Cornell University Men's Lacrosse

Former men's lacrosse great Connor Buczek '15 was elevated to the Richard M. Moran Head Coach of Men's Lacrosse in the spring of 2020 after spending five seasons on staff, first as a volunteer assistant coach for two years and then as an assistant coach for three seasons. He has served as the offensive coordinator since 2018, and his duties have also included working with the goalies. Buczek guided Cornell back atop college lacrosse in 2025 as the Big Red ranked No. 1 in the nation for eight straight weeks en route to the program's first National Championship in 48 years, defeating No. 2 Maryland 13-10 for Cornell's fourth title all-time. The team finished the season with an 18-1 record, including five wins over top-20 teams during the regular season en route to an outright Ivy League Championship and the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament. As an assistant coach, Buczek used his knowledge of Cornell's offensive systems to help turn the Big Red into one of the most powerful offenses in the country, year-in and year-out. A three-time All-American at Cornell, including consecutive first team honors over his final two seasons, Buczek graduated as the top scoring midfielder in Big Red history with 155 points. The 2014 Ivy League Player of the Year, he was a three-time unanimous first-team All-Ivy selection.

Buczek joined the Big Red in September of 2023 following two seasons as a graduate assistant at John Carroll University. During the stint, he helped the team to a combined 33-6 record. The team was two-time Ohio Athletic Conference Champions under Buczek, and tallied two NCAA Tournament wins across both season. Buczek coached 12 All-OAC honorees and two IMLCA All-Region honorees, including one All-American. In both seasons, Buczek commanded the No. 2 scoring defense average in Division III. As a player, he appeared in at least one contest all four years as a short-stick midfielder at Cornell, including all five in the 2020 COVID-shortened year where the Big Red ended the season ranked number two in the country.

Joined Cornell Staff: October 2025 At Cornell: Serves as the Director of Operations for Cornell men's lacrosse.  Prior to Cornell:  Licata served as the Offensive

A 2019 graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University with a degree in business administration and a minor in coaching and leadership, Tennant was a two-time All-American, two-time All-Region selection, and four-time All-NCAC pick as a member of the Battling Bishops' men's lacrosse team. A team captain during his senior year, Tennant was the NCAC's Offensive Player of the Year in 2019, in addition to being a first-team all-conference selection in both 2018 and 2019. He was also named the NCAC's Newcomer of the Year in 2016. The conference leader in goals in his freshman, junior, and senior seasons, Tennant is tied for second all-time in NCAA DIII history in goals (262) and holds the NCAC's career (262) and single season (79) goals records. As a junior, he led the Battling Bishops to a Final Four appearance in the 2018 NCAA DIII Men's Lacrosse Tournament, defeating Denison in the NCAA Quarterfinal to avenge a loss in the NCAC Championship game. Upon completion of his collegiate career, Tennant was drafted in the first round of the 2019 Major League Lacrosse Professional Supplemental Draft by the Denver Outlaws. Over the summer of 2024, Tennant was promoted to assistant coach after previously serving as the full-time Director of Men's Lacrosse Operations.

Paolo Ciferri is an Assistant Coach at Cornell University since 2020, primarily working with faceoff units and overseeing transition play and the ride. In the 2023 season, his clearing percentage ranked 14th nationally and his ride ranked 10th best in the nation. He helped guide Cornell to a 14-5 season in 2022 that included a share of the Ivy League title and a National Runner-Up finish, with the team earning three NCAA tournament wins including victories over #5 ranked Ohio State and Rutgers. Prior to Cornell, Ciferri served as an assistant coach at SUNY Cortland and Binghamton University. As a student-athlete at Syracuse, he was a vital member of the lacrosse team that won the Big East Championship and advanced to the NCAA National Championship game in 2013, guided the Orange to back-to-back ACC Championships in 2014-15 and 2015-16, and was elected team captain for the 2016-17 season. A native of Ithaca, New York, Ciferri graduated from Syracuse in 2017 with a Bachelor of Science in sport management. His family has deep roots in Cornell lacrosse, with his mother and two uncles having played for the Big Red.