GERRY BYRNE
The Frisbie Family Head Coach, Harvard University

Gerry Byrne became Harvard's 18th head coach in program history when he was named The Frisbie Family Head Coach for Harvard Men's Lacrosse on July 1, 2019, and enters his eighth season in 2027.

2026 marked another step forward for Harvard men's lacrosse, as the Crimson posted nine wins, including an 8-0 start to the season - the program's best opening run since 1961 and its first 8-0 start of the NCAA era. Under Coach Byrne, Harvard climbed as high as No. 3 in the national polls, tying the highest ranking in program history, and earned a spot in the Ivy League Tournament for the second straight year, the first time in program history the Crimson have qualified for back-to-back conference tournaments.

The season's signature moment came on Feb. 21, when Harvard knocked off No. 1 Syracuse, 13-12, at home - the program's first-ever win over a top-ranked opponent. The Crimson also notched wins over then No. 16 Penn and then No. 20 Boston University4. Offensively, Harvard got a program-first-since-1997 five 30-point scorers - Teddy Malone, Jack Speidell, Logan Ip, Nathan Cobery and John Aurandt IV - while goalkeeper Graham Stevens anchored a defense that helped the Crimson reach nine wins for just the sixth time in 30 years.

Six players earned All-Ivy League honors, led by First-Teamers Logan Ip and Sean Jordan, and Harvard placed a program-record eight student-athletes on the NEILA All-New England teams. Ip closed his career as a USILA Second Team All-American with additional All-America recognition from USA Lacrosse and Inside Lacrosse, while Aurandt earned All-America honors from USA Lacrosse and Inside Lacrosse after a breakout senior season. Byrne was named the Harvard Crimson student newspaper's Coach of the Year. Ip and Malone both turned pro, with Ip going 18th overall in the PLL College Draft to the Boston Cannons and Malone signing with the Carolina Chaos, joining 2025 grads Sam King and Ray Dearth as Harvard products now playing in the PLL.

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.