Coaching Staff

Mike Cintineo - Varsity Head Coach

Coaching Career

2014 - Present: Etowah Boys Lacrosse Head Coach

Coaching Accolades:

Etowah HS Coaching Record – 131 Wins, 65 Losses
Etowah High School Coach of the Year - 2024
Cherokee County School District Coach of the Year Finalist - 2024
6x Cherokee County Lacrosse Coach of the Year – 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2023
2x Lacrosse Area Coach of the Year – 2019, 2023
Runner-up for GHSA Lacrosse Coach of the Year ballot – 2018
Third place for GHSA Lacrosse Coach of the Year ballot – 2023
2x Area Champions – 2019, 2023
Final Four State Playoffs – 2015, 2016
Elite Eight State Playoffs - 2019
Sweet Sixteen State Playoffs – 2018, 2021, 2023
Best statistical season and program record – 2019 (18-2)

Player Accolades:

2x GHSA US Lacrosse All-American – 2018, 2019
Cherokee County Player of the Year – 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2023
Area Player of the Year – 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2023
Countless players named to the All-County, All-Region and All-State Teams

2013: Coach Cintineo was the Varsity Head Coach at Duluth High School (GA) and led them to a 9-8 record and two players were named to the All-Gwinnett County Lacrosse Team

2012: Coach Cintineo was a JV and Varsity assistant coach at The Aquinas Institute (Rochester, NY)

2011: Coach Cintineo was the JV head coach at Brockport High School (Brockport, NY)

2010: Coach Cintineo was a Varsity assistant coach at Brockport High School (Brockport, NY)

College Playing Career (Attack)

Coach Cintineo started his career at Ithaca College, but eventually transferred and graduated from SUNY Geneseo (Class of 2009)
Was named Rookie of the Year in the Empire 8 Conference at Ithaca College
Was named 2nd team all-conference his freshman year (35 goals, 8 assists)
Scored 36 goals and 10 assists his sophomore year at IC
During his senior year at SUNY Geneseo, he set the school goal scoring mark for one season with 53 goals and a 3.5 goals per game average, which was 2nd highest in the country for NCAA Division III during the 2009 season
Was named to the SUNYAC All-Conference Team in 2009
Twice named USILA Player of the Week (4/23/06 and 3/28/09)
During his time playing for Ithaca College and SUNY Geneseo, both teams were consistently ranked inside the top 10 in the country at the NCAA Division III level
Coach Cintineo finished his college career with 164 points on 132 goals and 32 assists

High School Playing Career (Attack)

Graduate of Honeoye Falls-Lima High School (Rochester, NY area) (Class of 2005)
Led team to NYS lacrosse semi-finals during his senior year (2005)
Led New York State in goals scored and points on the year with 90 goals and 143 points
Cintineo’s 90 goals ranked 9th all-time in New York State for most goals scored in one season at time of his graduation in 2005
In two years of high school varsity lacrosse, Coach Cintineo accumulated 225 points on 151 goals and 74 assists
Cintineo holds school records for most points in a season (143), goals in a season (90) and total career points (225)

Coach Cintineo teaches history at Etowah and lives in Woodstock with his wife Alicia.

TYLER DINGES - VARSITY ASSISTANT COACH

Coach Tyler Dinges is in his 3rd season as a varsity assistant coach at Etowah High School. Prior to Etowah, he was a varsity assistant lacrosse coach at Walton High School 2018-2021. Coach Dinges is a Class of 2013 Walton alum and led Walton to its 1st lacrosse state title in school history in 2011 as a player, and its 2nd state title in 2019 as a coach, making him one of the only people in state lacrosse history to win a state title as a player and as a coach at the same high school. Coach Dinges runs the Eagles defense. He lives in Woodstock with his wife Ashley, their daughter Amelia, and their son Landon.

RICK ELTZ - VARSITY ASSISTANT COACH

Coach Rick Eltz began his lacrosse coaching career in 2002 when his son (Seth Michael) and Aaron Jones founded the Etowah Lacrosse Club and team. He was an assistant coach for the club team until 2006 when the head coach Ken Byers left to start the Kennesaw State University program. That year Coach Eltz led them to the NGLL title with a 13-1 record and the following year, the Etowah varsity program was established. He resumed his assistant coach position in 2012 when Etowah added a JV team. Coach Eltz has been a certified lax referee since 2007 and umpires’ baseball (since 2001). Coach Eltz has also coached baseball, soccer, ice and roller hockey and football. He is also a Chiropractor (since 1983) and lives on Lake Allatoona in Woodstock with his wife Ellen.

BEn Natelson - JV Head Coach

Coach Ben Natelson is from Knoxville, TN. He previously was the head faculty coach for varsity boys' lacrosse at Alpharetta High School 2015-2019. He has also coached volleyball, dive team and soccer. Coach was captain of Emory Eagles Rugby team in college where he attended, class of 2001. Coach Natelson teaches mathematics at Etowah.

HUNTER ALEXANDER - JV ASSISTANT COACH

Coach Alexander is no stranger to Etowah as he is an Etowah alum. He was a member of the swim team making the state team twice and the All-County team for Cherokee County. After graduating, He went attended Reinhardt College (University) where he played JV basketball, cross country, and lacrosse for two seasons before transferring to Kennesaw State. While playing at Kennesaw State, Coach Alexander earned Second Team Faceoff Specialist for Division 2 MCLA in 2014. During his time playing at KSU, he also coached multiple summer teams, including Cherokee Xtreme where they made an appearance at the IMG National Invitational. After graduating from Kennesaw State, Coach Alexander coached Mill Creek Middle School's basketball team, winning the county championship in year 2 for 7th and 8th grade. In his second year he joined River Ridge's lacrosse program and attending the state playoffs for the first time in school's history. During the next 4 seasons, Coach Alexander led the Knights to the first two winning seasons in school history. He is currently a PE coach at Woodstock Elementary. His wife Lindsey currently teaches PE and coaches girl's soccer at Etowah along with his mother, Cathy who is the school nurse. Coach Alexander has a son, Asher, and a daughter, Annie, along with their 5 pets.

SEAN AGHAI - JV ASSISTANT COACH

Coach Sean attended Kennesaw State University and Reinhardt College where he played collegiate lacrosse at both respectively. He joins the Etowah program offering over 20 years of combined lacrosse playing and coaching experience at Cherokee Xtreme, Hillgrove & River Ridge Youth programs as well as River Ridge and Sequoyah High School programs.