BE boys lacrosse makes new coaching hire

Bishop England High School has hired Josh Lesko as its boys’ lacrosse coach.

 

Lesko, a native of New Cannan, Connecticut, has impressive experience as a player and coach with success at all levels.

 

“I think he’s a great guy,” said Bishop England athletic director Paul Runey. “His resume speaks highly of his lacrosse experience. I feel he has a great vision for the game. He’s in it for the kids, which I think is a great statement.”

 

Lesko attended Deerfield Academy and during his lacrosse career, he was Midfielder of the Year, All-American and a two-time first team All-New England selection. He helped his team post a 60-3 record and four New England Prep School Championships. In addition to lacrosse, he played varsity football and varsity hockey, and received the school’s Outstanding Scholar Athlete award. 

 

Lesko was considered one of the top-10 lacrosse recruits in the country by Inside Lacrosse his senior year. He played at Princeton and was a four-year starter and helped his team win two Ivy League championships and make two NCAA tournament quarter-final appearances.

 

Lesko received the Higginbotham Trophy his senior year. It is “awarded annually to the player who by outstanding play, distinguished sportsmanship and gentlemanly influence that best exemplifies John Higginbotham (Princeton Captain ’39).”

 

While working full-time in the financial community, Lesko began his coaching career in Chicago in 2010 with True Lacrosse as the head coach of their Illinois State Team. After relocating to New York for work in 2014, he continued to coach part time as an assistant coach for St. Luke’s High School in Connecticut, as well as coaching for Eclipse Lacrosse Club and New Canaan Youth Lacrosse.

 

Lesko comes to Bishop England from Hilton Head, where he coached the Hilton Head Sea Hawks for three years beginning in 2020. It was a great opportunity, but the timing was not.

 

Lesko was named coach in time for the 2020 season, which was short-circuited by the COVID-19 pandemic The team played only five games and won four. It was pretty much the same as the program attempted to bounce back from the 2020 shutdown. The team went 4-7 and bounced back last spring with an impressive 12-5 record.

 

Lesko replaces Tyler Tracy as the coach. Tracy had supreme success, leading the program to state championships in 2017 and ’21. The team slumped to 6-9 last spring after capturing the state crown the year before with an 11-4 mark.

 

Tracy is not a full-time employee at Bishop England and recently started a new job and did not have the time needed to coach the team, according to Runey.