“We are thrilled to have Jesse return to the Maryland men’s lacrosse program,” head coach John Tillman said. “Jesse has had success in our system as both a player and a coach. He will be a valuable asset to our program as he remains one of the best players in the world at his position. I am confident he will be an excellent mentor and role model for our student-athletes and we are fortunate to have him.”

A 2013 graduate of the University of Maryland, Bernhardt has quickly ascended the coaching ranks and built a reputation as one of the brightest young defensive minds in college lacrosse.

Bernhardt has had success at all levels of lacrosse, winning a World Championship with Team USA and a Major League Lacrosse Championship with the Chesapeake Bayhawks, while also appearing multiple times as both a player and a coach at the NCAA's Championship weekend.

In his first season with the Terps as assistant coach, Bernhardt helped lead the 2018 program to its fifth consecutive Final Four. His man-down defensive unit was sensational, ranking fifth nationally with a 78-percent success rate, while senior defender Bryce Young and senior goalkeeper Dan Morris were named USILA All-Americans.

Bernhardt comes to Maryland after spending one season as defensive coordinator at Princeton, where he helped produce a first-team All-Ivy League goalie, a first-team All-Ivy League defenseman and two freshmen defenders who were named freshmen All-Americas by College Crosse.

Prior to Princeton, he spent two years as an assistant coach at Rutgers, helping the program into the national spotlight while coaching defense and face-offs. The Scarlet Knights defense was ranked 48th in Division I the year before Bernhardt arrived and since has improved to 35th in 2015 and 29th in 2016, at 9.88 goals against per game.

Rutgers went 11-5 in 2016, with a pair of wins over Johns Hopkins and a spot in the Big Ten championship game. The Scarlet Knights were ranked 16th in the final poll of the year.

Bernhardt began his college coaching career in 2014 as Maryland’s volunteer assistant coach, helping the Terrapins reach the NCAA Final Four.

As a player, Bernhardt has enjoyed extraordinary success at the collegiate and professional levels. Playing for Maryland, Bernhardt was a two-time captain and two-time USILA All-American, in addition to being named a USILA Scholar All-American. He was the ACC Co-Defensive Player of the Year as a junior in 2012.