Piedmont College Men's Lacrosse

Gantz who returns for the 2017 season following his debut on the Piedmont College coaching staff in 2016.  Though new to the coaching staff, Gantz is no stranger to Piedmont lacrosse as a member of the inaugural recruiting class for the Lions having completed his four-year career with the Green and Gold as a player following the 2015 season.   As Gantz departure as a player for the Lions came as part of the first graduating senior class for PC, the 2016 season saw a depleted squad finish the year 1-11 missing out on the SEILC Tournament.  However, Gantz was a part of the programs largest recruiting effort to date in the summer of 16 to help rebuild the program bringing in more than 20 new faces to the Lions roster readying for a second season in the Dunton era in the spring of 17. Gantz' experience came in handy during the first summer he was on staff when Piedmont was moving from the Pete Manderano era to the current era under new Head Coach Tim Dunton who came to PC from Lasell College in the Northeast after 13 successful seasons. Manderano was the program's first coach heading up the first four seasons and bringing in Gantz to the program he called home as a member of the inaugural class of Lions lacrosse. Though his stint as a graduate assistant with PC is his first college coaching experience, Gantz has already started his coaching career overall working with Atlanta Travel Lacrosse since 2012.  Gantz served the last two years as a head coach after starting as an assistant and led his team to several tournament championships including titles as a head coach at LB3 Summer Jam, Southern Open Lacrosse Championships, and the Catawba Classic in addition to two more titles as an assistant coach (Hogan Revolution and GA Southern Shootout). Gantz led Piedmont to 21 wins during his four years on campus as a player and helped the program to several firsts as part of the first class to come through the program.  Gantz was a major piece of the program's first-ever victory scoring a hat-trick in a 19-10 win over Rhodes College in just the second game overall for the Lions on February 25, 2012.   Making his living as a face-off specialist, Gantz led the team with his 75 face-off wins as a freshman before finishing his career as the program leader in that category coming up just nine shy of 500 in his four years.  Gantz was also the architect of the Piedmont offense in his time totaling a program-best 62 assists including a single-season high 26 in the 2014 season, one which stands still as the best in Lions history.   Gantz would again tally another season of 20-plus assists in his final year with the team leading the squad in assist in both his junior and senior years with the program.  He would also place in the team's top five in total points during his final two seasons with the club as well. Topping the program charts in ground balls with more than 250 in his career, Gantz tabbed a single-game high 12 in March of 2014 against Point University, the same contest in which he tallied a career-best seven points and five assists.  Gantz ranks 1st in program history in ground balls per game and was easily Mr. Reliable as his 57 games played is the most amongst any Lions including the nearly dozen graduating seniors who finished their careers with Gantz.  In his final season with the team, Gantz helped Piedmont to a semifinal appearance in the first-ever Southeast Independent Lacrosse Championship hosted at Piedmont's own Walker Athletic Complex in mid-April.  The graduating senior finished out his career with a solid two-assist night that evening with the Lions falling to Ferrum College, the tourney's eventual champion.   Also heavily involved with the Piedmont community during his time on campus, Gantz headed up the Piedmont Events and Promotion Team along with former baseball player Chris Georshel.  Together, the two along with fellow Piedmont students helped create some of the traditions that still exist today while also creating promotional events that helped bring Piedmont Athletics to the forefront. In 2013, Gantz helped orchestrate the 'Madness at the Mize' event that ran as a part of Midnight Madness events across the country with new traditions being added for the Piedmont fans before they were dazzled with a dunk contest that went viral over social media.  In 2014, Gantz followed that up with the Homegrown Concert series which brought the John King Band to the Arrendale Amphitheater on the Piedmont campus.  The concert helped kickoff the Piedmont athletic year but also was a benefit event for Habitat for Humanity as well.   For his work, Gantz earned the Ken Bernhardt AMA Atlanta Outstanding Collegiate Marketer of the Year Award in March of 2015.  The Ball Ground, Georgia native also volunteered in the community helping with the Piedmont Athletic Lion (PAL) Games which allowed elementary school students with special needs to compete in events at Cave Arena. Having already earned a degree in the spring of 2016 from Piedmont College completing his undergraduate work in Business as a Magna Cum Laude graduate, Gantz is pursuing his Master of Business Administration from the graduate school at Piedmont while also assisting Dunton in all facets of the Lions lacrosse program.   

Zach Czulada joined the Piedmont men's lacrosse staff as an assistant coach in the summer of 2025. Czulada, an alumnus of Piedmont and former standout goalkeeper for the men's lacrosse team, joins the Lions in a coaching role after spending time at both the college and high school ranks.  Czulada most recently served as Head Coach for North Gwinnett High School in 2025 giving him an excellent edge in local recruiting with ties to the greater Atlanta region.  He has also served as an assistant at a pair of NCAA Division II programs as Defensive Coordinator at Lynn University and as a graduate assistant at North Greenville. While at Lynn, he helped lead three All-Conference defensive players, one All-Region defender and was instrumental in guiding Lynn to their first SSC Playoff appearance since 2019. Prior to his time with the Lynn Fighting Knights, he helped the North Greenville Crusaders post nine wins and an appearance in the Conference Carolinas Tournament. As goalkeeper for the Lions, Czulada was a five year starter from 2017-2021 and holds the program record in saves (785) and save percentage (.594). He was the conference tournament MVP for Piedmont in 2019 as the Lions claimed their first USA South Tournament title and NCAA Tournament appearance.  He was a three time USA South All-Conference selection and USA South Defensive Player of the Year in 2019. He also earned All-Region honors from the IMLCA in 2021 and was a participant in the USILA Division III North South Senior All Star Game. He is a 2021 Piedmont graduate with a bachelor's degree in sport and fitness administration and earned his MBA from North Greenville in 2023. Updated 6/25

Coaching Highlights at Piedmont (2016-Present) - USA South Tournament Championship (2019) - Undefeated USA South West Division Regular Season (2021) - Shared Top Spot in USA South Regular Season (2023) - USA South Coach of the Year 3x (2021, 2024, 2025) - IMLCA All-Region (Zach Czulada - 2021) - USA South Offensive Player of the Year (Brady McGuire - 2024) - 2 USA South Defensive Players of the Year (Zach Czulada - 2021; Johnny Matrona - 2024) - 41 USA South All-Conference Players - 7 CSC/CoSIDA Academic All-District Selections  - Set program record for wins (10 in 2022, 12 in 2023, 14 in 2024) in three seasons in a row (2022-2024)   Tim Dunton enters his 11th season leading the Piedmont men’s lacrosse program in the fall of 2025, continuing a remarkable run of success that has redefined the program’s standard. Since arriving in Demorest in 2016, Dunton has transformed the Lions into a consistent contender in the USA South Athletic Conference, guiding the team to four straight double-digit win seasons and compiling an impressive list of accolades along the way. The 2025 campaign saw the Lions post a 7-1 record in conference play while producing seven USA South All-Conference honorees. Dunton earned USA South Coach of the Year honors for the second year in a row and the third time in the past five seasons. The season built on the momentum from 2024, when the Lions achieved a then-program-best 14 wins, setting a new record for the third consecutive year. That season included thrilling overtime wins on the road at Berry and Sewanee, while Piedmont swept the league’s top individual honors—Brady McGuire was named USA South Offensive Player of the Year and Johnny Matrona earned Defensive Player of the Year. The 2023 season marked another historic year for the program, as Piedmont broke its single-season wins record with 12 victories and finished in a tie for first place in the USA South regular season standings. McGuire, Connor Rogers, and Michael Anderson all reached the 100-career point milestone, while Chris Pannenbacker became the program’s all-time leader in faceoff wins. In 2022, the Lions reached double digits in wins for the first time in program history with a 10-8 overall mark. Piedmont won a program-record eight conference games and earned the No. 2 seed in the USA South Tournament. Dunton was recognized as the USA South Coach of the Year for the first time following the breakthrough campaign. The team’s trajectory was set in 2019, when Dunton led the Lions to their first-ever USA South Tournament Championship and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament. With that accomplishment, Piedmont became the first lacrosse program in the state of Georgia, across all NCAA divisions, to reach the national tournament. The 2019 team finished with a 9-9 record and placed five players on the All-Tournament Team, including MVP Zach Czulada, who would later earn IMLCA All-Region honors in 2021 and be named USA South Defensive Player of the Year that same season. During his tenure at Piedmont, Dunton has coached 41 USA South All-Conference players, developed multiple Players of the Year, and guided the program through a consistent rise. His teams have also been recognized academically, with seven players earning Academic All-District honors. Prior to Piedmont, Dunton led the program at Lasell College in Newton, Massachusetts from 2003 to 2015, posting a 107-98 overall record. Under his leadership, Lasell made nine conference tournament appearances and produced 44 All-Conference players, four All-New England honorees, three conference Rookies of the Year, and two Players of the Year. He was named Conference Coach of the Year in 2005. Off the field, he served in a variety of administrative roles including Associate Athletics Director, represented the Pilgrim League on the USILA Top-20 panel, and served on the NCAA Regional Advisory Committee. A native of New England, Dunton played collegiately at Endicott College where he was a four-year letter winner and team captain. He helped the Gulls to a 42-19 record, earned All-Conference honors, and played in the 2000 NEILA East-West All-Star Game. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Communications with a concentration in media production from Endicott and a Master of Science in Sports Administration with a concentration in sports leadership from Lasell. Head Coach at Lasell (2003-2015) Nine conference tournament appearances One semifinal appearance 107-98 overall record 44 All-Conference players Four All-New England Honorees Three conference Rookie of the Years Two conference Players of the Year Conference Coach of the Year (2005) Named Associate Athletics Director (2014) Collegiate Career at Endicott College (1997-2000) 42-19 overall record  Four-year letter winner Captain and All-Conference (2000) NEILA East-West All-Star Game (2000) Dunton's Year-by-Year Coaching Record (1999-Present) YEAR SCHOOL WON LOST WIN % 2025 Piedmont     10     5     .667 2024 Piedmont 14 3 .824 2023 Piedmont 12 6 .667 2022 Piedmont 10 8 .556 2021 Piedmont 6 5 .545 2020 Piedmont  5 2 .714 2019     Piedmont  9 9 .500 2018 Piedmont  9 8 .529 2017 Piedmont  5 10 .333 2016 Piedmont  1 11 .083 2015 Lasell College 9 7 .563 2014 Lasell College 11 6 .647 2013 Lasell College 8 8 .500 2012 Lasell College 12 5 .706 2011 Lasell College 9 8 .529 2010 Lasell College 5 11 .313 2009 Lasell College 5 10 .333 2008 Lasell College 10 7 .588 2007 Lasell College 6 9 .400 2006 Lasell College 10 6 .625 2005 Lasell College 10 6 .625 2004 Lasell College 5 7 .417 2003 Lasell College 7 8 .467  Seasons 2 Schools 188 165 .533 Dunton's Coaching Record by School (1999-Present)  School Name Seasons Record Winning Pct. Piedmont (2016-present) 10 81-67 .547 Lasell College (2003-2015) 13 107-98 .522 Last updated 6/25