New Paltz Men’s Lacrosse Hires Kroy Arnold as New Interim Head Coach
New Paltz Sports Information Department
New Paltz, NY — The State University of New York New Paltz announced the hiring of its newest Interim Head Men's Lacrosse Coach Monday in former Haverford assistant Kroy Arnold.
"We are excited to welcome Coach Arnold to the New Paltz Family," said Hawks Director of Athletics, Wellness & Recreation Renee Bostic. "He is a bright young coach who will play a part in building our men's lacrosse program."
An experienced assistant who had stints on staff at Wilkes University, Swarthmore and more recently Haverford College, Arnold is excited to take over SUNY New Paltz men's lacrosse program as just the third coach since the inception of the program in 2020.
"First, I would like to thank Director of Athletics Renee Bostic for the opportunity to lead this young program," Arnold said. "The opportunity to grow a program is something that has always intrigued me in my coaching endeavors. SUNY New Paltz is a great school, and so the opportunity to coach and develop young men to achieve their goals both on and off the field at an institution such as SUNY New Paltz is something that I have always been passionate about. It is one of the reasons that I became a coach."
Arnold spent the last two-plus years with the Fords, serving as the offensive coordinator and coaching faceoff specialists along with being the team's recruiting coordinator. Haverford went 9-7 last season and out-scored its opposition, 186-168, averaging nearly 11 goals per game with a .510 faceoff percentage.
Prior to Haverford, Arnold spent two years at Swarthmore College from 2022 to 2024 where he served on staff as an assistant for the Garnets. He was responsible for recruiting, coordinating practices, scout and helped provide in-game adjustments along with other roles for Swarthmore, which had a 14-win season in 2023 during Arnold's tenure.
"I am a very passionate coach. I have always shown the teams that I have coached that I care about them and want them to succeed both on and off the field," Arnold said. "If it means that I am on the sidelines cheering them on after a big play, or if I'm consoling them after a loss. The team needs to know that I am here for them and that finding their passions is what will set them up and our team up for success. I hope to bring that same kind of passion to this program."
Arnold was the co-general manager, owner and head coach for the Salt City Eels Lacrosse Club in Syracuse following a year as the men's lacrosse assistant coach at Wilkes University from 2021 to 2022, and he even helped on the women's side for the Colonels during the 2022 season.
Originally from Syracuse, NY, Arnold is member of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin, Bear Clan and played collegiately for Onondaga Community College for two seasons before finishing his career at University of Massachusetts-Boston where he was a team captain and led the program to its first Little East Conference Championship.
Arnold takes over the Hawks Men's Lacrosse program from incumbent Dylan Neisler, who spent six seasons with the team, the first four as the lead assistant on the inaugural staff before returning ahead of the 2023 season where he led the team to its first ever SUNYAC playoff appearance and program best, 8-7 overall and 4-3 conference record.
Last season, SUNY New Paltz was led by a coveted freshmen class that had 108 starts collectively a season ago with the team finishing 6-11 and 3-4, respectively. The Hawks return the bulk of their roster, but graduated key players in midfielders Ethan Scully, Anthony Senecal and attackman James Flanagan. The trio are all among top point, goal and assist leaders for the program.
Following Neisler and inaugural head coach Dwayne Stewart, Arnold becomes the third head coach in program history in the team's final season in the SUNYAC before entering the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) in 2027.
"I see a ton of potential in this program," Arnold added. "Being part of the SUNYAC conference and soon the NJAC conference leads to some great opportunities for our young men to rise in the ranks and experience what is out there in the world of lacrosse. Also, SUNY New Paltz is in such a unique area, being so close to so many hotbeds of lacrosse. It is hard not to see great potential here."
SUNY New Paltz begins its 2026 campaign Feb. 21 on the road against Maritime College. To view the full 2026 schedule, click here.
