A native of Geneva, Ernie Lisi was a two-sport student-athlete for the Statesmen, lettering on the football and lacrosse fields. It was on the gridiron that he made his greatest mark as a collegian, growing from a backup fullback as a first-year to an All-American guard and standout linebacker as a senior.
Lisi and the Statesmen were 27-2-1 (.917) during his time on campus. Lisi’s first season on campus resulted in an unblemished 8-0 record. He started his career as a backup fullback, but with future Hall of Famer Walt Harrison starting ahead of him, Lisi moved and made his mark on the offensive line and as a linebacker. He made the transition so seamlessly, that the Geneva Times’ Bill Clark wrote in 1955, “Lisi has been a tower of strength for Hobart this year. He has played guard like he was born there when the fact is he was a fullback when this season started.”
Before Lisi and his classmates closed out the 1957 season with a 19-0 whitewashing of Upsala, Head Coach Eddie Tryon told the Geneva Times that Lisi was, “the best defensive linebacker we’ve ever had.”
The 1954 squad was one of the first four Statesmen sides recognized as a Hobart Team of Distinction in 2006, as was the 1957 team that was captained by Lisi. He capped his career with Hobart’s Murray Bartlett Memorial Award and Little All-America honorable mention recognition in 1957.
On the lacrosse field, Lisi was a midfielder. The Statesmen were 21-17 with him on campus, guided by legendary Head Coach Babe Kraus. Lisi scored a goal in his final collegiate game, a 13-8 win over Oberlin.
Lisi, who was also a member of the Newman Club, graduated from Hobart with a degree in mathematics.
A career educator, Lisi taught math in the Irondequoit School District until retiring. He is also widely recognized as the father of Irondequoit lacrosse. As the head coach of the Eagles from 1961 to 1977, Lisi compiled a record of 211-19, winning 22 championships. He earned several coach of the year awards during his career and in 1984, he was named the National Secondary Schools’ Man of the Year by the National Interscholastic Lacrosse Association.
“[Coach Lisi] not only influenced me, but everyone around me and from every walk of life,” Jeff Long, a 2009 U.S. Lacrosse Hall of Fame inductee said of his high school coach. “He was brilliant and gave us something to reach for and not be afraid to work for. I could tell you a handful of guys who have influenced me in a positive way since then, but he’s really the guy who got it all started.”
In 1992, Lisi was inducted into the U.S. Lacrosse Rochester Chapter Hall of Fame as well as the Geneva Sports Hall of Fame. In 2008, he was inducted into the Frontier Field Walk of Fame.
Lisi enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1951, rising to the rank of sergeant during his four years of service, including a tour in Korea during the Korean Conflict. This past September, Lisi was an honored guest of Honor Flight Rochester, traveling to Washington, D.C., to visit the monuments dedicated to him and his fellow veterans’ service.
