Coach Pilat gets 400th victory with lacrosse team win in ODAC quarterfinals

Head Men's Lacrosse Coach Bill Pilat '85 notched the 400th victory of his coaching career on April 30 when Roanoke College claimed victory against Shenandoah University in the ODAC quarterfinals.

The milestone comes amid a standout career that has included coaching his team to 10 ODAC titles and 14 NCAA Tournament appearances. He holds the record for ODAC Coach of the Year awards and is a multi-time winner of VaSID State Coach of the Year (College Div.).

He's now the fourth active coach and seventh overall to reach 400 wins in NCAA lacrosse history (all divisions).

Pilat also is a Maroon through and through having graduated cum laude from Roanoke in 1985. As a student, he was a stellar lacrosse goalie, setting a school record for saves and winning the national C. Maryland Kelly Award (Most Outstanding Goalie).

While still a sophomore, he was a crucial part of the team’s advance to the national championships, a game in which he made 27 saves.

Pilat later became the first person in Maroon history to both play and coach in a national championship contest. In 1995, he was inducted into the Roanoke College Athletic Hall of Fame, with the added honor of his jersey number (#37) being retired. He's also an inductee of the Lacrosse Hall of Fame in his home state of New Jersey.

Following its victory in the ODAC quarterfinals, the men's lacrosse team is advancing to the semifinals, where it will face the University of Lynchburg.

For more game highlights, visit roanokemaroons.com.