James Finlay begins his fifth season as Trinity College head men's lacrosse coach. The Bantam men's lacrosse squad posted a 10-6 record last spring - their best finish since 2000.  Finlay led the program to new heights in the 2009 season, as Trinity earned a national ranking and qualified for the NESCAC Championship Tournament for the third year in a row. Finlay is 31-28 in his four seasons at Trinity. Finlay arrived at Trinity after spending seven years as an assistant coach at Brown University.

Finlay earned his bachelor's degree in history and Classical studies from Gettysburg College in 1992, where he was a three-year letterwinner in lacrosse on teams that posted a 33-9 overall mark and captured two Middle Atlantic Conference Championships. Considered one of the outstanding young defensive coaches and recruiters in the nation, Finlay went on to earn a master's degree in physical education from Springfield College in 1997.

Finlay helped the 2004 Brown defense rank No. 1 in the Ivy League and No. 7 in the nation in his role as defensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator. Prior to Brown, Finlay worked as an assistant coach at Notre Dame University for two years, helping the Irish capture the 1999 Great Western Lacrosse League title and advance to the NCAA Tournament. He served as the top assistant and defensive coordinator at Springfield College for three seasons, compiling a 25-16 record. In 1995, Springfield posted a 13-1 mark and advanced to the championship game of the NCAA Division II tournament.

Marc Graham enters his fifth season as an assistant coach for the Bantam men's lacrosse team.  He came to Trinity in the fall of 2006 as the first assistant coach hired by Coach Finlay.  Prior to Trinity, Graham spent 11 years coaching football, girl's basketball, and lacrosse at South Windsor High School.  He compiled a career record of 95-80 as the head men's lacrosse Coach at South Windsor, which included two Connecticut Division II State Finals appearances ('95, '96) and a Connecticut Division II State Championship (1999).

Graham lettered in both football and lacrosse at Dean Junior College prior to graduating from Springfield College in 1994.  He currently lives in Windsor,  where he attended high school and was a classmate and teammate of Coach Finlay in both football and lacrosse.

Jared Rife enters his second season as an assistant coach for the Bantam men's lacrosse team.  Rife played lacrosse for national club powerhouse Brigham Young University, where he was a two-year, starting defensemen for the Cougars.  Rife helped lead BYU to the 2000 MCLA National Championship.  After completing a two-year mission in Nicaragua for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Rife returned to the Cougars for the 2003, 2004 and 2005 seasons, serving as captain in 2005.

Rife comes from a lacrosse-rich family, as his older brother Jason played lacrosse for the University of Massachusetts and currently is the head lacrosse coach at Division I Wagner College.

A 2006 graduate of BYU with degrees in American studies and Spanish, Rife is currently pursuing his master's degree in American studies at Trinity.  He resides in West Hartford with his wife, Rachel, and their two children, Jackson and Madison.

Zac Trudeau graduated Pi Gamma Mu, which is the International Honors Society in Social Sciences, with degrees in Economics and Political Science from Trinity College in May, 2009. 

As a three-year starting midfielder, Trudeau helped lead Trinity's Men's Lacrosse to three NESCAC Championship tournaments. Trudeau was voted captain his senior year and was awarded the Chester H. McPhee Award, for being the team's most inspirational player.

Trudeau also was a goalie for the Men's Soccer team at Trinity, and a four year letterman. He was the Rookie of the Year in 2005, and Team MVP and an All-NESCAC second team selection in 2008.
Academically he was a NSCAA/Adidas College Scholar All-East Team in the Fall 2008, and was on the NESCAC All-Academic Team for the 2008 and 2009 seasons.

A native of Norwell, MA., Coach Trudeau played high school lacrosse at Milton Academy, in Milton Mass. He was a captain of the 2005 lacrosse squad and is member of Milton's top ten all-time leading scorers.

Coach Trudeau is currently pursuing his Master's degree in Public Policy Analysis.  He also teaches Physical Education classes and is an assistant coach for Trinity's Soccer program.

faculty profile