James Fritz has a reputation as one of the most experienced and productive NCAA Division II Men’s Lacrosse coaches in the Southeast. He has amassed a record of 197 wins in his 24-year coaching career and is currently in the top-10 among active coaches in Division II in both overall wins and winning percentage. He also holds both the record for wins in the Deep South Conference with 41, and the school record for wins at Pfeiffer University. While at Pfeiffer, he had the Falcons nationally ranked for nine straight years.
During his career, Fritz has started three programs and helped rebuild the reputation of another. Over the last 24 years, he has won seven conference hampionships, produced 33 all-Americans, six academic all-Americans, 99 all-conference selections, four NCAA record holders, three world team players, 11 North-South selections, and had four players drafted into to the National Lacrosse League. In addition, Fritz has been named the conference coach of the year five times. Currently, three of his former players have been inducted into the Pfeiffer Athletics Hall of Fame, and he has been recently inducted as well. Fritz was also inducted into the Montclair State Lacrosse Hall of Fame.
Fritz has continued that success at Queens turning in nine winning seasons. In 12 seasons he has led the team to two conference championships, one NCAA playoff appearance and has had 10 winning seasons after taking sixth in Queens’ first season. This past season, Queens again won the regular season conference championship and finished the year upsetting the No. 3 team in the nation. The Royals also finished with the No. 1 EMO unit in Division II.
Fritz has continued to develop outstanding players at Queens as well, with 50 all-conference selections, 26 all-tournament picks, 10 all-Americans, 4 academic all-Americans, a conference player of the year, and 4 North-South selections. Recently, one of his former players was selected in the first round of the NLL draft, named NLL Rookie of the Year as well as All-Pro, and helped lead his team to the NLL Championship. He continues to develop coaches as well as six former assistants are Division I head or assistant coaches, and 20 former players from Pfeiffer and Queens are in coaching at various levels.
Fritz also believes in the development of lacrosse not only in North Carolina, but on an international level as well. In 1998, he hosted England’s World team as they prepared for the World Games, and has sent six former players recently to coach overseas. Fritz has also participated in NCAA YES Clinics and has been selected twice to speak at the National Lacrosse Coach’s Convention. In 1993 with the addition of D-2 back to lacrosse, Coach Fritz was instrumental in implementing the DII All-American team, rankings, and adding D-II players to the North-South game. In 1997 he was selected to coach in the Division I North/South game. Currently, he serves on the NCAA RAC committee as well as the Division II All-America Committee. Previously, he was the Chairman of that committee for 10 straight years as well and has served on the USILA Rankings Committee for 10 years. Additionally, Fritz served on the US Lacrosse Executive Committee and the NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Championships Committee for four years during the time the committee was instrumental in moving the championship game from a college campus to a professional venue.
An active promoter of the sport in the greater Charlotte area, Fritz serves on the board of both Youth Lacrosse USA and was a founding board member of the Charlotte Lacrosse Boosters. He has run the Jim Fritz Winning Edge Lacrosse Camps for 18 years, and has been an active speaker at various lacrosse camps. He has been published on uslaxcamps.com, in Charlotte Lacrosse News, and in Inside Lacrosse magazine.
Fritz is a 1985 graduate of Montclair State University, and lives in Charlotte with his wife, Annemarie, and daughter, Claire.
