Ryan Moran, previously the offensive coordinator at Loyola Maryland, has been hired to be the fifth head men's lacrosse coach at UMBC.

Moran has directed the Greyhounds offense since joining that program in August 2014. In 2015, his unit ranked 20th in Division I in scoring at 11.2 goals per game and featured attackman Zach Herreweyers, who as a junior scored 47 goals to finish in a tie for fifth for most goals in a season and ranked seventh in the country at 3.1 goals per game.

“Ryan Moran is more than ready to take Retriever men's lacrosse to new heights and once again have our program a contender on the regional and national scene,” UMBC athletic director Tim Hall said. “He is intelligent, thoughtful, a fantastic recruiter, an extraordinary strategist and is completely committed to academic success and the welfare of his athletes. We are excited to welcome him to the UMBC family.”

This past spring, Loyola (14-4) ranked 22nd in scoring at 10.9 goals per game en route to advancing to the NCAA tournament semifinals at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. The offense was led by freshman attackman Pat Spencer, a Davidsonville resident and Boys' Latin graduate who tied the school record of 89 points in a season and ranked second in the nation with 52 assists.

“We appreciate all that Ryan has done for the Loyola program during this time here,” Greyhounds coach Charley Toomey said. “He was an excellent assistant coach, and I have little doubt that he will be a terrific head coach as well. We wish Ryan and his family the very best and look forward to watching him make the next step in his career.”

Before Loyola, Moran spent six years at Maryland, where he graduated in 2003. He molded an offense that averaged 10.9 goals during his tenure there and helped the program reach the national championship game in 2011 and 2012. Moran also was an assistant coach at Navy for three seasons.

Moran succeeds Don Zimmerman, who is scheduled to retire July 1; he announced his decision May 2. Zimmerman, 63, completed his 30th year as a college head coach after 23 at UMBC and seven at Johns Hopkins, which he helped win three NCAA titles. Zimmerman compiled a 237-171 record for a .581 winning percentage.

Moran is one of many coaches in his family. His father, Jack Moran, has been the coach at Chaminade High on Long Island for more than 30 years. And Moran's great-uncle, Richie Moran, is a U.S. Lacrosse National Hall of Fame member who guided Cornell to national championships in 1971, 1976 and 1977.

As a midfielder at Maryland, Ryan Moran totaled 39 goals and 11 assists in 2002 and 2003 under Dave Cottle, who has coached the Terps and Greyhounds. Moran was an All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection in 2003 when he finished the season ranked second on the team in goals (24) and third in points (31).

Moran and his wife — the former Danielle Shearer, a Hampstead native and North Carroll graduate who was a two-time All-American midfielder at Notre Dame — have three daughters: Madelynn, Kelly and Lucia.

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