Siena men's lacrosse coach Liam Gleason has died at the age of 41, the school announced on Wednesday, three days after he suffered a traumatic brain injury in a fall at his home.
Gleason led the Saints to the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championship and a berth in the NCAA Tournament this past season, his seventh at the Loudonville, New York school.
“A sudden, senseless loss carries a kind of pain that defies understanding,” said Siena president Chuck Seifert. “It’s hard to imagine anyone more universally loved and admired than Liam. Our community was blessed by Coach Gleason’s life.” Gleason leaves behind a wife and three children; a fundraising effort for the family is underway.
Dozens of people, including Siena players in uniform, school officials and members of the University at Albany athletic community, lined a hospital hallway on Wednesday afternoon to pay tribute to Gleason as he was wheeled into surgery to donate some of his organs. The school announced his death a few hours later.
Gleason was a standout player at Albany, one of Siena’s top rivals, and began his coaching career as a Siena assistant before returning to Albany as an assistant. He came back to Siena as head coach in 2018.
His funeral will be held on Saturday on Siena’s campus, school officials said.
