💥 THE PIETRAMALA FALLOUT

The NCAA offseason got a lot spicier over the weekend thanks to Dave Pietramala, who is reportedly leaving his post as defensive coordinator at Syracuse and joining the coaching staff at North Carolina.

The news was first reported by Chris Jastrzembski on Twitter and later confirmed by Inside Lacrosse and others.

Pietramala sent the following message on Twitter after the news broke:

Pietramala, who won National Championships as both a player and as a coach during his runs at Johns Hopkins, spent the last two seasons alongside head coach Gary Gait at Syracuse. During that time, the program underwent a massive overhaul from the John Desko era.

Syracuse finished 4-10 in 2022 (the first season under Gait/Pietramala) and the defense allowed an ACC-high 14.7 goals per game. Pietramala’s defense improved considerably in Year 2, as the unit cut its goals against average to 12.1. As a result, the team finished 8-7 and appears to be on an upward trajectory moving forward.

Pietramala’s sudden departure, however, raises some questions about the future for the Orange. Before we address those questions, let’s examine his fit in Chapel Hill.

🤝 Pietramala’s UNC Connections

North Carolina is a natural fit for Pietramala. He joins a stable coaching staff under Joe Breschi, who has served as the head coach at UNC since June of 2008 and recently signed a contract extension locking him up through 2026.

One of Breschi’s main tenets for his program is “Family,” and Pietramala had a pair of familial connections to UNC before making this move. His twin sons, Nick and Dominic Pietramala, both joined the team as freshmen last season. Nick, a defenseman, played in two games; Dominic, an attackman, had his first year wiped out due to an injury.

Beyond his two sons being on the team, UNC is also a good fit for Pietramala because the Tar Heels already play tough defense. They only surrendered 10.9 goals per game last season and ranked among the top 20 defensive units nationally. Pietramala has the potential to take that defense over the top.

With Syracuse on the rise and Notre Dame, Duke and Virginia all appearing in the Final Four last spring, UNC needed to make a splash this offseason to maintain its share of the spotlight in the ACC. Bringing in a legend like Pietramala helps accomplish that.

🍊 Pietramala’s Replacement at Cuse?

For the last two years, Syracuse’s coaching staff has flexed its star power. With Pietramala leaving the program, Gary Gait now has a massive void to fill on the Orange sideline.

Who could possibly fill those shoes?

Well, we know it won’t be Navy head coach Joe Amplo. Chris Jastrzembski floated his name among five potential candidates, and that notion was quickly rebuked by Amplo himself on Twitter.

Shortly after that, Dan Arestia reported that John Galloway (another name floated by Jastrzembski as a potential candidate) will be staying put as head coach at Jacksonville.

That eliminates two of the biggest names on this wish list for Syracuse fans. While the Orange have a promising core of offensive players returning for Year 3 under Gait, the defense still has a lot of room to grow. ‘Cuse needs to find an answer at defensive coordinator in order to keep pace on that side of the field.

📍 PLL’s Last Stop Before ASG

In non-Pietramala-related news, the PLL returns to Fairfield, CT this weekend. This is the league’s last stop before All-Star Weekend in Louisville, KY.

Here are the standings heading into Week 5:

The Archers are currently in first place, and two of their three wins have come without star attackman Grant Ament (hamstring) on the field. Two big factors helping this team stay afloat without him are Mike Sisselberger at face-off (70.5% FO win rate) and goalie Brett Dobson (58.4% save percentage).

Meanwhile, the Atlas are struggling under first-year head coach Mike Pressler. Despite spending two first-round picks on defensemen in Gavin Adler (No. 1 overall) and Brett Makar (No. 3 overall), the Atlas currently rank last in the PLL with 15.5 scores allowed per game.

📺 PLL Broadcast Info

Clear your schedule for more PLL action this weekend. Here’s when and where you can watch the games from Fairfield (Eastern Time):

Friday, July 14
6 p.m. — Waterdogs vs. Whipsnakes (ESPN+)
8:30 p.m. — Archers vs. Redwoods (ESPN+)

Saturday, July 15
6 p.m. — Chrome vs. Cannons (ESPN2)
8:30 p.m. — Atlas vs. Chaos (ESPN+)