Steve Manitta was named the school's first head men's lacrosse coach in October of 2008.

Manitta will take the reigns and spend the remainder of 2008-09 recruiting and laying the groundwork for the team.  The Mavericks will begin competition in 2009-10 in the East Coast Conference (ECC), traditionally one of the strongest NCAA Division II conferences in the nation.

Manitta served as the head boys lacrosse coach at Chatham High School (NJ) from 2001-08. He was the winningest coach in program history, compiling a 115-47 record. During his tenure he coached five All-American players, including 2008 New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Player of the Year Peter Coleman. In his first season, he produced the first state-ranked team in school history and reached No. 7 in the state in 2006. 

In 2002, Manitta guided his team to an appearance in the quarterfinals of the New Jersey State Championships. He was rewarded with Waterman Division Coach of the Year honors while also being tabbed Coach of the Year by the Star Ledger and the Daily Record.

Manitta notched his 100th career win in 2005. He went on to lead Chatham High School to back-to-back Iron Hills Conference titles in 2007 and 2008, earning NJSIAA Coach of the Year honors in 2007 followed by New Jersey Interscholastic Lacrosse Association (NJILCA) and Fitch Division Coach of the Year honors in 2008. He also recorded his 100th win with the Cougars and guided the team to a No. 4 ranking in the state. Manitta was selected to coach the Gill Gibbs Senior All-Star Game twice (2002, 2008).

Manitta also brings a wealth of experience with U.S. Lacrosse and International Lacrosse, coaching since 1998. During his tenure he has created rosters of elite players from northwest New Jersey.  Manitta has coached numerous all-stars from Morris County and directed the squad to 11 straight Garden State Challenge Games championships.

Prior to his time at Chatham High School, Manitta was the head coach at Roxbury High School in Succasunna, NJ from 1993-2000.  He built the program into a state tournament participant in his third year and made yearly appearances in the Morris County Tournament.

A native of Fulton, NY, Manitta played at S.U.N.Y Morrisville, earning All-Region honors as a midfielder in 1989. He went on to earn a bachelor's degree in business management from Nyack College.  He and his wife Kimberly, a teacher in the Somerset Hills School District, have two children - Teddy (4) and Colin (2).

Prospective student-athletes interested in men's lacrosse at Mercy can contact coach Manitta at 914-610-8921 or smanitta@mercy.edu. 

Jordan Levine was named Assistant Men's Lacrosse Coach and Assistant to the Athletics Director in the fall of 2008.

Levine assists with the day-to-day operations of the men's lacrosse program and coordinates recruiting with Head Coach Steve Manitta in preparation for the inaugural season in 2009-10.  He will also serve as the liaison between Athletics and the College's admissions department, while managing the recruitment outreach program for all of Mercy College's NCAA Division II sports.

Levine was a first round draft pick to the New Jersey Pride of Major League Lacrosse (MLL) in 2008. The MLL is the world's premier outdoor lacrosse league with 10 teams in seven states and Washington, D.C., playing in two divisions. In his rookie season he registered 14 points on five goals and nine assists from his midfield position.

Prior to beginning his professional career, Levine was a standout at the University of Albany where he was named to the 2006, 2007 and 2008 America East All-Conference First Team. He helped his team to a NCAA Division I tournament appearance in 2005 and again in 2007 where the Great Danes upended perennial power Loyola (Md.) in the first round. 

Levine was named to the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) All-American Second Team as a junior and capped his collegiate career by earning USILA All-America Honorable Mention accolades as a senior. He finished his career with 57 goals, 56 assists and 321 ground balls.  His assist total ranks eighth on the school's all-time list. 

Levine also has a strong background as a lacrosse coach. He is the co-founder of All Island Lacrosse Camp. Levine provides leadership for the camp and is entrusted with teaching and mentoring youth lacrosse players from ages 8-to-18. He also worked as a coach at Top Dog Lacrosse Camp, where he was responsible for coordinating, scheduling and teaching lacrosse fundamentals.

Levine graduated from the University of Albany in 2008, earning a Bachelor's degree in History with a minor in English.

No stranger to Head Coach Steve Manitta, John Hague both played for and coached with Coach Manitta for the Chatham Cougars.

Hague played three seasons on defense for Widener (Pa.) University, advancing to the NCAA Tournament in 2005 and 2006. The 2006 team earned the school's first Tournament win, advancing to the second round.

Returning to New Jersey, he then coached at Chatham High, serving as the defensive coordinator for three seasons, including appearances in the N.J. state championship games in 2008 and 2009.

A keen evaluator of talent, Hague helped select and coached the 2010 New Jersey Under Armour Underclassmen All-America team.

He graduated from Seton Hall University in 2007 with a B.A. in Business Management.

Matt Nealis joined the Mercy College men's lacrosse staff for the 2011 season, and will serve as an assistant coach under Steve Manitta. The two know each other well, as Nealis played lacrosse for Manitta at Chatham  (N.J.) High School for three seasons.

A four-year member of the Mount St. Mary men’s lacrosse team, Nealis helped the Mountaineers capture the 2010 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference title, its first since 2003.  The Chatham, N.J. native was named First Team All-MAAC at defense in 2009 and 2010, as well as Second Team All Northeast Conference in 2010. Additionally, he was selected to participate in the 2010 USILA North-South All-Star game.

A business major with a concentration in marketing, Nealis graduated from Mount St. Mary in 2010.