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Mark Miyashita 2021 headshot

Mark Miyashita

Canisius Hall-of-Fame inductee Mark Miyashita ‘03 was named head coach of the Golden Griffins men’s lacrosse program in August 2017.
 
A native of Richmond, British Columbia, Miyashita is the fourth coach in program history.  
  
During his time on Main Street, Miyashita has guided Canisius to three appearances in the MAAC Men’s Lacrosse Championship, highlighted by the 2018 title in his first season at the helm. The Golden Griffins claimed their third MAAC championship after recording a pair of thrilling overtime victories against top seeds Quinnipiac and Detroit Mercy on their way to the title.
 
Individually, Canisius’ student-athletes have excelled under Miyashita’s tutelage, with 23 players earning a total of 30 All-MAAC accolades during his time on Main Street. He has also shown an ability to develop talent for the next level, with five National Lacrosse League draft picks to his credit, highlighted by a Canisius player being selected in the top 20 picks in three of the last four NLL Entry Drafts.
 
The 2021 season saw Miyashita lead Canisius to a 5-5 record, highlighted by the program’s fourth consecutive appearance in the semifinal round of the MAAC Men’s Lacrosse Championship. Playing a conference-only schedule, the Griffs picked up wins against eventual MAAC Champion Monmouth as well as defending champion and preseason favorite Marist during the pandemic-shortened campaign.
 
Junior Jacob Buck garnered All-MAAC First Team accolades while fellow juniors Isaiah Ricketts and Ryan Sharkey were both All-MAAC Second Team picks. Freshmen Keegan Kozack and Hunter Parucki were both named to the MAAC All-Rookie Team.

In 2019, Miyashita mentored a young Griffs squad to an 8-8 overall record that included victories over nationally-ranked Colgate and eventual NEC Champion Robert Morris.
 
Buck was named MAAC Rookie of the Year, highlighting an awards haul that saw the Griffs match their program record for a second straight season as nine Canisius student-athletes garnered all-conference or all-rookie distinction for their play during the regular season. 

In his first season as head coach of his alma mater, Miyashita guided Canisius to its highest win total in 10 seasons, culminating in the program’s thrilling victory at the 2018 MAAC Championship.
 
Attackman Connor Kearnan put together one of the finest individual seasons in program history as he was named the MAAC Offensive Player of the Year, MAAC Championship Most Valuable Player, Inside Lacrosse Media Honorable Mention All-American and USILA Scholar All-American. Kearnan was also an All-MAAC First Team selection, one of a record nine Griffs to earn all-conference accolades for their efforts during the 2018 campaign.  
 
In addition to his duties with the Griffs, Miyashita has gained valuable coaching experience on the international stage, serving as an assistant coach for Team Canada on multiple occasions. At the 2018 FIL World Championship, Miyashita worked with fellow Canisius Hall of Famer and Team Canada head coach Randy Mearns to help guide the Red and White to a second-place finish at the 46-team event held in Netayna, Israel. He will also serve as an assistant coach for Team Canada at the World Lacrosse U-21 Men's Championship in August 2022. 

the summer of 2018 when he served as an assistant coach for Team Canada at the FIL World Championship. Working with fellow Canisius Hall of Famer and Team Canada head coach Randy Mearns, Miyashita helped guide the Red and White to a second-place finish at the 46-team event held in Netayna, Israel.

Miyashita returned to Canisius after four seasons as an assistant coach at Sacred Heart University, helping the team advance twice to the Northeast Conference Tournament. Serving as the Pioneers’ offensive and recruiting coordinator, Miyashita built and orchestrated a Sacred Heart attack that ranked second in the NEC in scoring offense (11.33 goals/game) and featured four of the top-10 players in the league in points per game in 2017. He also played a key role in the program’s improvement in the classroom as the team’s cumulative GPA rose more than a quarter of a point during his time with the Pioneers.
 
A member of the Canisius Hall of Fame class of 2013, Miyashita appeared in 42 games during his four seasons with the Blue and Gold, finishing his career ranked among the program’s career leaders in points (145/7th), assists (74/8th) and goals (71/15th). A three-time captain, Miyashita led the Griffs in points in both 2000 and 2003, two seasons where he also earned All-MAAC First Team honors. The school’s all-time leader in career faceoff percentage (.593) and ground balls (329), he led the nation in ground balls per game in 2000 with 10.69, a number that still ranks second-best in NCAA history to this day. He ended his career with 7.83 ground balls per game, a number that currently ranks eighth all-time in NCAA men’s lacrosse history.
 
The first overall pick of the Vancouver Ravens in the 2003 National Lacrosse League Draft, Miyashita played five seasons for Vancouver, Colorado and Minnesota. He finished with 17 goals and 41 assists in 46 career games played while also contributing 421 faceoff wins and 324 loose balls. Miyashita was also the top overall pick of the Maple Ridge Burrards of the Western Lacrosse Association in 2003, helping guide the team to back-to-pack postseason appearances in 2004 and 2005.
 
Miyashita began his coaching career as the head coach at Castle View High School in Castle Rock, Colo., where he founded the lacrosse program when the school first opened in 2006. A two-time Douglas County Lacrosse League Coach of the Year selection, Miyashita led Castle Rock to its first league title in 2012. He coached multiple All-American and All-League players while also placing numerous players with various college programs at the Division I, II and III levels.
 
In addition to his work at the collegiate and high school levels, Miyashita has also been active at the club level, working with Xcelerate Lacrosse and the Denver Elite Lacrosse Club. He is also the founder and co-owner of Fundamental Lacrosse in Connecticut, an organization that provides box and field lacrosse instruction for players in the Nutmeg State.
 
Miyashita received his bachelor’s degree from the College in social studies education in 2003. He earned his master’s degree in information and technology from the University of Colorado at Denver in 2010.
 
Miyashita is married to the former Theresa Delano, Ph.D., a fellow 2003 graduate of Canisius College and a native of Cheektowaga. They are the proud parents of their daughter, Alexis.
Miyashita's Year-by-Year Record
Season Overall Win Pct. MAAC Finish
2018 8-9 .470 3-3 4th
2019 8-8 .500 4-3 4th
2020 0-5 .000 N/A N/A
2021 5-5 .500 3-3 4th
2022 2-12 .140 1-5 T-6th
Totals 23-39 .370 1-14