GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The University of Florida men’s lacrosse team has finalized its fall schedule for 2016. The slate includes in-state road trips to Brevard County, Fort Myers and Tallahassee to play Central Florida, Florida Gulf Coast and Florida State, respectively.

Dates for the match-ups are as follows:

• Oct. 7 vs. UF Alumni (Gainesville)
• Oct. 22 vs. UCF (Brevard County for the Space Coast Gator Club’s First Annual “Lacrosse on the Space Coast” Event)
• Nov. 5 at FGCU (Ft. Myers)
• Nov. 18 at FSU (Tallahassee)

The Gators plan to use these tests against strong opponents to prepare for a tough 2017 spring schedule under new team leadership. The new staff includes Garrett Hanrahan (head coach/offensive coordinator) and Tom Rayburn (assistant coach/defensive coordinator). Hanrahan and Rayburn take over for Alex Breslin and Jake McVeagh, who did a fantastic job of seeing the team through a transitional period last season following the retirement of long-time coach and Gator lacrosse legend Ryan Winters.

Hanrahan was hired by the team in May after a year spent as defensive coordinator at Merritt Island High School in Merritt Island, Fla. Prior to that, Hanrahan enjoyed a 13-year playing career dating back to his youth in Virginia, which culminated in four seasons playing midfield for UF. Hanrahan was elected team captain during his senior season and ultimately graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering in 2015.

Rayburn was added to the staff in shortly after the hiring of Hanrahan. Rayburn coached youth sports at all levels for over 20 years and coached lacrosse for over 10 years, including a tenure at West Springfield High School in Springfield, Va. In addition to working with UF, he is the defensive coordinator at Eastside High School in Gainesville. Coach Rayburn is a 1985 UF grad, where he majored in Criminal Justice and earned a commission in the US Army through the UF ROTC program. A career Army Officer, he spent over 26 years on active duty, primarily as an Operations and Training Officer. He retired with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He is a veteran of Operation Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom.