Fedorchak and senior goalkeeper Tommy Lingner earned Second Team honors. Fedorchak converted from LSDM early in the spring, while Linger ended the campaign ranked No. 6 nationally in goals against average (9.18).
Bucci assisted with the 2020 UMBC defense, which finished sixth nationally in scoring defense (8.4 GAA) and second in man-down defense (90%). Working as the goalkeepers coach, he guided Lingner to a No. 5 ranking (8.4) nationally in goals against average and a No. 7 ranking in save percentage (59.6%) in the truncated season.
He served on the 2019 staff which had to rebuild its defense on the fly and earned the America East Championship and UMBC's first NCAA appearance in a decade. In 2018, he assisted on the nation's top scoring defense and eighth-ranked man-down defense (76.5%). As a freshman, Lingner led the nation in goals against average (7.1).
The Ithaca, N.Y. native served as team captain of the Georgetown University men’s lacrosse program in his junior and senior campaigns of 2015 and 2016. He started for three seasons at midfield for the Hoyas and was tabbed as the program’s most outstanding freshman in 2012. He capped his career by earning Big East Conference Second Team honors in 2016, when he led the squad with 20 goals.
He earned a pair of degrees from the university – a bachelor’s in government in May of 2015 and a master’s degree in professional studies: sports industry management in August of 2016.
