Boys Lacrosse

don preston

Email: donald.preston@bedford.k12.va.us 

College: University of Utah

While this will be his 3rd year with the Cavalier’s, Coach Don brings over 17 years of experience at multiple levels, from youth to international competition.

Coach Don spent his childhood in Los Angeles, California, eventually moving to Sandy, Utah in 1990 where he picked up the game of lacrosse. The game was just being introduced and while Football and Track were fun, nothing compared to the excitement and speed of this game. He graduated from Alta High School in 1995, helping the Hawks to a 2nd place state finish in his senior year.

A founding member of the University of Utah “Utes” Club team in 1995, he spent 3 years there playing and helping to establish a strong core within the university that grew into a competitive club team and recently blossomed into the D1 program. Post-College, Coach Don moved to Seattle, WA where he played in the PNLA Club league first as a player, eventually as a player-coach.

Professional career growth eventually led him to Dublin, Ireland where he immediately met a small group of like-minded people with a passion for growing the game on Irish soil. Over the next 5 years, he helped to establish both Field and Box lacrosse in Ireland, which now boasts more than 10 committed University and club teams north and south of the border.  

Coach Don was selected for the Ireland National Men’s Indoor team in 2007, competing in their inaugural appearance at the World Indoor Championships in Nova Scotia. He was also selected to the 2008 Ireland National Men’s field team. He continues to work with the Irish Lacrosse Foundation and has been an Assistant Coach and Manager for the Men’s National Team for the past 4 years.

Before coming to JF, Coach Don was the Head Coach for Everett (Cascade-Jackson) HS in Everett, WA. A joint program of 3 separate schools (plus COVID) it was a major challenge to bring together. Thanks to passionate parent and community support, the team has become a major force within NW Washington. Prior to Everett, he was the Head Coach of Ballard HS and Assistant Coach at Roosevelt HS, both in the Seattle Metro league. At Ballard, the team went from an average 2-10 record to become a regular post-season contender known for their tenacity and creative play.

Outside of coaching HS, Coach Don continued to play competitively, backstopping the Everett Express IBLA box lacrosse team. Coach Don helmed the Time Bandits Elite summer travel team in 2019, racking up a record of 5-2 tournament championships across the west coast. He has worked with and run his own summer camps, focusing on underserved players and communities, as he is passionate about creating opportunity for every kid to experience the Creator’s Game. He resides in Forest, VA with his wife Brandy, daughter Josie and dog Toki. His son Jaidon lives in Washington and is a member of the UW Husky Marching Band.

Certifications:

US Lacrosse – Men’s Game, Level 3

NFHS Accredited Interscholastic Coach

NFHS Certified Interscholastic Coach

Spartan Race SGX Coach

SafeSport Certified Coach

Positive Coaching Alliance

USBOXLA Level 1 Coach