Castleton

Spartans

McDougall is in his 10th season as Castleton's head men's lacrosse coach in 2020-21.

He guided his team to seven consecutive first or second-place finishes in the North Atlantic Conference prior to Castleton's move to the Little East Conference in 2019. McDougall's programs went an impressive 50-4 in NAC regular-season play over those seven seasons, culminating in two NAC Championships.

In Castleton's inaugural season in the LEC in 2019, the Spartans went 5-12 overall and 2-6 in league play. The 2020 season came to a halt prior to the opening of LEC action due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Castleton posted a 10-8 overall record in 2018, including victories over future conference rivals Southern Maine (15-7) and Plymouth State (8-6). The Spartans went 6-1 in NAC play to finish second in the league standings and once again advanced to the NAC Tournament championship match. 

The Spartans posted a 10-9 overall record in 2017, finishing second in the NAC regular season standings at 6-1. Six players received All-Conference recognition after the season, and Louis Alhage received the Castleton Male Coaches Award, plus he was selected to participate in the NEILA East-West Senior All-Star Game. 

In 2016, he led his charges to an 11-7 mark, including non-conference wins over Plymouth State and Mount Ida. Castleton went 7-1 in North Atlantic Conference play and advanced to the NAC Title game before falling to New England College. Five players earned First-Team All-Conference honors, while the team also had the NAC Men’s Lacrosse Senior Scholar Athlete of the Year.

In 2015, McDougall led Castleton to its third consecutive perfect record in conference play and extended the program's regular season conference winning streak to 26 games. The Spartans won the NAC Championship and fell to Amherst in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to conclude the year with a 13-6 mark. McDougall coached Zach Davidson to his third straight NAC Player of the Year honor while helping him finish third all-time in NCAA Division III history with 400 points. 

During the 2014 season, McDougall led the Spartans to their second straight unblemished mark within the North Atlantic Conference during the regulation season, going 8-0. The team advanced to the NAC Title game before falling and finishing its season at 12-6. McDougall once again had the NAC Player and Defensive Player of the Year. The squad also finished the year ranked in the top-20 nationally in ground balls, man-down defensive, face-off win percentage and caused turnovers.

In 2013 McDougall led the Spartans to one of the best seasons in program history. Castleton went 15-4, capped off by the program's third North Atlantic Conference Championship and trip to the NCAA National Tournament. He was named the NAC Coach of the Year as he had five players named first-team all-conference and swept all the major awards including Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year and the Team Sportsmanship Award. In addition to having four different players surpass 100 career goals the team ranked among the top-10 nationally in scoring, assists, ground balls, caused turnovers and scoring margin.

In McDougall’s first season at the helm, the Spartans posted an 11-9 record, finished 7-1 in the North Atlantic Conference and was named NAC Coach of the Year. Castleton advanced to the NAC Championship but fell to New England College. The Spartans qualified as the two seed in the ECAC New England lacrosse tournament, but fell to University of New England in the semifinals. Four players earned first-team all-conference honors, including the NAC Defender of the Year Adam Farmer and NAC Rookie of the Year Zach Davidson.

A 2006 graduate of Saint Lawrence University where he lettered in both football and lacrosse, McDougall spent 2011 as an assistant coach with the football and men’s lacrosse teams at Eastern Collegiate Football Conference (ECFC) foe and in-state rival Norwich University. While at Norwich McDougall was responsible for coaching the outside linebackers with the football program, while serving as the defensive coordinator for the men’s lacrosse team.

In 2011 the Norwich lacrosse defense ranked 13th in the nation in scoring defense, while leading the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) at 6.85 goals per game, finishing third in the GNAC standings at 9-5, 6-2.

Prior to his stint at Norwich, McDougall spent two seasons at Saint Lawrence as a Graduate Assistant with the Saints football team. While there he received his Masters in Education Leadership and coached the team’s inside linebackers. Before that he spent two seasons at Norwich coaching the tight ends on the football team, and serving as the defensive coordinator with the lacrosse team.

McDougall currently resides in Rutland, Vt., with his wife Katie and their daughter Eleanor.