MEET THE COACHES

HEAD COACH

Coach JC played attack and midfield for NCAA D3 Kenyon College, graduating in 2006. He also played one year for the Huskies in 2008 as a graduate student. JC has been the Head Coach of the Huskies since 2012-13 after spending 4 years as the team’s Offensive Coordinator. Coach Cerchiara earned PNCLL Coach of the Year honors in both 2018 and 2019. Coach JC also holds a PhD in Biology from the University of Washington. Coach JC grew up in Scottsdale, AZ where he played his high school lacrosse for Brophy Prep.

OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR

Coach Pittas serves as the offensive coordinator for the Huskies, a role that he has held since 2019. Prior to coaching for UW, he coached for local programs Eastside Catholic and Seattle Starz. Mike is a graduate of Robert Morris University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he was a member of their Division 1 team. Mike also plays for the Seattle Kings LC.

GOALIES COACH

Coach Birnbaum's primary focus at the University of Washington is the goalies while also collaborating with the defensive unit on a regular basis. He brings over 10 years of coaching experience that has spanned across the globe with past engagements including Oxford University (United Kingdom), NXT Philadelphia and Seattle Starz. Mike has been involved with the game of lacrosse for nearly 25 years. He started playing goalie in his hometown of Sparta, New Jersey in 5th grade for his local youth program. He pursued a college career at Moravian College in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania to be followed by playing internationally with the Reading Wildcats of the English Premier League (United Kingdom).

DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR

Coach Hunter is originally from Philly, where he was a high school Academic All-American at Strath Haven High School. He played at Swarthmore College, graduating in the Class of 2015, having served as a captain and being top 10 in school history in CTs. He coached at Swarthmore as a defensive assistant and the man down coach from 2015-2019, then moved to Seattle to work as the RVP for ParetoHealth. He has since coached Nathan Hale High School as the DC/AHC from 2020-2022 and as a CitySideLax travel team coach from 2020-2023, as well as being active in the Pacific Northwest Lacrosse Coaches of Color Association. He also currently plays for the Spanish National Team, Washington Athletic Club, Seattle Kings LC, and the Sea Spray LC.