GERRY BYRNE- Director, Frisbie Family Head Coach, Harvard University

Byrne comes to Cambridge from Notre Dame where he was an assistant coach for 16 seasons, covering two stints. His first stop in South Bend, Indiana, was from 1989-91, before returning in 2007. In between, Byrne served as head coach at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire, from 2003-06.

Byrne helped the Fighting Irish to 14 NCAA tournament appearances (including 13 straight), 11 conference titles (regular season and tournament), and an overall record of 170-78 (.685). More impressive was the impact Notre Dame, which earned one of eight national seeds in 11 of the last 12 years, had once in the NCAA field as it reached the quarterfinal round or later on 10 different occasions, twice earning a spot in the finals (2010, 2014).

Over the last 13 seasons, Byrne helped tutor 62 United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) All-Americans, with 15 of those selections earning first-team honors, and 13 USILA Scholar All-Americans. During Byrne's tenure, Notre Dame was also awarded the USILA Kelly Award (most outstanding goalie in NCAA Division I) twice and the USILA Schmeisser Award (top defensive player) three times.

Byrne's work did not go unnoticed as he was named the 2011 Intercollegiate Men's Lacrosse Coaches Association National Assistant Coach of the Year and was on the top coaching staff at the conference level three times, winning the coaching-staff-of-the-year award in the Great Western Lacrosse League twice (2007, 2009) and once in the Big EAST (2012).

Under Byrne's watch, Notre Dame was one of the top defensive teams in the country. The Fighting Irish finished among the top five nationally in scoring defense seven times in the last 13 seasons, producing the nation's stingiest group in 2009 and 2012. The 2012 club also boasted the best man-down defense in Division I. No slouch this past season, Notre Dame finished the 2019 campaign ranked 14th in scoring defense and ninth in clearing percentage.

Additionally, Byrne helped the Fighting Irish hold its opponents to seven goals or fewer in 50.2 percent of their games (103-of-205) since the start of the 2007 campaign and limited its foes to four goals or less on 19 occasions.

While at Saint Anselm College, Byrne guided the Hawks to 16 victories with the 2005 squad setting the program record for lowest GAA and ground balls in a season. That team also broke the school record for face-off winning percentage, a mark that still stands today.

Byrne played lacrosse collegiately at UMass Amherst, graduating cum laude in 1986, with a degree in economics. A two-year starter and an All-New England defenseman as a senior, Byrne helped the Minutemen to the 1986 NCAA quarterfinals.

From Amherst, Byrne went on to enjoy a successful playing career. He was a four-time All-United States Club Lacrosse Association member and invited to the U.S. National Team tryouts three times (1989, 1997, 2001). Byrne, who earned his master's degree from Notre Dame, also collected All-Lake Placid Classic honors 11 times and was a nine-time All-Vail Shootout performer.

In 1991, he was drafted by the New York Saints of the National Lacrosse League (NLL) and played for the franchise in 1992. Byrne was later selected by the Rochester Knighthawks of the NLL and helped them to the 1997 championship. Three years later, Byrne came out of retirement after the Boston Cannons drafted him and ultimately led the team to consecutive MLL Final Four appearances.

Byrne in 1999 was inducted into the New England Chapter of the United States Lacrosse Hall of Fame and was named the 2001 New Hampshire High School Coach of the Year while directing Souhegan High School.

Outside of lacrosse, Byrne made his presence felt in other aspects of athletics, serving as managing director at Kiltegan Marketing Group, which is an integrated sports marketing services company. He was also the director of marketing at Cybex International and Brine, a major manufacturer of lacrosse equipment. He additionally owns the Premier Players Lacrosse Camps and founded the Texas Top-99.

A native of Levittown, New York, Byrne was an All-Long Island Catholic League lacrosse player at Chaminade High. He is married to Dr. Tracy Byrne and the couple has three children, Rory, Pierre and Brandon.

RYAN WELLNER- T99 Director, Assistant Coach Notre Dame University

Wellner joins the Notre Dame staff after a successful eight-year stint at the Naval Academy. He spent the last three seasons as the associate head coach after five years of being an assistant. Wellner is widely regarded as one of the top defensive coaches in the sport and he also served as the Midshipmen’s recruiting coordinator.

Under Wellner’s direction, Navy’s defensive unit held opponents to an average under nine goals per game in four seasons. In 2019, Navy featured one of the best riding units in the country, ranking fourth in opponent clearing percentage (.737).

Individually, the Midshipmen earned defensive or faceoff All-America honors during Wellner’s tenure and saw defenseman Chris Fennell graduate as the first player in conference history to be named the Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year three times (2015, 2016, 2017). In the eight years of Wellner’s stay at Navy, the program picked up 21 All-Patriot League citations by defensive players or faceoff specialists.

During the 2018 season the Mids recorded the nation’s 15th-best scoring defense, holding their opponents 8.93 goals per game. Wellner saw faceoff specialist Joe Varello become the first Navy player to be named the Patriot League Faceoff Specialist of the Year after posting a 58.6 winning percentage (58.6), the nation’s 17th best. 

Navy closed out the 2017 season ranked No. 22 nationally in scoring defense, allowing 9.57 goals per game. Another one of Wellner’s pupils who enjoyed an outstanding senior campaign was faceoff specialist Brady Dove, as he ranked No. 3 in the country in faceoff percentage (169-254, 66.5) in 2017.

In 2016, Wellner helped orchestrate a defensive unit that was one of the best in the country.  Ranked No. 2 nationally in scoring defense, the Midshipmen held their opponents to 7.38 goals per game. The 7.38 average was Navy’s lowest since 2008 when it gave up 6.50 goals per game.

The 2015 campaign saw Navy’s defense allow 8.57 goals per game and was ranked 13th nationally.  Additionally, Navy’s defense caused the eighth-most turnovers in the country, posting 8.07 takeaways per game. 

In 2013, the Midshipmen finished No. 2 in the country in caused turnovers, averaging 10.00 per contest led by starting defenseman Austin Miller who was seventh nationally with 2.31 takeaways.

Wellner joined the Navy staff in the summer of 2011 after a three-year stint at Stony Brook, where he primarily worked with the defense and the Seawolves’ faceoff game.

In his three seasons at Stony Brook, the Seawolves produced a 32-14 record (.696), including an impressive 15-1 mark in America East action. The Seawolves captured the America East regular-season title in 2010 behind a 13-4 record and punched their ticket to what was only the program’s second NCAA Tournament appearance (2002) by way of defeating Albany, 11-7, in the America East Championship Game.

Wellner was instrumental in improving the Seawolves’ faceoff game, as Adam Rand evolved into one of the country’s premier FOGO specialists. In 2010, Rand won 61.6 percent (266-432) of the faceoffs he took, the third-best percentage in the country. 

Prior to his arrival at Stony Brook in 2009, Wellner spent the 2008 campaign as the men’s assistant coach and defensive coordinator at Washington & Lee. He also served as the defensive coordinator for three seasons at the Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey where he helped guide the Ducks to a pair of NCAA Tournament berths. Wellner’s defensive units produced a pair of All-America defensemen and ranked among the Div. III top 10 in scoring defense.

A 2000 graduate of Mary Washington College with a bachelor of science in business management, Wellner also served as an assistant coach at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (2004) and Chaminade High School (2003). Additionally, he was the director of the New York Lacrosse Academy and served as the director of operations for the National Lacrosse League from 2001-2003.

A four-year letterwinner at Mary Washington, he served as captain of the lacrosse team his senior year and earned the school’s Outstanding Senior Award in 2000.

Wellner, and his wife, Kate, are the parents of sons, Griffin and MacGregor, and daughter, Ashley.