Kevin Unterstein - Men's Lacrosse Coach - University of North Carolina Athletics

Kevin Unterstein

Title:
Defensive Coordinator
Email:
kevinu@email.unc.edu
Phone:
(919) 843-9672

Kevin Unterstein, who spent the previous eight seasons at Hofstra University, was named the defensive coordinator for the University of North Carolina men’s lacrosse program in August 2018.

Since arriving in Chapel Hill prior to the 2019 season, Unterstein has mentored five USILA First-, Second-, or Third Team All-Americas and five All-Atlantic Coast Conference honorees on the defensive side of the ball.

Unterstein spent eight years total on the Hofstra men’s lacrosse staff including the last five years as associate head coach before moving to Carolina. Recently, as a player, he was a member of the gold-medal winning United States Men’s National Team that competed in the 2018 FIL World Championships in Israel as well as a member of the New York Lizards in Major League Lacrosse (MLL).

During his coaching tenure at Hofstra, he worked with the defense, the face-off specialists and the man-down unit. Virtually every year, those units put up some impressive numbers in the CAA and nationally. Last year, the Pride led the Colonial Athletic Association and was second in the nation in scoring defense with a 7.86 goals against average. In 2017, the Pride ranked second in the CAA and 14th in the nation in scoring defense, allowing 8.79 goals per game. In 2016, Hofstra led the conference in face-off winning percentage with a .541 mark while the defense was second in the conference and 13th in the nation allowing 8.53 goals per game. In 2015, Hofstra led the CAA and was eighth in the nation in scoring defense (8.44) and was second in the conference and sixth in the country in turnovers per contest (12.1). In 2013, the Pride ranked first in turnovers per game (11.36) and third in scoring defense (7.79 gpga). In 2011, the Pride led the nation in scoring defense (6.56 gpga) and ranked sixth in face-off winning percentage (.622) and turnover average (13.69).

A 2008 graduate of Hofstra with a degree in sociology, Unterstein enjoyed a stellar playing career as a short-stick defensive midfielder from 2005 through 2008. As a senior, he recorded a team-leading 70 ground balls while helping to guide the Pride to the CAA title and the NCAA Tournament. For his efforts, he was an All-CAA first team selection and was named the CAA Defensive Player of the Year and the CAA Championship Tournament Most Valuable Player. As a junior in 2007, Unterstein earned USILA All-America honorable mention honors and was named to the All-CAA second team as well as the All-CAA Tournament team. In 2006, Kevin, his twin brother, Mike, and their older brother, Chris, combined to help lead Hofstra to a 17-2 record, a No. 2 national ranking and a No. 3 seed in the NCAA tournament. He was also named to the All-CAA Rookie Team as a freshman.

Following graduation in 2008, he became an assistant under Bill Tierney at Princeton in 2009, working with the defense and face-off specialists. He followed Tierney to Denver in 2010 to help coordinate the Pioneers’ man-down unit and work specifically with the defensive midfielders and with assistant coach Trevor Tierney with the defense and the overall face-off game.

Unterstein has also played professionally in Major League Lacrosse, playing for the Long Island/New York Lizards in 2009, and 2012 through the present, and the Denver Outlaws in 2010 and 2011.

A native of Shoreham, N.Y., he was a high school All-America at Shoreham-Wading River High, where he was part of four Suffolk County championships and one state championship.

Unterstein and his wife Melissa are proud parents of a daughter, Noa, two years old, who was born in October 2017.

Joe Breschi On Kevin Unterstein: Kevin Unterstein is an enormous addition to the program in so many ways. Not only is he a World Team guy but he also plays in the professional leagues so there is instant respect there from the players. And of course he is a world gold medal winner. His knowledge of defense from coaching with Bill Tierney at Princeton and at Denver and being the defensive coordinator for seven years at Hofstra speaks to his experience in the college game. At Hofstra, his defenses always played with an edge, confidence, swagger and toughness. That famous Long Island presence on the defensive end of the field. He is just a tremendous person and relates so well to the players on the team. He brings a toughness and a physical presence to our defense. You could tell it in the kinds of drills he was introducing to the team in the fall. He brings an edge and a toughness to the defense in what he is going to expect from this team. We will be playing a physical style on defense and I think that is something we have needed. He adds a different element and the kids love to play for him.