Long-time Assistant Kienle Spearheading Rollins’ Rise in First Year as Head Coach

It might be a surprise to some lacrosse fans to know that Rollins College has the oldest women’s lacrosse program in the state of Florida. The Tars played their first game as a varsity program in 2008, with Dennis Short serving as the program’s head coach and Tom Kienle as his assistant.

In a rare display of stability in today’s college sports landscape, Short and Kienle spent the next 18 years together in those same roles, working together to lead the Tars to 15 winning seasons and seven NCAA tournament berths.

In recognition for his contributions, Kienle was nationally recognized as the IWLCA’s Division II assistant coach of the year twice, in 2010 and 2012.

When Short announced his retirement at the end of the 2025 season, stepping away after 204 wins over 18 years, Rollins did the most logical thing any school could do. They simply promoted the man who had been right there at Short’s side for every one of those victories.

"Tom has been an integral part of the success of our program,” vice president of athletics Pennie Parker said, “and I know Rollins lacrosse is in good hands moving forward. Under TK’s guidance, we will continue to thrive."

With a 7-1 start in his first season as the man in charge, Kienle certainly appears to be justifying Rollins’ decision to hand him the reins. The Tars are ranked 14th in this week’s USA Lacrosse Top 20.

Kienle wasted no time in collecting his first career victory as head coach, although it did require some extra effort, as Rollins posted a 16-15 double-overtime victory over Florida Tech in the season opener on Feb. 7. The Tars survived two Panther shot attempts in extra time before netting the winner on their first overtime shot.

“It was exciting, that’s for sure,” Kienle said. “But for me, every game is exciting.”

Despite trying to treat his first game as a college head coach as just another game, Kienle admitted that he did get a bit emotional afterward when he realized how many former players and friends were on hand that evening to show their support.

“The amount of people that came out to support me was crazy, and I didn’t even notice it until after the fact,” Kienle said. “It brought me to tears after the game that so many people cared that I was getting my opportunity. It was a pretty neat experience.”

As a Long Island native who moved south after completing his college career at Ohio State, Kienle, 56, has spent most of his life connected to the game as a player or a coach. He started the varsity boys’ lacrosse program at Lake Howell High School in the Orlando suburbs in 1993, and then, four years later, he started the girls’ varsity program.  

For the next 12 years, Kienle’s teams won multiple district and conference championships, while many of his players received All-American honors and continued their lacrosse careers at the collegiate level.

That experience, and his many years on the sidelines with Short at Rollins, prepared him well for his new role.

“I give all the credit in the world to Dennis because from day one, he treated me like another head coach,” Kienle said. “We shared a lot of the responsibilities, and he included me on just about every decision along the way. We’re very good friends and I still talk to him two or three times every week.”

Kienle said that the adjustments he has made in the program, thus far, have been minimal. The primary tweaks have been personal, including the fact that he now has a broader perspective during games.

As defensive coordinator for many years, his focus was mainly at one end of the field. That’s not a luxury he has anymore.

“I haven’t changed the way I approach the game, but I do now have to stay aware of everything that’s going on, not just the defense,” he said. “As the assistant coach, I could be a little more emotional and animated. I’m learning that as the head guy, I have to stay a little more even keeled and not be so up and down, emotionally, with every call and every turnover.”

Rollins’ only loss through the first five weeks was at No. 12 Saint Leo. The Tars will have a chance to avenge that loss in a second meeting against their conference rival later this month. But first, Rollins has two more non-conference games remaining before beginning the gauntlet of league games.

Six of their last seven opponents — all Sunshine State Conference foes — are currently ranked in the USA Lacrosse Top 20.

“The level of play in our conference is phenomenal, and it’s a bit of an uphill battle here because we don’t have any lacrosse scholarships,” Kienle said. “We’re not making excuses, but there are other schools that are funded a little better than we are.”

None of that diminishes Kienle’s enthusiasm for the game or his love for Rollins. In fact, he has been connected to the school as both a coach and a parent. Both of his daughters played for the Tars, and his son is currently a junior on the men’s team. His oldest daughter, Taylor, has now joined him as one of the team’s assistant coaches.

“I love the players that we have here, and I just love coming to practice every day because these kids make my job so easy,” Kienle said. “We have a great culture here, and getting the chance to work with these girls every single day is amazing. It’s the best job in the world.”