Bio

Brendan McWilliams was named Emmanuel College's Director of Athletics and Recreation in 2017 after serving as Assistant Athletic Director and Head Men's Lacrosse Coach for eight successful seasons. 

He oversees Emmanuel’s 16 varsity sports while supporting the recreational and wellness programming at the college. He maintains a strategic vision for Emmanuel College athletics and advocates for the needs of student-athletes, coaches, and staff. 

Since taking over as AD, McWilliams has, in partnership with the Yawkey Foundation and Boston Parks and Recreation, helped facilitate the resurfacing and upgrade of Clemente Field and Track which also included a new LED high-def scoreboard. New facility improvements on campus have also included upgrades to the scorers tables in the gymnasium, the strength and conditioning weight room as well as department branding and promotion initiatives. McWilliams has also brought on new head coaching staff in men’s lacrosse, men’s basketball, women's soccer, and women's volleyball while also adding full-time head coaches in cross country/track and field, softball, and new staff in athletic training.   Behind his leadership, the Saints also captured the 2018-19 Great Northeast Athletic Conference Women's Commissioner's Cup along with seven GNAC team championships. He's also had a total of eight EC coaches on his staff earn GNAC Coach of the Year honors.

In addition to his responsibilities at Emmanuel, McWilliams sits on the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Executive Committee at the Chair. He also sits on the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Men's Lacrosse Advisory Committee as well as the New England Regional Advisory Committee.

McWilliams joined the Emmanuel staff in 2010 as the first head coach for the Saints Men's Lacrosse Program. The team competed at the club level in 2011 and became a varsity sport at Emmanuel in 2012. Coach McWilliams served as Emmanuel's Director of Lacrosse until the summer of 2015 when he was promoted to Assistant Athletic Director with a focus on Scheduling and Facilities management.

The Saints captured the program's third consecutive GNAC Championship in 2016 under Coach McWilliams, earning the program's third berth to the NCAA tournament in as many years.

Under Coach McWilliams, the Saints posted a program-best 33 game winning streak in GNAC regular-season play from 2014 through the 2016 season. Over seven seasons, McWilliams has produced 32 GNAC All-Conference players, six All-Region players and one All-American.

McWilliams and the Saints boasted a standout campaign in 2014, which included winning the program's first-ever GNAC Championship and advancing to the NCAA Tournament.  Emmanuel won a record-setting 15 consecutive games and finished the year at 15-3 overall and undefeated at 10-0 in regular season GNAC action.  Subsequently, McWilliams was voted the 2014 GNAC Coach of the Year and his team earned the GNAC Sportsmanship Award.

McWilliams led the Saints team to GNAC post-season appearances in the program's first two seasons of varsity competition.  Emmanuel reached the GNAC Quarterfinals in 2012, after a 7-8 mark in the regular season, and the Saints went 7-10 in 2013, with the program's first-ever GNAC Tournament win, and advanced to the GNAC Semifinals.

Prior to his work at Emmanuel, McWilliams was the boys' lacrosse coach at Westwood High School for one season. Before his short stint as a high school coach, McWilliams coached at the collegiate level for many years. He was at the helm of the Kenyon College program from 2003-2007, where he led the Lords to an NCAA Division III tournament appearance and was named the North Coast Athletic Conference Lacrosse Coach of the Year in 2006. In his last two seasons at Kenyon, McWilliams produced 15 all-conference players, as well as one All-American and two North-South All-Stars. During his tenure, the lacrosse program earned national rankings from both the USILA and the NCAA.

Before coaching at Kenyon, McWilliams spent previous seasons as an assistant coach and offensive coordinator at The University of Vermont. McWilliams collected additional coaching experience at Tufts University, where he earned a master's degree in teaching and worked as the Jumbos' assistant lacrosse coach for two seasons. In between his stints at Vermont and Tufts, McWilliams spent two seasons as the head coach at Cherry Creek High School in Denver, Colorado, where he guided the 2002 boys' lacrosse team to a 16-2 record and a Colorado state championship.

McWilliams earned a bachelor's degree in English from Colorado College in 1998. As a student-athlete at Colorado, he was a two-time captain of the lacrosse team and was selected to play in the prestigious North-South All-Star game.

(Last updated June 2, 2022 - 2:30 PM)