David Olliver
David Olliver
Bio

The Cobras posted six wins under Olliver during the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season, and also recieved votes in the USILA Division II national poll. Olliver coached Joe Venazio to a pair of South Atlantic Conference Offensive Player of the Week honors (Feb. 3 and Feb. 24), before Venazio was named to the USILA D2 Team of the Week on Feb. 25. Under Olliver's guidance, Venazio recorded his 100th career point on Mar. 5 at Montevallo, before Ethan Irizarry became the second player during the season to hit the century mark against No. 12 Queens. Academically, Men's Lacrosse posted a 3.21 team GPA for the year and landed nine players on the 2019-20 SAC Commissioner's Honor Roll. 

Olliver led the Cobras to five wins in 2019, two in South Atlantic Conference play. Olliver coached Joe Venazio to a South Atlantic Conference Offensive Player of the Week honor on Feb. 11, before Chris Hagy earned Defensive Player of the Week honors on Mar. 11. At the conclusion of the season, Ethan Irizarry was named to the All-Conference Second Team.

Coach Olliver led the Navy and Gold to nearly double their win total between 2017 and 2018, improving from four to seven victories in just one season. The Cobras picked up South Atlantic Conference victories over Newberry, Mars Hill, and Tusculum to propel them back to the South Atlantic Conference Championship Quarterfinals. Olliver layed the framework for the future of Coker men's lacrosse with an impressive recruiting season that included talented freshmen Ethan Irizarry (ranked seventh in goals in the South Atlantic Conference), Matt Murphy, and Chris Hagy (South Atlantic Conference Defensive Player of the Week (3/26/18)), along with eight other freshmen that made their significant impacts during the 2017-18 season.

The Cobras won five games in the 2016 season, including a 4-4 mark in South Atlantic Conference play. For the third-consecutive season, he led the Navy and Gold to the SAC Championship Tournament. Mike Martiello, Josh Smith and Shane Wilson were all named to the preseason All-SAC team, while Martiello, Smith, Wilson and Patrick Timothee were named to the regular season All-SAC team. 

2015 was a historic season for coach Olliver and the Coker men's lacrosse team. The Cobras won a program-high nine games, seven of which came in South Atlantic Conference play. The season was capped off by the Cobras winning a share of the SAC regular season title and advancing to the SAC tournament semifinals. Olliver was named SAC coach of the year and had five players named to the All-SAC team. Senior Dylan Marks was named SAC men's lacrosse Scholar Athlete of the Year and the Capital One Academic All-District At-Large team.

In his first full-season as head coach Olliver, the 2014 Coker men’s lacrosse team broke a number of records. The team won a program record six games, four of which came in the highly competitive SAC, and broke a combined eight single-game and single-season team records. Along with the team’s success, the quintet of Andy Campos, Ryan Maurer, Tim Ryan, Mike Martiello and Shane Wilson all combined to tie or break seven single-game and single-season individual records. The Navy and Yellow’s season was highlighted by a late season two-game winning streak that helped secure the No. 4 seed in the inaugural Food Lion SAC Men’s Lacrosse Championship.

Four Cobras were tabbed as all-conference selections. Leading the way was sophomore Mike Martiello, who was named a second-team selection, while junior Dylan Marks and seniors Ryan Maurer and Andy Campos were all named honorable mentions.

A mid-season replacement, Olliver took over on March 8 and the Cobras went 4-4 after his arrival, finishing the season 5-10 overall. Midfielder Keith LaClair earned second team all-confernece honors.

David Olliver joined the Cobra staff in the spring of 2013 as the Head Men's Lacrosse Coach.

Olliver came from Wingate University, where he had been an assistant coach since December 2008.

Olliver played four years for the Wingate Bulldogs, anchoring one of the top defenses in the conference. He won the John R. Dodd Coaches Award during his senior year. Olliver holds a bachelor's degree in parks and recreation administration from Wingate.