2026 Fall Check-In: Arizona State

(Photo by Jodi Vosika)

For our next Fall Check-In we head out west to Tempe to chat with Arizona State head coach Dave O'Neil.   Coach O' Neil and the Sun Devils are looking to bounce back after a 2026 season that included seven losses to ranked teams.

You can view our prior Fall Check-In pieces here:  Georgia, Tampa

MCLA:  Last year was your first year at Arizona State, how did coaching in the MCLA measure up to your expectations of what it would be?

 Dave O’Neil: From an expectations standpoint, the transition to coaching in the MCLA was pretty seamless for me. Having played at ASU, I think I have a unique perspective because I understand the history and culture of our program, while also knowing that ASU is a pretty fun place to go to school and there needs to be a balance there. I've also followed the MCLA closely since I graduated in 2009 and have maintained relationships with a number of former and current coaches across the league, so I felt like I had a pretty good understanding of the landscape and what to expect.

The biggest adjustment for me has been finding the right balance between wanting to operate as much like a varsity program as possible while still making sure our guys get to have a complete college experience. We have high expectations for how we practice, compete, and represent the program, but I also understand that lacrosse isn't the only part of their experience at ASU and I think that's what makes the MCLA great. 

There were definitely some growing pains last year in establishing that balance and getting everyone aligned with the expectations we have for the program. I think we're in a much better place now. The expectations are clear, and more importantly, we have a roster full of guys who are bought into them. We're also seeing a lot more accountability within the team itself rather than everything having to come from the coaching staff.

 MCLA: You all lost eight games with seven of them being to ranked teams, what are you all focusing on to turn those games into wins in 2027?

 D.O.: The biggest focus heading into the upcoming year has been around improving our depth and competition on the roster. When you look back at those games, at halftime in seven of our eight losses, we either had the lead, were tied, or were within two goals. That showed us we were talented enough to compete with the majority of the teams in the top 20. 

Where we struggled was finishing those games. We didn't have the depth we needed to consistently play at that level for four quarters, and as the season went on, that became even more apparent. I didn't do a good enough job developing the bottom half of our roster to get more guys on the field to help us out in those games. 

We've addressed that pretty aggressively. We brought in a 23-man recruiting class, added four more players through our walk-on tryout, and brought in two significant transfers, with another one or two potentially joining us in January. Our roster went from 36 to 53, so the emphasis now is on developing the entire roster and getting more guys ready to contribute. We know we can compete with those teams again, now it's about having the depth and consistency to turn the close games into wins.

 MCLA: Your team averaged 11 goals per game in 2026 after graduating a loaded senior class in 2025; what do you think will be different this season with a more experienced team?

D.O.: Experience is probably the biggest difference for us. Last season, the majority of our roster was stepping into a starting or significant contributing role for the first time and a lot of guys were figuring out what it takes to play at this level. Those guys had to learn on the fly against a difficult schedule.  Now they've had a full season of those experiences, both good and bad. I'm really excited about what that experience can do for us this year, especially when you pair it with the talent we've added.

Offensively, we're going to have significantly more options. Last season, between injuries and where we were as a roster, there were probably only eight or nine guys I consistently felt comfortable putting on the field in meaningful situations. Right now, I could probably give you 23 or 24 offensive players who I think are capable of helping us.  If you asked me today what our starting six or even our second midfield will look like, I'd have a difficult time giving you an answer—and I think that's a great problem to have. We should be able to play more guys and create different line combinations based on matchups we like. I'd like to see that 11 goals per game number we averaged last year get closer to 15 this season.

Defensively, replacing two All-Americans is obviously going to be a challenge, but from top to bottom I think we're more athletic than we were a year ago. We've improved significantly through the middle of the field which should allow us to play faster and give us more flexibility defensively. Down low, there are opportunities for some guys to step into bigger roles, and I'm looking forward to seeing who emerges.

 MCLA: What are the schedule highlights?  Any big trips?

 D.O.: I think almost the entire schedule is a highlight. This is the first year I got to make the full slate, I'm always going to try to put together the most challenging schedule possible because ultimately we want to measure ourselves against the best teams in the country and make sure we're prepared for the postseason.

Out of conference, we're hosting Florida State, Virginia Tech, Northeastern, Colorado State, Colorado, Georgia Tech, and Oregon. In March, we'll head to Utah for a big road trip against BYU and Utah Valley.

When you look at the schedule as a whole, 8 of our 15 games are against teams that made the MCLA Tournament, including all of the teams that made the Final 4.  It's going to be a great opportunity for us to see where we stack up.

 MCLA: How is Fall Ball going?  Any impact newcomers or returners looking primed to take a leap?

 D.O.: Fall Ball has gotten off to a great start. We're in our third full week now, practicing and lifting twice a week, and I've really liked the energy and tempo of our practices. There were a lot of things I wanted to incorporate last year that we simply couldn't because of the limitations of our roster. This fall, we've been able to do a lot more, and I can't wait to see how that translates when we have our first intrasquad scrimmage in October.

We've told the guys from day one that the depth chart is wide open, and I think they've taken that to heart. Our captains and leadership group have done a great job of setting the tone and holding guys accountable, and that's helped create a really fun environment for both the players and coaching staff.

As far as newcomers, our two transfers and another player returning to the program after a year away have immediately raised the talent level of the roster. We also have 27 freshmen who have been pushing the older guys. It's still really early, so I don't want to get too far ahead of myself by throwing out specific names, but I would expect more than half of the freshman class to contribute in some capacity by the end of the spring.

That's probably what I'm most excited about right now—there are a lot of guys making a case for themselves, and we're going to have some difficult decisions to make before the season starts.

Thank to Coach O'Neil for taking the time to answer some questions!

Coaches, if you'd like for your program to be featured in our Fall Check-In series reach out to info@mcla.us