Rob Pepper begins his second year as an assistant coach in the 2012 season. A 1992 Messiah grad, Pepper was instrumental in developing the men’s lacrosse club team while an undergraduate student on the Grantham campus. As the club officer and captain from 1990-1992, Pepper anchored the defense between the pipes and missed only one game in his three seasons played. A native of central New Jersey, Pepper was a goalie and defender at The Pennington School where he competed against some of the Garden State’s top prep schools.
Pepper’s collegiate coaching career started while in graduate school at Shippensburg University in 1993. There, he served as the head coach of the men’s club lacrosse team. He returned to Messiah the following year and served as an assistant coach for the Falcons for one year before becoming the head coach of Messiah’s women’s club team. As leader of the women’s program, Pepper guided the team to NCAA status in 1997.
As the head coach of the women’s NCAA team for six years (1997, 2003-2007) he compiled an overall record of 65-39 (41-9 MAC) and lead the team to the conference playoffs for five consecutive seasons. Wining the MAC conference in 2006, Pepper’s squad advanced to the NCAA Division III Sweet Sixteen before falling to eventual national runner-up Gettysburg College. He coached several Conference Rookies of the Year, Conference Players of the Year, IWLCA All-Region Players and IWLCA All-Americans during his tenure. His teams were known for tough defense and a high scoring offense. In addition, he served as the girl’s lacrosse camp director at Messiah College and as a guest instructor and clinician at FCA lacrosse camps and clinics in central PA.
Along with his coaching duties, Pepper serves as Messiah’s Director of Graduate Enrollment and Student Services. He routinely teaches courses in leadership, strategy, and higher education.
In addition to a Bachelor’s Degree in History Social Studies Education from Messiah College, he holds a Master’s Degree in Counseling from Shippensburg University and a Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership from Regent University. Married to Kristin, also a Messiah College graduate, the couple resides in Mechanicsburg with their three children, Colby, Micah and Aubrey.