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In just his second season as head coach, Shawn Nadelen led the Tigers to their fourth Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) tournament title and first since 2005. Towson also made its 11th appearance in the NCAA Tournament and first since 2007.
The 10-8 record in 2013 marked the first winning record since 2007 and the first 10-win season since 2005. The Tigers earned three wins over top 20 teams in 2013 and ranked as high as 17th in the USILA poll in 2013.
Towson finished 7-8 overall and 2-4 in the CAA during Nadelen's first season as head coach. The Tigers improved their record from 3-10 overall and 1-5 CAA in 2011.
A highly decorated and respected collegiate and professional player, Nadelen spent seven seasons as an assistant coach for former Towson head coach Tony Seaman, including two years as the team's associate head coach and defensive coordinator. Since Nadelen arrived at Towson in 2004, he has sparked a defensive resurgence in which the Tigers have allowed an average of nine or fewer goals four times and finished among the nation's top 20 defenses twice, including 2011 when the Tigers allowed 8.23 goals per game.
During his first year at Towson, the Tigers ranked ninth in NCAA Division I in scoring defense, allowing just 7.88 goals per game. It was the Tigers' best goals against average (GAA) since the 1974 season when they won the Division II national championship with a 7.3 GAA.
In 2006, the Tigers ranked third in the CAA with an 8.42 GAA while holding opponents to under 10 goals nine times. In 2008, the Tigers were fourth in the CAA with an 8.48 average.
Towson has recruited and developed many talented players during Nadelen’s tenure, including 17 first-team and 19 second-team All-Colonial Athletic Association performers. In addition, 10 freshmen have been selected to the CAA All-Rookie squad.
Nadelen began his coaching career in 2002 as an assistant coach at Princeton University for legendary coach Bill Tierney. In his first season with the Tigers, he helped Princeton compile a 10-5 record and reach the national championship game where Syracuse edged Princeton, 13-12. The next two seasons, he was part of a Princeton squad that had an 11-4 record and reached the NCAA Tournament in each year.
In his three seasons at Princeton, he helped Princeton compile a 33-13 record and win three straight Ivy League championships.
A four-year starter and a senior captain for Johns Hopkins, Nadelen moved from the midfield position to close defense as a junior. He led the Blue Jays to the NCAA semifinals twice during his playing career and was named an All-American in 2001.
In addition to coaching, Nadelen had a very successful playing career at the indoor and outdoor professional level. A three-time Major League Lacrosse champion with the Chesapeake Bayhawks, Nadelen played in 11 seasons with the franchise.
Nadelen also spent 10 years as a player in the National Lacrosse League. He played seven seasons for the Philadelphia Wings after stints with the New Jersey Storm and Minnesota Swarm.
One of his greatest highlights as a player came in the summer of 2010 when he recovered from a serious knee injury to help Team USA win the gold medal at the Federation of International Lacrosse World Championships in England.
A native of Rochester, N.Y., Nadelen is married to the former Mary Ciolek, who is a certified athletic trainer and a member of Towson's kinesiology faculty. The couple resides in the Baltimore area and has a daughter, Megan.
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