Newsline  

Schunke Hired as Lacrosse Coach

Team to begin competing in 2010 academic year
Release Date:
December 17, 2009
Contact:
The Office of Sports Information
(716) 649-7900 ext. 333

HAMBURG, N.Y.– On December 16, 2009, Richard Schunke became the head coach of the men’s inaugural lacrosse program at Hilbert College.  The official start to the newly formed Division III squad will not be until Fall practice in 2010. So, Schunke has a year to get things in order before his first face off in the Spring of 2011.  The Hilbert alumnus is very excited about the opportunity to coach a brand new program.

“Rick has the knowledge, enthusiasm and recruiting contacts that align perfectly for a coach starting a new program.   His background as an outstanding player at the collegiate level will resonate with student-athletes he coaches and recruits as he builds a competitive Division III lacrosse program,” commented Richard Walsh, the director of athletics at Hilbert College.   “I’m very pleased he’s joining our athletic department and we all look forward to the excitement of having an NCAA DIII Lacrosse program here at Hilbert College next Fall.”

 Schunke arrives at Hilbert College following several year of coaching at the high school level.   Since 2000 Schunke has coached 2 high school All-Americans and 9 All League players at both West Seneca East (2000-02) and Frontier (2002-09).  Coach Schunke is a volunteer youth coach with the Hamburg Knights Lacrosse Program (12U/17U) as well as an experienced NFLOA lacrosse official at the high school and indoor Box lacrosse leagues.

“Since my graduation from Hilbert (2001), I’ve witnessed the College improve its facilities and expand its campus footprint.  These positive changes combined with the opportunity to recruit the talented athletes in our community to help establish a brand new lacrosse program gets me excited,” said Schunke.  “I love the fact that Hilbert has two lacrosse fields on campus, which is another plus for recruiting, and I really look forward to creating my own stamp on Hilbert lacrosse.”
 
At Orchard Park High School Schunke was named a first team All ECIC and honorable mention All Western New York athlete after his teams won the Section VI title two years,  in addition to finishing as a state semi-finalist in 1996.
 
His collegiate years found him competing at two Division I institutions (Canisius College – ’97, ’98 and Gannon University - ’99) before he returned home to join the family business.  Schunke held a full time job at Schunke Insurance Agency (West Seneca, NY) and attended Hilbert College to complete his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration.  It was during this time, that Schunke began coaching at the high school level.
 
Schunke currently serves as Vice President of Schunke Insurance Agency and resides in West Seneca, NY.
 
 
 

 


Hilbert College, located in suburban Hamburg, N.Y., south of Buffalo, is a private four-year college founded in 1957 in the Catholic Franciscan tradition. With nearly 1,100 students, Hilbert is a dynamic Western New York college that offers career-focused majors, including one of the top criminal justice programs in the region, and more than 50 minors and concentrations. The college’s engaging, student-centered campus community offers numerous leadership, internship and service learning opportunities from which students launch successful careers while making positive changes in their communities. Hilbert has expanded its academic offerings with the college’s first graduate programs, one a master’s in criminal justice administration and the other a master’s in public administration, and new Accelerated Degree Programs geared to adult learners.