Joining our campus this fall, Mr. Gilbert will serve as the new Varsity Lacrosse head coach, taking the reins from Mr. Sullivan, who had led the program for 17 years.
Mr. Gilbert was exposed to lacrosse early, as his dad was a lacrosse coach at a boarding school: “In a lot of ways, I was born to be around lacrosse. Some of my best memories growing up are road trips with that lacrosse team.” He began playing more seriously in sixth grade, then progressed through high school into college, where he played at the University of Vermont for four years.
After UVM, he returned to Salisbury to coach for a year, then spent three seasons as head coach at Steamboat Springs High School in Colorado. There, he coached many athletes for whom lacrosse was not their main sport, a unique experience that reinforced his coaching philosophy: “As a coach, you just want guys who buy in. Guys who want to be part of a great culture; guys who want to be held accountable; guys who want to be the best at what they’re doing.”
Building on his coaching background, Mr. Gilbert credits much of his approach to the influential mentors he has played for and coached alongside. Drawing inspiration from figures like Tom Spinell at Salisbury and Brian Rogers in Steamboat Springs, he emphasizes player development, detailed practice planning, and the subtle details required to sustain a winning program. Above all, Mr. Gilbert believes that a team’s success hinges on its locker room dynamic. “Culture wins,” he explained, emphasizing that when athletes buy into shared values like tradition and excellence, they build the foundation for a truly special season.
Having grown up around New England lacrosse, he has long been familiar with Belmont Hill and the ISL. Mr. Gilbert says his focus is on preserving the culture that already exists: “One thing that I think really is true for me, what you want to maintain is tradition. The idea that it really means something when you put on a Belmont Hill jersey. … The first thing that jumps out to me is the tradition of excellence that the school and lacrosse program have had for a long time.”
Outside of coaching, Mr. Gilbert has joined the Admission Department and will serve as a Form IV advisor. He is excited to get to know the community, saying, “From my first day here till right now, the thing I’ve been most looking forward to is the people.” The Panel wishes Mr. Gilbert and the Varsity Lacrosse team the best of luck this upcoming season.
