Taylor Mendoza joined the Amherst College men's lacrosse coaching staff in September of 2015 and begins his second year as the team's recruiting coordinator in 2017-18.
Mendoza joins the Amherst lacrosse program after previously serving as an assistant coach at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. under the direction of head coach Patrick Hart (a former assistant at Amherst) since 2013. While at Skidmore, Mendoza served as the lone full time assistant coach and was in charge of instructing the offensive, faceoff, extra-man, and midfield units. He also oversaw film breakdown, scouting reports, player development, travel logistics, and organizing of prospect events.
Helping the Thoroughbreds land one of the most successful recruiting classes in program history last year, Mendoza helped bring in 28 student athletes. He was also responsible for fundraising, organizing of alumni games, career development of athletes, and created both hard and digital marketing materials for the program.
“We're all thrilled with the addition of Taylor to the Amherst Lacrosse Family,” said Amherst head coach Jon Thompson. “He is a relentless recruiter, a fantastic evaluator, and a really innovative lacrosse mind. More importantly, he represents perfectly some of our most foundational character traits here at Amherst – humility, modesty, and he has a tireless work ethic. He is a valuable addition to our program, and we couldn't be more thrilled.”
Mendoza is a 2013 graduate of SUNY Cortland where he was a three-year member of the Red Dragons lacrosse program as a midfielder playing for head coach Steve Beville. During his career at Cortland, the Red Dragons amassed a 56-5 overall record, reaching the NCAA quarterfinals in 2011, the NCAA championship game in 2012, and the NCAA semifinals in 2013. Mendoza appeared in 54 games at Cortland, collecting 16 Goals, and 5 assists in his career. He graduated with a degree in Business and Economics.
Prior to Cortland, Mendoza attended the US Military Academy and did a prep year at the Salisbury School in Connecticut. He has also gained coaching experience at the youth and high school levels from his time at Camp Wildwood in Bridgton, Maine and Myers Park High School in North Carolina.
