Tony Giro enters his second season as co-head coach of the UMBCwomen’s lacrosse program, after being hired in July of2012.
Giro joined UMBC as a volunteer on the Retrievers’ stafffor the 2009 season and was named assistant coach and defensivecoordinator in July 2009. Giro served four seasons in that capacitybefore being promoted to co-head coach following the 2012season.
In his first season as co-head coach, Giro helped to guide theRetrievers to their best start through nine games since 1986 byposting a 7-2 mark, however, UMBC battled a tough schedule, takingon four nationally-ranked opponents, to finish the season with an8-8 record and narrowly missed out on the America East Tournament.Giro’s senior defender Jamie Fahey was named to the AmericaEast First Team, earning conference honors for the fourthconsecutive season, as well as earning her first recognition on theleague’s All-Academic Team.
In 2012, Giro’s defense saw two of its members receiveconference recognition at season’s end for the secondconsecutive season, as Fahey earned an America East All-Conferenceselection and freshman goalkeeper Anna Barnett was named to theAll-Conference Second Team and the All-Rookie Team.
In 2009, UMBC’s backfield led the America East and ranked12th in the NCAA in caused turnovers per game (10.9) and rankedsecond in the conference in scoring defense with a 9.88goals-against average, nearly a three-goal improvement from2008.
Under Giro’s leadership, UMBC’s defense once againranked among the best in the nation in 2010 (11th) with an 8.89goals-against average and also led the league with 9.39 causedturnovers per game, while Fahey became the first Retriever ever tobe named America East Rookie of the Year and the first UMBCfreshman to be recognized on an IWLCA All-Region team.
Prior to UMBC, Giro was part of the coaching staff that led theMt. Hebron High School girls’ lacrosse team to fourconsecutive Maryland State Championships and a No. 1 nationalranking from 2003-06. Giro served as the team’s defensivecoordinator for two of the four seasons. The Vikings produced a92-1 combined record during his four-year tenure.
Giro was also the defensive coordinator for the Under ArmourAll-America South Team in 2006 and 2007.
Giro was a four-year varsity letterwinner in baseball at HighPoint University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree inelementary education in 2000. He currently lives in Ellicott City,Md., with his wife, Rebecca, their three sons, Brooks (8), Jack (5)and Sam (2).
