Championsgate, Fla. -- Harford head men's lacrosse coach Aaron Verardi was named the 2024 Scott D. Livie Junior College Coach of the Year by the Intercollegiated Men's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IMLCA) and U.S. Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) at an award luncheon last Friday held at the Omni Orlando Resort at Championsgate.

The award is given annually to recognize the top junior college coach and is named in honor of Livie, a former lacrosse player, coach, and mentor from Maryland's Eastern Shore. It is the second consecutive year Verardi has won the award. 

"Thank you to the IMLCA. I am honored and humbled to receive the Scott Livie Award," Verardi said. "Coach Livie embodied the love of the game and the willingness to help young men be successful that I believe makes junior college coaching very special. I'm blessed to have amazing support from Harford Community College and to have an outstanding staff whose dedication and commitment to our [student-athletes] is amazing."

In 2023, Verardi led Harford to its first national lacrosse championship in school history. It was just the third time a Maryland school had won the title (CCBC Essex 2004, 1991 and Anne Arundel Community College 1998) and first in nearly 20 years.

Verardi guided the Fighting Owls last season to its second straight NJCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship. He is entering his 11th season at the helm and has compiled an 88-34 (.721) record. 

In his time at Harford, Verardi has groomed nearly 30 Fighting Owls to earn NJCAA All-America honors and more than 40 All Maryland Juco Athletic Conference and All NJCAA Region 20 recipients. 

Verardi took the reigns of the Fighting Owl's men's lacrosse program during the 2014-2015 academic year. After going 4-10 in his first season, Harford has finished no less than two games over .500 each season, including double digit victories in five seasons.