Andrew Whitley was hired as the head coach of the Bellarmine University lacrosse team prior to the 2020 season. The 2027 campaign will mark his eighth at the helm of the Knights, making him the longest-tenured head coach in program history.
TEAM SUCCESS
With 44 career victories at Bellarmine, Whitley will enter 2027 two wins shy of breaking the program record held by program founder Jack McGetrick (45). The program began playing a full Division-I schedule after its inaugural season, and in that time, Whitley has guided Bellarmine to three of the top 4 winningest seasons in Knights history (11 in 2023; 9 in 2024; and 8 in 2025). Each graduating class from 2024-26 established a new program record for career wins. Four of Bellarmine’s five overall postseason berths have come under Whitley, including four consecutive appearances in the ASUN Championship from 2022-25. The Knights’ 14-13 win over Mercer in the 2023 ASUN Tournament quarterfinals was the program’s first-ever postseason victory.
PRO DRAFT PICKS
Under Whitley, Bellarmine has produced three professional draft picks. Defenseman Jon Robbins was the first after being chosen in the fourth round of the 2022 Premier Lacrosse League draft by the Utah Archers. Midfielder Denton Macdonald was selected in the second round of the 2024 National Lacrosse League draft by the Saskatchewan Rush. In 2025, faceoff Aidan Fearn was chosen in the fourth round of the NLL draft by the Ottawa Bears.
ALL-AMERICANS
Whitley has mentored three of the program’s five All-Americans. Long stick midfielder Eric Rubak garnered honorable-mention plaudits from USA Lacrosse Magazine in 2021. Attackman Kyle Playsted was an honorable-mention selection by Inside Lacrosse in 2023. Goalkeeper JC Higginbotham followed with honorable-mention acknowledgment from USA Lacrosse Magazine in 2024.
CONFERENCE AWARDS
In Whitley’s tenure, Bellarmine has produced two ASUN superlative award winners, 20 all-conference selections (17 ASUN, 3 SoCon) and 11 ASUN All-Freshman Team honorees. Playsted was recognized as the ASUN co-Player of the Year in 2023, and attackman John Alie was celebrated as the ASUN Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2025. The Knights have reaped at least two All-ASUN awards every season since joining the conference in 2022, with a program record of five in 2024. Bellarmine has also been represented on the ASUN All-Freshman Team every year in the league, piling up four recipients in 2025 alone. Bellarmine has been honored with two ASUN preseason superlative awards, as Robbins was voted ASUN Preseason Defensive Player of the Year in 2022 and Playsted was chosen as the ASUN Preseason Player of the Year in 2024. The Knights have received 11 Preseason All-ASUN citations.
ACADEMIC AWARDS
Of the 15 USILA Scholar All-Americans that Bellarmine has yielded, 13 have come in Whitley’s time with the Knights, including four recipients each in 2024 and 2025. Bellarmine has garnered 12 Academic All-ASUN Team citations. Including the program’s two years in the SoCon under Whitley, the Knights have amassed 244 conference honor roll acknowledgments, with a minimum of 40 recipients in the ASUN from 2023-25. They’ve had 21 players recognized as ASUN Honors Graduates.
PROGRAM RECORDS
Bellarmine’s top 4 seasons each in team points, goals and assists have all been yielded under Whitley’s direction, along with the program’s top 4 scoring performances in a single game. The Knights’ top 4 individual leaders in career points, goals and assists have all been produced with Whitley at the helm, along with two of the top 3 in both goalkeeper wins and saves.
TIME AT FAIRFIELD
Whitley came to Bellarmine after having previously served as the associate head coach at Fairfield University. He joined the Fairfield staff as a volunteer assistant coach for the 2010 season before being promoted to the role of assistant coach in 2013 and to associate head coach in 2016. In his tenure at Fairfield, the Stags achieved 80 victories while competing in the ECAC and CAA. Whitley helped the Stags become one of the preeminent programs in both conferences by coaching 18 All-CAA selections and 22 All-ECAC selections. Additionally, three players were named conference Rookie of the Year. At the same time, he coached six USILA All-Americans, 16 USILA North South All-Stars and seven MLL draft selections. The Stags would also qualify for six conference tournaments, advancing to the tournament finals on four occasions. During his 10 seasons at Fairfield, Whitley was a member of three Stags teams that were regular-season conference champions while setting the school record for single-season wins in 2012 and 2014.
ADDITIONAL COACHING STINTS
Before Fairfield, Whitley served as a volunteer assistant coach at Yale University, overseeing the goalkeepers. In his three seasons in New Haven, 10 Bulldogs earned All-Ivy League honors. Four players were also named to the USILA North South All-Star Game. Prior to his time at Yale, he served as an assistant coach at nearby Hopkins School, starting with the 2003 season and helping them to a Fairchester Athletic Association championship in 2006. In both his first and last seasons at Hopkins, he helped the Hilltoppers set school records for winning percentage with an 11-2 record. Whitley developed some of the school’s best players in program history, coaching two of the institution’s three All-Americans and 19 All-FAA selections. He was named the FAA Assistant Coach of the Year in 2005. Whitley began his NCAA coaching career at Wesleyan University in Connecticut as an assistant coach. He would help the team to 28 victories in his four seasons in Middletown. During his tenure at Wesleyan, the Cardinals advanced to the ECAC Tournament on two occasions. In 2000, Whitley helped the Cardinals post a single-season school record for wins and make an appearance in the ECAC Tournament finals.
COMPETITIVE PLAYING BACKGROUND
Whitley is a 1996 graduate of Franklin & Marshall College where he received his bachelor’s degree in sociology. He was a two-time All-Centennial Conference selection as a goaltender, helping the Diplomats to an NCAA Tournament appearance. He would finish his career at F&M ranked in the top 20 in Centennial Conference history in career saves, save percentage and goals-against average. Prior to transferring to F&M, Whitley was a member of two teams at Alfred University that qualified for the NCAA Tournament.
DID YOU KNOW
Before coaching as a profession, Whitley was the chief executive officer of Ankeny Homes, LLC, of Wilton, Conn., from 2001 to 2008. He was also the vice president of U.S. operations of Athletes, Inc. where he worked from 1994 to 2001.
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