Paul McDermott, who over his long career, coached championship lacrosse teams and impacted the sport around the region, was recently inducted into the Long Island Metro Lacrosse Foundation Hall of Fame.
Among his many achievements was coaching the Huntington HIgh School team to 63 consecutive victories, leading the Blue Devils to a No. 1 ranking in the country in 2007.
His coaching career includes leading his teams to a total of 19 league championships and 304 varsity career wins. He won League/ Division Coach of the Year awards nine times, two NILA Coach of the Year and Newsday LI Coach of the Year awards. He was named the 2002 NILA “Man of the Year.” In 2007, he was selected as the head coach for the Under Armour All-American team, representing the North region. This appointment underscored his standing in the sport and solidified his place among lacrosse’s elite coaches.
He served as president of the Huntington High School Boys Lacrosse Association, nurturing the sport at the grassroots level. He further contributed to the regional lacrosse landscape by serving as the Suffolk County Lacrosse Association vice president from 2000 to 2014.