SALISBURY, Md. — One of the most successful college lacrosse coaches of all time is calling it a career. Salisbury University announced Tuesday that men's lacrosse head coach Jim Berkman is retiring after 38 years leading the program. Berkman described his nearly four-decade career as "a great run."
Berkman retires as the winningest coach in college lacrosse history with 678 career victories and a record 13 national championships. No other coach has reached 500 career wins. During his tenure, he guided Salisbury to 28 Final Four appearances and helped establish the Sea Gulls as one of the premier programs in the sport.
"I'm proud of all that we were able to accomplish in my time at SU, but none of it would have been possible without the hundreds of players that dedicated their valuable time to the program," Berkman said.
His final national championship came in 2023 when Salisbury defeated previously unbeaten Tufts University in the title game.
Justin Axel will take over the program on an interim basis. Axel has had two stints as an assistant coach with the Sea Gulls, most recently serving on the staff since 2014 after a tenure as head coach at Eastern Connecticut State University.
Berkman concludes his career as a four-time National Coach of the Year and a member of both the Intercollegiate Men's Lacrosse Coaches Association Hall of Fame and the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame.
