Sam Ashton is entering his sixth season as the head coach of the Storm men's lacrosse program in 2026 and his eighth overall. He previously served as an assistant coach from 2015-2016.
Ashton returned to northeast Ohio in 20after serving two years as the head coach for the University of Dallas. In 2018, he helped the Crusaders set a record for most wins in a season with a four-win improvement from the previous campaign.
Ashton was a member of the coaching staff as the offensive coordinator during Lake Erie's most successful seasons.
One of those was the 2015 campaign that saw the Storm go 15-3, obtain a No. 1 national ranking, and advance all the way to the semifinals before bowing out to defending and eventual national champion Limestone. The Storm also defeated eight nationally ranked teams that year, including a regular-season contest at Limestone. They also won their second consecutive ECAC championship.
During his playing career, Ashton was a four-time letter winner at Lenoir-Rhyne. In 2014 he became the program's first All-American after receiving an Honorable Mention selection. He finished as the Bears' all-time points leader with 145 points on 64 goals and 81 assists.
Ashton earned First-Team All-South Atlantic Conference honors in 2014 after receiving Second-Team All-Deep South Conference honors in 2013. He helped the Bears capture the 2014 SAC Regular Season Championship and earned All-Tournament team honors in the 2014 SAC Championships and the 2013 Deep South Conference Championships. Ashton helped Lenoir-Rhyne become the top offensive unit in Division-II in terms of points per game and shooting percentage.
