Paul Lagno enters his fourth season as the Head Men's and Women's Cross Country/Track and Field Coach in 2018-19. In this role, Lagno oversees the cross country, indoor track and field and outdoor track and field programs.
In his first year on the job, Lagno led the women's cross country team to a runner-up finish at the East Coast Conference Championships, and a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Division II East Regional Championships. It was under his guidance that the team broke into the East Regional rankings for the first time, and standout runner Mackenzie Donahue became the first Daemen athlete in any sport to qualify and compete in a national championship event at the Division II level.
Lagno, a native of Millbrook, N.Y., came to Daemen from Northwood University in West Palm Beach, Fla. where he has served as the Head Men's and Women's Cross Country Coach and Assistant Men's and Women's Track and Field Coach from January through July, 2015. In his short time there, Lagno coached athletes to seven new school records on the track, and helped two distance runners qualify for the 2015 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Indoor Track and Field National Championships.
"I couldn't be happier to be back in my home state doing what I love. I look forward to joining an already talented athletics staff, and can't wait to get to work building our programs," Lagno said at the time of his hiring at Daemen.
Prior to his appointment at Northwood, Lagno cut his teeth at Florida State University in Tallahassee, Fla., working as the Operations Assistant for the Seminoles' men's cross country and track and field programs from December 2012 through December 2014. While there, Lagno was primarily responsible for assisting the Program Director, Bob Braman, with the day-to-day operations of the NCAA Division I cross country and track and field programs.
As an undergraduate at the State University of New York at Albany, Lagno set six school records as a member of the track and field team. He would graduate Cum Laude in 2012 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Economics, and was a 2011 U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic honoree. Lagno then went on to compete as a graduate student at Florida State for the Seminoles' cross country team, helping that squad to a fifth-place finish at the 2012 NCAA Division I National Championships. He earned a Masters of Science Degree in Sports Management from Florida State in 2013.
What People Are Saying About Paul Lagno...
"This is a great new era for Daemen College. Paul Lagno developed from a walk-on at Albany to running a school record 4:01 mile and contributing positively to numerous conference championship teams. This is a tribute to his work ethic and dedication. He is a winner and along with the coaching experience he has gained at national powerhouse Florida State, he is ready for this new challenge."
Roberto J. Vives
Director of Men's and Women's Track & Field/Cross Country - University at Albany
"This is a win-win for Paul Lagno and Daemen College. Paul is a promising young professional. He is an outstanding track athlete and a highly motivated coach. His enthusiasm is contagious and his dedication to the sport will be an asset, not only to the track and field and cross country programs, but to the Daemen College community as well."
Matthew R. Jones
Head Cross Country Coach/Assistant Track & Field Coach - University at Albany
"Daemen College is in for a great run with Paul; he loves track and cross country. Paul's passion for the sport and his athletes is second to none. I have watched many athletes cross the divide beetween athlete and coach, but none better than Paul. In the time we shared a common goal at Florida State, Paul spoke so highly of the people in that area of the country that I always knew he would find his way back to bring a program such as Daemen to the top of the ranks."
Ken Harnden
Associate Head Cross Country/Track & Field Coach - University of Georgia
"Paul will do an amazing job at Daemen. I know he's happy to be back in his home state and working with home-grown kids. I'm happy for Paul to have this wonderful opportunity."
Bob Braman
Head Track & Field/Cross Country Coach - Florida State University
