Nikolena Samac

Jason Tarnow Selected as Fourth Head Coach in JCU Men's Lacrosse History

6/15/2026 2:00:00 PM | By: JCUSID

Tarnow has nearly a quarter-century of head coaching experience at the Division III level

UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS – A veteran coach from a primetime Division III conference is set to lead John Carroll Men's Lacrosse.

The new leader of the Blue Streaks sports 23 years of experience as a head lacrosse coach at the D-III level, including 14 seasons in Northeast Ohio.

Jason Tarnow is the next head coach of JCU Men's Lacrosse.

Most recently, Tarnow guided Trinity College of the NESCAC for nine seasons. Tarnow founded Baldwin Wallace's lacrosse program after leading The College of Wooster's program for nine seasons.

"We are extremely excited to welcome Jason Tarnow as our new Head Men's Lacrosse coach," said Vice President of Athletics Brian Polian '97. "Jason comes to us with a proven track record of success as a head coach at three different institutions. He is an excellent evaluator, recruiter, tactician, and leader of men. He has established programs from scratch and guided programs that compete in premier conferences and come with expectations. Ultimately, we believe in Coach Tarnow as a person."

Tarnow owns an overall coaching record of 179-134, ranking 32nd among active Division III men's lacrosse coaches in wins, as well as 21st in seasons as a head men's lacrosse coach (23).

"From my time in Northeast Ohio, I've long admired JCU's reputation for excellence in academics and athletics," said Tarnow. "I've always kept my eye on JCU. The program and university is rich in success. The timing is excellent, as the sky is the limit for the program. A strong foundation has been set for continued success in University Heights."

Tarnow rebuilt Trinity into a contender in the ever-competitive NESCAC (New England Small College Athletic Conference). The Syracuse, New York native took over the Bantams program in 2018 and soon guided Trinity to the NESCAC Tournament in 2019, the program's first appearance in eight years.

Tarnow steered the Bantams back to the NESCAC Tournament in 2024. While Trinity missed the NESCAC Tournament in 2025, the Bantams garnered an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament, just the second such appearance in program history. Trinity won its first round game before losing in the second round to #10 York College (PA).

This past season, Trinity appeared in the top 25 of the USA Lacrosse Magazine rankings, reaching as high as No. 16 in Week 8.

"The experience in the NESCAC, OAC, and NCAC will serve me well," said Tarnow. "The NESCAC is an especially deep conference and you play twice a week, so that helps you understand the time crunch of preparation as a coach. The experience I've gained can extend to JCU as we look to recruit elite student-athletes, just like the Blue Streaks have always done. And I'm very excited to meet and get to work with the student-athletes on the team."

In 2012, Tarnow became the first head coach in Baldwin Wallace Men's Lacrosse history, leading the Yellow Jackets to become a perennial contender in the Ohio Athletic Conference. Tarnow led the Yellow Jackets to the OAC Tournament Semifinals in four straight seasons and a share of the 2016 OAC Regular Season Championship. In 2017, Tarnow was honored as the OAC Co-Coach of the Year, leading BW to a 12-3 overall record and a 7-1 mark in conference play. Tarnow departed Berea with a 51-21 record across five campaigns.

"He develops and impacts young people in a positive manner and we believe that aligns perfectly with our Jesuit mission and ideals," said Polian. "This is an exciting moment in the history of John Carroll Lacrosse and we are thrilled to have Jason and his wife, Joanna, join our community of Blue Streaks."

Tarnow guided Wooster from 2002-10. Tarnow guided the Fighting Scots to the program's first conference crown and NCAA Tournament berth in 2004, earning North Coast Athletic Conference Coach of the Year honors. Wooster never posted a losing record in his tenure, as Tarnow finished with a 72-51 record across his nine seasons.

"Lacrosse has grown so much in Northeast Ohio since I began at Wooster," said Tarnow. "I love the area and enjoyed coaching here during my previous stops. My wife, Joanna, is from Ohio and we are very excited to return to our roots."

Tarnow served as an assistant coach at Butler University and Salisbury University before becoming a head coach.

Tarnow started at goalkeeper at Michigan State University for two seasons before transferring to Salisbury. Tarnow starred as a two-time USILA All-American, 1998 Capital Athletic Conference Player of the Year, and the Most Valuable Player on Salisbury's 1999 NCAA Division III National Championship team. He remains 10th in program all-time history in saves. Tarnow acquired his Bachelor's degree in Communications from Salisbury.

John Carroll finished with a 3-8 overall record in 2026, 3-5 in NCAC play. Under the 10-year tenure of the recently departed Joe Rautenstrauch, JCU Men's Lacrosse won 7 Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament Championships and 3 OAC Regular Season Championships.

Tarnow is the fourth head coach since the program was founded in 2014. The Blue Streaks will look to ascend in the NCAC under the new leader in 2027 and beyond.

"I want to thank Brian Polian and the search committee for trusting me to continue on with the program's success," said Tarnow. "I have witnessed its growth from the start to now. So many coaches prior to me have done an amazing job, and I want to keep pushing the program forward like they did."

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