Cornell lacrosse 2025

[underskill]

I mean one with a football team's TV revenue

[mike1960]

Lots of negative chatter regarding Pete Milliman on the Hopkins thread at fanlax, and they're already scheming about poaching Buzcek.Is this the future of Cornell lacrosse, having to hire a new coach every 5-10 years?

Hopkins is having a tough year. Is the thought that Milliman will be shown the door? Coach Buczek is a Cornell guy through and through, unlike Milliman or Tambroni. I doubt Cornell can offer him the salary that big sports schools will offer, but I hope Cornell makes a competitive offer when the time comes.

Buczek has both a BS in Applied Economics and Management (2015) and an MBA from Cornell (2017).  He was selected as the 2015 Senior CLASS Award winner for lacrosse and the recipient of Cornell's Ronald P. Lynch Senior Spirit Award, given to senior student-athlete whose leadership on and off the field models the ideals of the Big Red athletics department.  Also named a CoSIDA Academic All-District selection and a USILA Scholar-Athlete. I think that he'll be able to take care of himself financially in his latter years without bailing out on Cornell.
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I may be wrong, but I don't think you say to a prospective job candidate that you will be offered less compensation knowing that you'll make more money when you're done here.

[billhoward]

Buczek has both a BS in Applied Economics and Management (2015) and an MBA from Cornell (2017).  He was selected as the 2015 Senior CLASS Award winner for lacrosse and the recipient of Cornell's Ronald P. Lynch Senior Spirit Award, given to senior student-athlete whose leadership on and off the field models the ideals of the Big Red athletics department.  Also named a CoSIDA Academic All-District selection and a USILA Scholar-Athlete. I think that he'll be able to take care of himself financially in his latter years without bailing out on Cornell.
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There are many ways you can show appreciation to a valued employee: respect, working conditions, giving the person more leeway than other employees in a similar line of work, preferential admission to offspring, and last-not-least the salary compensation package.

Compensation:
* Maryland's John Tillman (Cornell '90) is highest paid, $415,000, per Google AI. Base $275, supplemental $75, NCAA "tournament run" bonus ~23.5.
* Rutgers HC Brian Brecht in 2017 made $175K base at a time when women's basketball head coach made $700K. Per NJ.com
* College lax HC per Glassdoor.com (12 salaries reported) $70K-$122K, $92K average.  Salary.com says $75K-$100K.
* The year Maryland women won the NCAAs, HC Cathy Reese earned $265K on a base salary of $170K, per dbknews.com
* Peter Millman was making $341K at Hopkins in 2022, per Google.
* Pinning down Penn State lacrosse salaries are hard, Penn State IIRC because there is some private funding of HC salary supplements so if a number is reported, it appears low.

An athletics director has to compare schools that might poach a good head coach, and also not get too far out of whack with what the football coach and hockey coach make, also the women's lax coach. (Google AI says Ivy football HCs make in the realm of $100-$200K; that seems low to me.)

So, Buczek seems a coach others would want to lure away. A WAG would be that he might stay in Ithaca for a salary package in the $200K-$250K and maybe bonus money: win Ivy RS, win ILT, winning 1-4 rounds of the NCAA tournament. Some of this might want to be alumni-funded.

Other estimates?

[dag14]

Buczek has both a BS in Applied Economics and Management (2015) and an MBA from Cornell (2017).  He was selected as the 2015 Senior CLASS Award winner for lacrosse and the recipient of Cornell's Ronald P. Lynch Senior Spirit Award, given to senior student-athlete whose leadership on and off the field models the ideals of the Big Red athletics department.  Also named a CoSIDA Academic All-District selection and a USILA Scholar-Athlete. I think that he'll be able to take care of himself financially in his latter years without bailing out on Cornell.
.

There are many ways you can show appreciation to a valued employee: respect, working conditions, giving the person more leeway than other employees in a similar line of work, preferential admission to offspring, and last-not-least the salary compensation package.

Compensation:
* Maryland's John Tillman (Cornell '90) is highest paid, $415,000, per Google AI. Base $275, supplemental $75, NCAA "tournament run" bonus ~23.5.
* Rutgers HC Brian Brecht in 2017 made $175K base at a time when women's basketball head coach made $700K. Per NJ.com
* College lax HC per Glassdoor.com (12 salaries reported) $70K-$122K, $92K average.  Salary.com says $75K-$100K.
* The year Maryland women won the NCAAs, HC Cathy Reese earned $265K on a base salary of $170K, per dbknews.com
* Peter Millman was making $341K at Hopkins in 2022, per Google.
* Pinning down Penn State lacrosse salaries are hard, Penn State IIRC because there is some private funding of HC salary supplements so if a number is reported, it appears low.

An athletics director has to compare schools that might poach a good head coach, and also not get too far out of whack with what the football coach and hockey coach make, also the women's lax coach. (Google AI says Ivy football HCs make in the realm of $100-$200K; that seems low to me.)

So, Buczek seems a coach others would want to lure away. A WAG would be that he might stay in Ithaca for a salary package in the $200K-$250K and maybe bonus money: win Ivy RS, win ILT, winning 1-4 rounds of the NCAA tournament. Some of this might want to be alumni-funded.

Other estimates?

Cornell has been fairly generous with at least one other alumni head coach that I know of when it seemed prudent to demonstrate appreciation for their loyalty.  The university doesn't have unlimited funds to commit to these situations but, whether it is a coach or an important faculty member, Cornell will look for a way to make it financially attractive to stay in Ithaca.  I know there have been situations where an alum has come up with a timely gift to support an Athletics project, but I have no personal knowledge as to whether this has ever happened in the case of a coach's salary.

[George64]

Buczek seems a coach others would want to lure away. A WAG would be that he might stay in Ithaca for a salary package in the $200K-$250K and maybe bonus money: win Ivy RS, win ILT, winning 1-4 rounds of the NCAA tournament. Some of this might want to be alumni-funded.

Other estimates?

Universities usually draw down about 5 percent of the endowment principal to fund a position. So, to pay Buczek $200k per year, plus benefits of say $40k, would mean the Richard M. Moran Head Coach endowment would need $4.8 million on hand.  Certainly possible.  More than s few lax players end up on Wall Street.

[BearLover]

Buczek seems a coach others would want to lure away. A WAG would be that he might stay in Ithaca for a salary package in the $200K-$250K and maybe bonus money: win Ivy RS, win ILT, winning 1-4 rounds of the NCAA tournament. Some of this might want to be alumni-funded.

Other estimates?

Universities usually draw down about 5 percent of the endowment principal to fund a position. So, to pay Buczek $200k per year, plus benefits of say $40k, would mean the Richard M. Moran Head Coach endowment would need $4.8 million on hand.  Certainly possible.  More than s few lax players end up on Wall Street.

I feel like we need to do a better job fundraising if we're losing lacrosse coaches to Johns Hopkins.

[CU77]

There is actually a game today:

https://cornellbigred.com/news/2025/3/27/top-ranked-mens-lacrosse-tests-itself-at-home-vs-penn-ualbany.aspx

[abmarks]

Buczek seems a coach others would want to lure away. A WAG would be that he might stay in Ithaca for a salary package in the $200K-$250K and maybe bonus money: win Ivy RS, win ILT, winning 1-4 rounds of the NCAA tournament. Some of this might want to be alumni-funded.

Other estimates?

Universities usually draw down about 5 percent of the endowment principal to fund a position. So, to pay Buczek $200k per year, plus benefits of say $40k, would mean the Richard M. Moran Head Coach endowment would need $4.8 million on hand.  Certainly possible.  More than s few lax players end up on Wall Street.

I feel like we need to do a better job fundraising if we're losing lacrosse coaches to Johns Hopkins.

Historically speaking, Hopkins is by far the more prestigious lax program.  Coaches don't leave Hopkins to come to Cornell, but they do go the other way.

[BearLover]

Buczek seems a coach others would want to lure away. A WAG would be that he might stay in Ithaca for a salary package in the $200K-$250K and maybe bonus money: win Ivy RS, win ILT, winning 1-4 rounds of the NCAA tournament. Some of this might want to be alumni-funded.

Other estimates?

Universities usually draw down about 5 percent of the endowment principal to fund a position. So, to pay Buczek $200k per year, plus benefits of say $40k, would mean the Richard M. Moran Head Coach endowment would need $4.8 million on hand.  Certainly possible.  More than s few lax players end up on Wall Street.

I feel like we need to do a better job fundraising if we're losing lacrosse coaches to Johns Hopkins.

Historically speaking, Hopkins is by far the more prestigious lax program.  Coaches don't leave Hopkins to come to Cornell, but they do go the other way.

Not "by far." Cornell is a lacrosse blue blood, easily one of the top 10 historical lacrosse programs, and has been competitive for a national title almost every season the past 25 years. Hopkins is a top 5 all time program more prestigious, but not so much more prestigious that we should be losing coaches to them. Anyway, the point is if we ponied up the money to pay coaches then we wouldn't be losing them to Hopkins.

[Cornell95]

Just took a glance at the schedule on the Cornell Athletics website and it is showing game time as 3pm against Albany
Was thinking it was an evening game, maybe moved up because April is starting off with highs in the low-40s ?

Anyways, just an FYI to the forum if you likewise were thinking this was a 6pm or 7pm game

[mike1960]

Just took a glance at the schedule on the Cornell Athletics website and it is showing game time as 3pm against Albany
Was thinking it was an evening game, maybe moved up because April is starting off with highs in the low-40s ?

Anyways, just an FYI to the forum if you likewise were thinking this was a 6pm or 7pm game

I hope more fans show up for an afternoon game, but it's going to be chilly (38 degrees). I see where the play-by-play guy for ESPN+ is not Christian de Guzman but Cam Manna? I hope he's good. Tom LaFalce was supposed to be the color against Penn but wasn't there. He's scheduled for today.

A midweek game against a team that's struggling after Cornell posted a big win. Some trap elements here, but I think this team is too strong to get into trouble today.

[Cornell95]

at least the ESPN+ site shows the correct game time
Hopefully the broadcast will pick up the opening faceoff

[BearLover]

Down at 8th in RPI despite being ranked #1 in the country, what would it take for Cornell to miss the tournament? The fact the selection committee makes these determinations based on human bias and not strictly based on computer rankings like in hockey should help Cornell given the prevailing view of the team is that they are better than their RPI.

[CU77]

I see where the play-by-play guy for ESPN+ is not Christian de Guzman but Cam Manna? I hope he's good.

Doing well IMO.

[mike1960]

I see where the play-by-play guy for ESPN+ is not Christian de Guzman but Cam Manna? I hope he's good.

Doing well IMO.

Yes, doing a fine job.