PHOENIX -- The Grand Canyon men’s lacrosse program has officially rounded out its coaching staff for the 2019 season with a familiar face.

Remo Montalbano, who previously served as an assistant coach from 2013-15, will return to the Lopes’ bench as the new faceoff specialist coach and goaltending coach. He will be replacing Cody Petillo, who has moved on after graduating with his Master of Business Administration degree at GCU.

Montalbano returns after three years as program director and head lacrosse coach at Corona Del Sol High School in Tempe, helping to revive the youth program at the school.

“I used to coach here, I still currently work here, so I’m excited to get back to coaching college kids where all of them are 100 percent bought in and want to learn all the time,” Montalbano said. “I’ve remained in close contact with (Lopes’ head coach) Manny [Rapkin] and (Lopes’ assistant) Coach [Jeff] Guy and I see them both as mentors, so I’m excited to get back to coaching with those guys and learning from them.”

In his previous stint with the Lopes, Montalbano served the positions he will again, and helped lead the Lopes to their first national title in 2015.

Before coaching, Montalbano played college lacrosse at NCAA Division II Dominican College in Orangeburg, New York from 2007 to 2010, serving as a three-year team captain and four-year starter. There, he played his final two seasons under Rapkin, who served as head coach of the Chargers in 2009 and 2010. In his senior season, Montalbano posted career highs in goals (27), assists (13) and points (40), ultimately becoming one of just seven Chargers’ lacrosse players all-time with 100 points, finishing his career with 108.

Montalbano also served one year as an assistant coach at Dominican before moving out west to GCU.

“[Remo] is a great coach,” Rapkin said. “He is dedicated to developing good lacrosse players, and is a motivated winner. We’re happy to have him back on the staff.”