Villanova University Men's Lacrosse

The 2026 season marked Mike Corrado’s 20th season as the head coach at Villanova and his 32nd overall with the program. A 1987 graduate of Villanova University, Corrado was appointed head coach during the summer of 2006 after previously serving stints as an associate HC, assistant and player on the team. A former standout defenseman for the Wildcats, Corrado was inducted into the Villanova Varsity Club Hall of Fame as a player in November of 2005, being just the fourth lacrosse player to ever receive this honor.  The 2019, 2013, 2010 and 2009 conference Coach of the Year has led the Wildcats to unprecedented success in recent seasons, garnering a .550 overall winning percentage with his career record standing at 160-131. Under Corrado, the 'Cats are the only program in the league to never miss a BIG EAST Tournament. 2026 saw Corrado and his staff lead the squad to a 3-2 record in conference play and a berth in the BIG EAST Tournament for the 14th straight year, earning seven All-BIG EAST awards. The Wildcats most recently got an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament in 2018, which marked the third time in program history Villanova entered the Big Dance. Corrado also led the Wildcats to the NCAA Tournament in the other two appearances, for the first time in 2009 and then again in 2011.   Corrado was chosen to coach in the prestigious USILA North/South All-Star game in 2014, where he led the South squad to a convincing 16-10 victory over the North. Corrado returned as an assistant coach for the South squad in 2016.   Corrado has led a multitude of players to individual accolades since being appointed head coach as 21 student-athletes have earned USILA All-America honors, 12 have been selected for conference major honors and a total of 86 have been chosen for all-conference laurels. A total of 22 Wildcats whose head coach was Corrado have been drafted into the professional lacrosse leagues, and a total of 20 have been selected to play in the prestigious USILA Division I North/South Senior All-Star game. Also during his time as the head coach, 16 student-athletes have earned USILA Scholastic All-American honors, two have been awarded Villanova Senior Student-Athlete of the Year and six have picked up major conference academic accolades.    In his time at Villanova, Corrado has served in several capacities including mentoring the defense and serving as the recruiting coordinator. His expertise specifically lies with coordinating defensive efforts, and between 2003-05, the Wildcats scoring defense ranked first, fourth and seventh in the nation.   As a student-athlete, Corrado was a four-year starter on the defensive end at Villanova from 1984-1987. He was the team’s Rookie of the Year in `84 and named co-captain and Most Valuable Player in his senior season when he collected a team-high 93 ground balls. For his career, Corrado tallied four goals and five assists from the offensive end of the field. Upon graduation in 1987, Corrado served four years in the U.S. Navy where he was based out of Norfolk, Virginia. He is a veteran of the Persian Gulf War and retired as a Commander from the Naval Reserves. After his service, Corrado took up coaching and joined the VU staff as an assistant, then took a position at Conestoga High School before accepting a head coaching position with the Haverford High School varsity men’s lacrosse team and eventually returning to the Villanova sidelines.   Corrado received his Master’s degree in Education from Temple University in 2002. He and his wife Valerie live in Drexel Hill with their son Matthew.

Chris Miller returned to the Villanova sidelines for his ninth season at Villanova and his first as an associate head coach on Mike Corrado’s staff for the 2026 season. Miller serves as the defensive coordinator, joining the VU staff for the 2017-18 campaign. In his role coordinating the defense, Miller has directed one of the top units in the BIG EAST since coming to the Main Line with his squad regularly ranking in the top 20 in scoring defense. Miller has coached six defensive players to All-America status and three to the Tewaaraton watch list while 15 Wildcat defenders have been named to the All-BIG EAST first or second team under Miller's guidance. In 2024, he was selected as an assistant coach for the prestigious USILA Senior All-Star game after leading the Wildcats to the second-most caused turnovers in the nation. During his first season the Wildcats made the NCAA Tournament for the third time in program history, receiving an at-large bid, and the 'Cats have never missed a BIG EAST Tournament in his tenure.  Prior to Villanova, Miller served as assistant coach at the University of Vermont where he was the offensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator. During his year at UVM, the Catamounts were ninth in the NCAA in shot percentage and 18 players joined that year's recruiting class with Miller's efforts. Miller previously spent five years at Washington College as the Associate Head Coach where he helped the Shoreman win the 2014 Centennial Conference Championship. Miller also served stints as an assistant coach at Sacred Heart, Washington & Lee, Virginia Military Institute and his alma mater, Wesley College. A three-time All-Pennsylvania Athletic Conference first-team selection, Miller scored 144 career points at Wesley. He was named to the All-ECAC South second team in 2003 and his team's offensive Most Valuable Player in 2004 and served as a team captain in his senior year. In 2017, Miller was inducted into the Wesley College Athletics Hall of Fame. 

John “Woody” Derham is an assistant coach for Villanova men's lacrosse who started coaching at his alma mater in 2002 with the intention of participating for just one year, but more than 20 years later, there is no sign of stopping. A 1988 graduate of VU, Derham played alongside head coach Mike Corrado in the mid-1980s under then-head coach Randy Marks. When he returned to the program in 2002, he re-joined Corrado as an assistant under Marks for seven seasons. Derham has served in various capacities on staff over the years, functioning as director of lacrosse operations, alumni liason and a board director for the Varsity Club Hall of Fame in addition to his assistant coach duties. Woody's on-field role includes organization of the substitution box and coaching of the faceoff specialists, responsible for the development of seven of the top 10 in program history. Most recently, he coached Justin Coppola to Villanova records in faceoff wins and ground balls. Woody received his Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from Villanova's College of Commerce and Finance (now Villanova School of Business). In his senior year, Woody was elected as team captain and received the prestigious Jim Jones Award in 1988. Outside of Villanova, Derham has managed a career in banking and technology, currently operating two technology firms in the Philadelphia area. Derham has three children: Max, Margo and Gavin. Max (2018) and Gavin (2023) are Villanova men's lacrosse alumni and Margo is a 2020 graduate of Saint Joseph's.

Paul Mita serves as an assistant coach at his alma mater, joining the Villanova coaching staff as offensive coordinator in July of 2025. "I'm incredibly honored to return to Villanova and join the men's lacrosse coaching staff," Mita said. "This program holds a special place in my heart, and I'm excited to give back to a university and team that helped shape who I am. I look forward to working with Coach Corrado and the entire staff to help develop our student-athletes and contribute to a winning culture both on and off the field." Mita, a product of nearby Berwyn, Pa., was a four-year member of the men's lacrosse program during his collegiate career before graduating in 2013. The midfielder appeared in 25 games with one start in addition to six total points (four goals and two assists) and a trio of ground balls. "We're thrilled to have Paul return to Villanova and join our coaching staff," head coach Mike Corrado said. "Since his time here, he has achieved success at every level of coaching and we look forward to the experience and leadership he brings." Mita returned to the Main Line in the summer of 2025 after five seasons as the head coach at Arcadia University, leading the Knights to 49 victories, four winning seasons and a MAC Freedom title game appearance in 2022 during his time in Glenside. Prior to his stint as the head man at Arcadia, Mita functioned as the top assistant and recruiting coordinator for the shortened 2020 season at Division III Dickinson College. The Conestoga High graduate preceded his year with the Red Devils by capturing a national championship as an assistant at Cabrini to cap off three years with the Cavaliers, earning Region Coaching Staff of the Year in 2019. He's also spent time as an assistant in the Philadelphia area at Upper Merion High School, St. Joseph's Prep and Duke's Lacrosse Club. While at Villanova, Mita played on three nationally ranked teams and helped the program to its second NCAA Tournament appearance and a BIG EAST regular season title. Mita graduated from Villanova in 2013 with a degree in finance and a minor in marketing from the renowned Villanova School of Business, earning a BIG EAST Academic All-Star nod in 2012. He went on to complete a master's degree at Cabrini in 2019.

Brian Coughlin serves as the Director of Operations for the men's lacrosse team at Villanova.  Coughlin worked as a student manager during his collegiate years at Villanova, graduating with a degree in economics in 2014.