The 2025 season marked James Purpura’s fifth as the head lacrosse coach at the Virginia Military Institute. Since taking in 2020, Purpura has orchestrated one of the biggest turnarounds in Division I lacrosse.
In each of his first five seasons, the Keydets have increased their win totals, making VMI the only team in the nation to improve win totals for five consecutive years. The program went from winless to receiving votes in both the USILA Coaches Poll and the Inside Lacrosse Media Poll Top-20 in just five years.
In 2025, the Keydets posted a program-record 10 Division I wins, the most in a single season since 1988. Purpura led a high-powered offense that finished second nationally in goals per game and scored the most goals in program history. The Keydet offense also ranked third nationally in extra-man offense and shooting percentage. Defensively, the team finished 16th in scoring defense—allowing the fewest goals against in 25 years—17th in extra-man defense, first in clearing percentage, and seventh nationally in riding.
The 2025 graduating class amassed 27 wins—the most Division I wins in program history and the most as a class since 1996. Luke Rusterucci earned First Team All-NEC honors and was named a US Lacrosse All-American. Defender RJ Wyrick was named Second Team All-NEC, and Zac Creel made the All-NEC Rookie Team. Seniors Luke Rusterucci and Damian Levin were USILA Senior All-Star selections.
In 2024, Purpura’s fourth season, the Keydets earned seven Division I wins, tying the 1995 mark and the most since 2005. The offense scored 183 goals—the second-most in program history. VMI ranked fourth nationally in riding and sixth in clearing, both finishing in the national top-10 for the fourth consecutive year. The defense improved by 1.7 goals per game from the previous season. Purpura was named the 2024 Nathaniel W. Pendleton ’22 Award winner as VMI Coach of the Year and moved to second all-time in wins after just four seasons.
The 2024 graduating class amassed 18 wins—the most since 2008. Attackman Luke Rusterucci earned First Team All-MAAC honors, LSM Alex Baber was named Second Team All-MAAC, and Ty Yonas made the All-MAAC Rookie Team. Seniors AJ Stamos and Luke McDonald were selected to the USILA Senior All-Star Game.
During the 2023 campaign, the Keydets won their first conference road victory since 2012. The offense under Purpura scored the most goals in a season in 26 years (since 1997). Hartley Jordan was named a First Team All-MAAC selection and Jack Rogers was named to the MAAC All-Rookie Team. Jordan was also selected to the USILA Senior All-Star Game.
In his second season (2022), Purpura led VMI to new program firsts. The Keydets won their first conference game in eight years, their first Southern Conference win in program history (since joining in 2015), and qualified for the conference playoffs for the second time in the program’s 39-year history. Purpura led VMI to its first home win in three years, its first win over Mercer in 10 years, and first win over Mount Saint Mary’s in 17 years. Hartley Jordan was named a First Team All-SoCon selection and Luke Rusterucci was named to the SoCon All-Rookie Team. The Keydets improved in nearly every statistic—goals for, goals against, extra-man offense, clearing, faceoff, and save percentage. For his efforts, Purpura was named head coach of the South Team in the 2022 USILA North/South Senior All-Star Game.
In his first season at VMI, Purpura led the Keydets to their first program win in over 700 days in his very first game, becoming just the second coach in program history to win his coaching debut. The win over Lafayette was also the program’s first victory over a Patriot League opponent in 20 years.
Purpura also saw multiple statistical improvements, including the Keydets ranking second nationally in caused turnovers per game. Both the VMI ride efficiency and extra-man offense reached their highest levels in over a decade.
Off the field, the Keydets saw remarkable improvement with the program’s APR rating. The program’s GPA also reached its best two semesters ever, with the spring semester marking the highest GPA in program history.
After serving as the offensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator during the 2017 and 2018 seasons at VMI, Purpura left in the fall of 2018 to become the head lacrosse coach at Arcadia University in Glenside, Pennsylvania, where he coached the Knights for the 2019 and 2020 seasons.
Named the 2019 Middle Atlantic Conference Coach of the Year, Purpura led the Knights to a 14-11 record over two seasons, including a 5-2 mark in 2020 before the season was cut short due to the coronavirus. Turning around a program that went 31-59 over its first six seasons, he guided the team to its first playoff appearance following the 2019 campaign. In 2020, the Knights ranked 19th in Division III in goals per game and 11th in assists.
Purpura mentored four All-MAC selections, including the program’s first IMCLA All-Region honoree and USILA Scholar All-American. Academically, Arcadia broke program records for three straight semesters as two-thirds of the team finished on the MAC Honor Roll (first out of 17 teams).
Under Purpura’s offense in 2018, VMI senior midfielder Wesley Sanders became only the 17th Keydet in program history to join the 100-Point Club, finishing his career with 102 points. Sanders also joined the 70-Goal Club, only the 13th Keydet in program history to achieve that rank. Freshman attack Ryan Perouty thrived in the system, leading the team with 29 goals for the season and ranking second in the league in goals per game at 2.23 and ninth in points per game at 2.54.
Purpura was promoted to head assistant after completing his first year on staff in 2017. As offensive coordinator, the Keydet offense improved in nearly every statistical category, including scoring the most goals per game in five years. Under Purpura’s leadership, Sanders was named First Team All-Southern Conference, and freshman attack John Daniel was named to the Southern Conference All-Freshman Team.
Purpura first came to VMI after serving as the offensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator at Queens University of Charlotte in 2016. Under his leadership, the Royals offense broke the school record for most goals scored in a season and finished 16th in the nation in scoring offense.
The Royals also finished with the second-most wins in program history (11), made a SAC Conference Championship appearance, and were ranked as high as No. 12 in the country in Division II. In one season, Purpura helped coach and develop six All-SAC selections, including both the SAC Player of the Year and SAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year, as well as one Major League Lacrosse player.
Prior to arriving at Queens, Purpura was a graduate assistant coach at Frostburg State during the 2015 season. He helped lead a fifth-year program to its first national ranking in program history, reaching as high as No. 17 in the nation. The Bobcats finished with the most wins in program history at 16-3 and made their first CAC Conference Championship appearance. Purpura assisted with a defense that allowed the fewest goals per game in program history (6.16), which finished sixth nationally in Division III. He helped coach and develop eight All-CAC selections and the program’s first three USILA All-Americans.
Purpura spent the 2014 season at SUNY Brockport as the offensive coordinator, improving goals scored per game, shooting percentage, and extra-man offense. While with the Golden Eagles, Purpura was named an assistant coach for the 2014 USILA Division III North/South Senior All-Star Game. He helped coach and develop three All-SUNYAC selections and the program’s first USILA Scholar All-American.
The Pittsford, New York native began his collegiate career at Mount Saint Mary’s before transferring to SUNY Geneseo. At Geneseo, Purpura helped the Knights reach as high as No. 12 in the nation. The Knights made consecutive SUNYAC playoff appearances, including a SUNYAC championship game.
Purpura graduated from SUNY Geneseo in 2013 with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology. He earned his Master of Education in Interdisciplinary Studies from Frostburg State in 2015.
