By Chris Goldberg
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 8/21/19
La Salle College grad Rob Forster has been named head boys’ lacrosse coach at his alma mater, the school announced this afternoon.
Forster, a 2005 La Salle alum, replaces Bill Leahy, who retired 2 months ago. Leahy started the program 28 years ago and won 512 games, including five state titles.
“This is a dream come true to coach at my alma mater,” said Forster, who built Academy of the New Church into a prep power after spending four years as a La Salle assistant. “I look forward to continuing the legacy that Coach Leahy and Coach (Tony) Resch and all the former players at La Salle built..”
Forster, who posted a 76-20 record at ANC from 2014-18, spent last season on Coach Mike Murphy’s staff as an Assistant/Video Coordinator at Penn, which won the Ivy League title and reached the NCAA quarterfinals.
At ANC, Forster took a struggling program and won five straight Friends Schools League crowns.
Forster served as the offensive coordinator for La Salle in 2012-13, helping the Explorers win the 2013 PIAA championship. He was JV coach from 2010-11. He was a two-time high school All-American at La Salle and in 2004 he led the Explorers to their first state title.
Forster is a graduate of Penn State University, where he was a four-year starter on the Lacrosse team and the team’s leading scorer in 2007, 2008, and 2009. He has served as the Program Director for the Duke’s Young Guns Lacrosse Club and was a Philadelphia Under Armor Coach from 2016-2018. He also has coached with the HEADstrong Quakers.
Forster takes over a lacrosse program that has reached the finals of the Pennsylvania State Championship nine times, winning five titles (2004, 2008, 2009, 2013, and 2019) and captured 23 Philadelphia Catholic League Championships (1993, 1995-2002, 2004-2010, 2012-2014, and 2016-2019).
