BRISTOL, R.I. — Roger Williams University has named Kyle Hart its next head men's lacrosse coach.
Hart takes the reigns of the Hawks after a four-year tenure under Kevin Gould, who left the position to take over the head coach position at his alma mater Bentley. Hart becomes the 10th head coach in program history, bringing 19 years of collegiate coaching experience to Roger Williams, including 16 seasons as an NCAA Division III head coach at Wheaton College and Augustana College.
"We are thrilled to welcome Coach Kyle Hart to the Hawk family," said Associate Director of Athletics Mike Gallagher. "His impressive coaching experience, passion for the game, and commitment to student-athlete success make him an outstanding addition to our department. We are excited for the future of RWU Men's Lacrosse and confident the program will continue to build on it's strong foundation under Coach Hart's leadership."
Hart spent the past 11 seasons as the head coach at Wheaton, becoming the winningest coach in program history with 73 victories. He guided the Lyons to winning records in three of his final five seasons and at least nine victories in 2022, 2024 and 2026.
Wheaton opened the 2026 season with a 9-2 record, matching the best start through 11 games in program history. The Lyons allowed 145 goals over 15 contests, ranking third in the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference, and held nine opponents to nine goals or fewer.
In 2024, Hart led fourth-seeded Wheaton to the first NEWMAC Championship Tournament victory in program history. Following the season, Jacob Wharton became Wheaton's first United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association Scholar All-American since 2007.
Hart also directed the Lyons to a 10-5 record in 2022, matching the program's highest win total since 2015. Wheaton won its first seven games to establish the best start in program history.
The Lyons ranked ninth nationally in clearing percentage, 12th in man-down defense and 22nd in fewest turnovers per game that season. Hart also coached Wheaton's first USILA Senior All-Star Game selection since 2004.
"I am incredibly grateful and excited for the opportunity to serve as the next head men's lacrosse coach at Roger Williams University," spoke Hart. " I want to thank Vice President Vialiano Figueroa, Mike Gallagher, and the entire search committee for their confidence in me and my family. Roger Williams is a special place with outstanding academics, a beautiful campus, and offers a terrific student-athletes experience. I'm looking forward to building stong relationship with our student-athletes, alumni, and the entire RWU community as we work together to compete for championships and continue to build upon the strong tradition of Roger Williams men's lacrosse."
Before joining Wheaton, Hart served as the inaugural head coach at Augustana from 2010-15. He built the Vikings' NCAA Division III program from the ground up and compiled a 42-24 record over four competitive seasons.
Hart guided Augustana to a program-record 14 victories, the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Tournament championship and the program's first NCAA Tournament appearance in 2015. The Vikings went 4-1 during their inaugural season of CCIW competition after posting a combined 14-6 Midwest Lacrosse Conference record over the previous two seasons.
Hart began his coaching career as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at his alma mater, Muhlenberg College, from 2007-10. During his tenure, the Mules made their first Centennial Conference postseason appearance, produced the first USILA All-American in program history and earned the program's first victory over a nationally ranked opponent.
A Long Island, N.Y., native, Hart was a two-time All-Centennial Conference selection and the first all-conference honoree in Muhlenberg program history. He served as a team captain during his junior and senior seasons and received the Arthur Taylor Award as the program's most valuable player in 2007.
Hart graduated from Muhlenberg in 2007 with a Bachelor of Arts in international studies, with concentrations in global trade and international business.
Hart has also organized youth clinics, clothing drives and community service initiatives throughout his coaching career. He partnered with Team IMPACT to welcome children facing medical challenges into the Wheaton program and helped lead a Headstrong Mustache Madness campaign that raised $15,000 for families affected by cancer in 2025.
