John Marano is one of the Founders of the Coast 2 Coast Lacrosse Academy. John is currently coaching Plano West High School, Castle Hills Youth and C2C Academy teams. Coach Marano, a Long Island native possess extensive lacrosse knowledge, gained through coaching and playing lacrosse at many levels for over 20 years. He has taken various teams outside the state of Texas to play against the very best competition the country has to offer. He has a thorough knowledge of the detail-oriented preparation necessary to compete and succeed at the highest levels.
Alex Poole is one of the Founders of Coast 2 Cost Lacrosse Academy. Most recently, Coach Poole was named 2008 National Coach of the Year by US Lacrosse. Coach Poole, a Maryland native, was a four year letter-winner in high school on the varsity lacrosse team at St. Paul's in Brooklandville, Maryland. In addition to captaining the squad during his senior year, he was named lacrosse midfielder of the year upon the conclusion of the season. After high school, he received a lacrosse scholarship to the University of Maryland where he earned varsity letters during each of his four years and started at midfield his junior and senior seasons. Throughout the course of his career, Poole was named to the ACC All-Academic team and was twice awarded the Faber-Hagy Trophy as the team's unsung hero.
After graduating from Maryland, Poole moved to Dallas and joined the coaching staff at Episcopal School of Dallas, where he served as offensive coordinator. During his four years at ESD, the Eagles played in three state championship games, claiming the 2007 title. Poole has continued to be an active member of the booming lacrosse community in Dallas. He serves on the board of Friends of North Texas Lacrosse, an organization that provides funding for new programs, and he is a certified Level I Trainer for US Lacrosse.
Kevin Barnicle began his lacrosse career in Simsbury, CT, where he was a four year starter at close defense at Simsbury High School as well as a captain in his senior year. He was recruited to play lacrosse at Springfield College in Massachusetts, a perennial Division III powerhouse. While at Springfield, Barnicle earned a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education and was a four year starter at close defense for the Pride. In his senior year at Springfield, he was named captain, 1st team All-NEWMAC, and asked to play in the 1999 Division III North-South All-Star game in Saratoga Springs, NY. Kevin Barnicle has extensive college and high school coaching experience. After college, Kevin spent a year abroad, coaching boy’s and girl’s lacrosse at the prestigious Charterhouse School in Surrey, England. On returning to the states, Kevin spent 3 years coaching at the Division III level at Hartwick College in New York and his Alma Mata, Springfield College. He has spent his summers coaching youth lacrosse players throughout the country at camps such as, Peak Performance, Player’s Choice, the Hartwick JV Shootout, and is Co-Director of the Coast 2 Coast Lacrosse Academy here in Dallas.
Coach Barnicle earned a Masters degree from Springfield College in Athletic Administration and is currently the Head Men’s Lacrosse Coach and Program Director at the Episcopal School of Dallas. In his six years at ESD, the Eagles lacrosse team has been named three-time, Division I, Texas High School State Champion Runners-Up, was honored as the Division I, North District Coach of the Year in 2006, and in 2007, the Eagles were named Texas High School Division I State Champions. For the first time in ESD's history, the men's lacrosse team won first in SPC for 2008. The 2008 team also finished first runner-up in the Texas High School Division I State Championship.
Christopher Van Dorn played at William Floyd High School on Long Island, NY, where he was a 4-year letterman, 4-year starter and a two-year captain on varsity. As a senior, Chris was the MVP of the team and an All League midfielder. Chris was recruited to schools such as Yale, Dartmouth, Colgate, Hamilton, Notre Dame and many others. He decided to play at Dartmouth, a highly competitive Division I school, and was a 4-year letterman that graduated in 1996 with a B.A Government.
After graduating, Chris worked for Heartland Securities in NYC till 2002 and then moved to Houston, TX, to work for Andover Brokerage. While in Houston, he was the Head Varsity Coach of then Division I Clear Lake High School in 2003. In 2004 he was the Head JV Coach at Highland Park. From 2005 to the present he is the Assistant Varsity Coach and Offensive Coordinator for the DI Highland Park Varsity Squad. During his last four years at HP, the Scots have won two DI Texas State Championships in '08 and '09, and were nationally ranked, #20 by Laxpower and #18 by Inside Lacrosse magazine, in 2009. The Scots are the first TX team ever to be ranked in the Top 25 nationally.