Paul Wehrum, a 1999 inductee into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame, finished his 13th and final season as head coach of the Union College men's lacrosse team in 2019.
Wehrum owns a career mark of 138-74 (.651) in his 13 seasons at Union. His 138 wins are the most of any coach in Union's long varsity history, and his .651 winning percentage is the highest in school history for a coach with more than one season at the helm. Individually, he has coached 18 All-Americans, 16 Scholar All-Americans, one national Goalie of the Year, 84 All-Conference honorees and 142 All-Academic Team selections among the more than 200 student-athletes to play under his watch.
Joining Union in 2007 as the first full-time coach in the program's long and storied history, Wehrum led the team to the only five NCAA Tournament appearances in school history, winning the program's first Liberty League Tournament title in 2011 to earn its first NCAA berth. The six highest single-season win totals in program annals have come under his watch, including a school-record 15 wins and an NCAA quarterfinal berth during the 2014 campaign.
Appropriately, Wehrum ended his coaching career with one of his best teams, as the Dutchmen surprised many on the way to a 14-4 record, a top-10 national ranking, and a berth in the third round of the NCAA Tournament in 2019. The team, which was picked to finish fifth in the Liberty League preseason poll, started the season with 12 wins in its first 13 games and finished with the second-highest win total in school history. Wehrum's work was recognized with conference Coaching Staff of the Year honors, neatly bookending his tenure with the honor in both his second and 13th seasons. He and his staff were later named IMLCA Div. III National Coaching Staff of the Year.
In 2015, Wehrum's team posted a 14-5 mark and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournamet, losing to top-ranked RIT in the closing minute. The Garnet also recorded their first win against SUNY Cortland in 49 years. In addition, Wehrum recorded his 500th collegiate men's win (which included 403 wins at Herkimer CC).
In 2014, Wehrum directed Union to a school-record 15 wins – the most in the program's 73 varsity seasons. The team received an at-large berth in the NCAA Division III Championship, and recorded a first round victory over New England College and a second round triumph of Amherst. The Dutchmen won a school-record 10 straight games and reached the Liberty League Championship Game for the third time in four years. The "U" spent eight weeks in the national rankings, rising as high as seventh. The team finished ninth in the final USILA Poll, placing the Dutchmen in the top four percentile among the 205 Division III lacrosse teams in the country. Wehrum led Union to a perfect home record (9-0) and four wins over nationally-ranked teams.
The Dutchmen lacrosse program has accomplished many program "firsts" during Wehrum's time in the Electric City. In 2011, the team earned its first NCAA Division III Tournament berth (in the 31-year history of the event) on the heels of winning the Liberty League Tournament for the first time. In 2012, Union reached the NCAA Quarterfinals for the first time after hosting its inaugural NCAA home games at Frank Bailey Field. In just his second year at Union (2008), Wehrum helped the Dutchmen to their first Liberty League postseason berth and the program's first appearance in the conference championship game.
Wehrum came to Union from Herkimer Community College, where he coached eight national championship teams (2003, 1996, 1995, 1994, 1993, 1992, 1989, 1988), including five in a row (1992-96). In 24 seasons (1980-2003), Wehrum guided the Generals to a 403-62 record and to 21 consecutive National Junior Collegiate Athletic Association Region III Championships. At one point, the Generals won 59 consecutive games. Wehrum, a four-time NJCAA Coach of the Year recipient (1994, 1992, 1986, 1985), has the Herkimer lacrosse stadium named in his honor.
Wehrum also started the women's lacrosse program at Herkimer, serving as head coach for three seasons (2004-06).
A graduate of SUNY Cortland, Wehrum was a three-time All-American attackman and earned All-SUNYAC First Team honors in 1970-72. He captained the North team in the 1972 North-South All-Star Game. Wehrum earned a master’s degree in health and physical education from SUNY Cortland while serving as an assistant coach to the Red Dragons’ 1973 Division III NCAA Championship team.
Wehrum was an assistant coach for the U.S. National Team which won the 1998 World Lacrosse Championship. He was inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1999 and into the Adirondack Chapter in 2015. Paul is also a member of the Long Island Lacrosse Hall of Fame, the Upstate New York Lacrosse Hall of Fame, the SUNY Cortland Hall of Fame and the Herkimer Community College Hall of Fame.
Wehrum also served as a full professor of health and physical education at HCCC and enhances the wellness program at Union by assuming additional responsibilities as assistant recreation and wellness director of the Breazzano Fitness Center, the college’s multi-million dollar state-of-the-art fitness venue.
Wehrum and his wife, Christine, have two grown children, Brett and Lyndsay.
