Matt Rienzo recently completed his ninth season as an assistant coach with the Georgetown men’s lacrosse program. Rienzo is the Hoyas’ defensive coordinator and focuses heavily on recruiting and mentoring student-athletes, as well as working closely with the Georgetown alumni and administration. Rienzo runs several lacrosse camps in Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, as well as Canada. Rienzo graduated from Georgetown in 1997 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. Rienzo also received a Masters degree from Georgetown University in Sports Industry Management. During his studies at Georgetown’s School of Continuing Studies, Rienzo researched and studied Character Development and Leadership.

During Rienzo’s tenure at Georgetown, the men’s lacrosse team has reached the NCAA Quarterfinals six times. The Hoyas have consistently been one of the most imposing defensive teams in the country. He was the mentor to former two-time First Team All-American and Tewaaraton Trophy finalist, Brodie Merrill. Merrill has been named the MLL and NLL Defenseman of the year, as well as the Defensemen of the World Games for the Canadian National Team. Rienzo also coached Kyle Sweeney, the ECAC Defensive Player of the Year and a USILA First Team All-American. Under Rienzo’s tutelage, defensemen have received All-American honors 17 times in nine years.”

Rienzo served on the staff at the University of Notre Dame in 2001. He worked with the Fighting Irish defense, which ranked third in the nation, giving up less than seven goals per game. The Irish advanced to the NCAA semifinals for the first time in school history.

Prior to his stint at Notre Dame, Rienzo was the Assistant Dean of Students and Head Lacrosse Coach at Gonzaga College High School. He guided his alma mater to a 14-7 record in 2000 as Gonzaga advanced to the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference Finals. In the fall of 2004, Rienzo was inducted into Gonzaga College High School’s Athletic Hall of Fame.

Rienzo played four seasons and was a three-year starter under Coach Dave Urick. A two-time team Most Valuable Player, Rienzo helped lead the Hoyas to their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance in 1997, when he was named an Honorable Mention All-American. He played in the 1997 North-South All-Star Game after graduation.