Men's Lacrosse announced today that head coach Derek de Lemos will depart the university after an illustrious 22-year tenure to accept a head coaching position at another institution for the 2027 season. Assistant coach Bradley Buchanan will also be departing the program to join de Lemos' new coaching staff.

Joining San Jose State in fall 2004 as the head coach of the newly re-founded program, Derek de Lemos leaves behind a profound legacy, having guided the Spartans through decades of competitive excellence, academic achievement, and community leadership. Under his leadership, the Spartans produced 7 MCLA All-Americans and 86 WCLL All-Conference athletes. San Jose State has been to the WCLL conference playoff in each of the past four seasons, reaching the championship game once.

A 2007 feature in The Spartan Daily noted that for de Lemos, "the team's passion for the sport is all the motivation he needs." Generations of Spartans know this sentiment to be true, as it defined the de Lemos era of San Jose State lacrosse.

Prior to his tenure in San Jose, de Lemos served as the head coach at Cal State Hayward (now Cal State East Bay) and as an assistant coach at UC Santa Barbara. A proud alumnus of UC Santa Barbara, de Lemos spent his collegiate playing years with the Gauchos and earned his B.A. in philosophy from the institution.

Assistant coach Bradley Buchanan, a San Jose State alumnus who played for the team between 2007 and 2010, joined the Spartan coaching staff for two stints from 2011 to 2014 and from 2017 onwards. Over his nine seasons on the sidelines, he served as a vital strategist and recruiter alongside de Lemos.

The men's lacrosse program will host a formal celebration of Coach Derek de Lemos' legacy for alumni, players, and fans at a later date. Details regarding the transition of program leadership will be released shortly.