COLUMBIA, Mo. - The University of Missouri men’s lacrosse team announced Friday that Nick Anagnostis will be the program’s head coach for the 2016-17 academic year.

Anagnostis replaces Clayton Melrose, who announced prior to the 2016 season his intent to leave the program due to a job relocation in St. Louis.

“I’m honored to be taking the reigns of the lacrosse program at such a prestigious university,” Anagnostis said. “The future is bright at Mizzou and I’m excited to be apart of it.”

Anagnostis has an extensive coaching background, spending his entire career as a coach in the Southeast. In 2010, he was the runner-up for assistant coach of the year in Northern Florida after helping coach a team to the Elite Eight and winning a district championship after the team went 0-13 two seasons prior.

This past season, he worked with Myers Park High School in Charlotte under former MLL player and University of Texas head coach Brian Myers. As head coach of the JV team, he lead his team to an undefeated season, going 11-0-2.

“We’re really excited to bring in Coach Anagnostis to the Mizzou lacrosse program,” team President Kevin Boyle said. “He has a great coaching background, has been successful every place he has coached and has worked with some of the best coaches in the MCLA.”

Anagnostis also has experience coaching at the post-collegiate level, coaching a team in Tallahassee and also coached youth programs alongside former Florida State Head Men’s Lacrosse Coach Bill Harkins, one of the most-successful coaches in MCLA history.

Anagnostis will take over the Tigers program at the start of fall camp as the team looks to win the GRLC West title for the second time in four years.