David Neff is in his 18th year as Carthage's head men's lacrosse coach in 2024-25, with a career record of 188-94.
Neff captured three straight College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin men's lacrosse titles between 2015 and 2017, which led to three consecutive appearances in the NCAA Division III Men's Lacrosse Championship. Neff was named CCIW Coach of the Year in 2015, 2017, and 2022.
Several of Neff's teams have enjoyed statistical team top-10 finishes. Carthage led NCAA Division III in extra-man opportunities in 2011 (.541), was ranked second in scoring defense in 2014 (5.86), second in total assists in both 2013 (201) and 2018 (175), and assists per game in 2013 (10.74). The 2013 team finished third nationally in caused turnovers (313), and the 2017 squad was ranked fifth in scoring defense (6.53).
Most recently, the 2023 team ranked No. 10 in the nation in scoring offense, No. 8 in points per game, No. 9 in assists per game, No. 11 in ground balls per game, and No. 5 in man-up goals. Colin Poitras was the No. 1 leader in the goals per game category and No. 11 in points per game. And in the 2025 campaign, Carthage finished #11 in scoring defense and #17 in clearing percentage nationally.
Neff arrived at Carthage following a two-year stint as the St. Charles North High School boys lacrosse coach (2005-2006), where his team won the 2006 DuPage Conference Championship. Prior to that, Neff coached at Neuqua Valley High School in Naperville, Ill., from 2002 to 2004.
The inaugural 2002 Neuqua Valley team registered a 14-6 overall record, which helped Neff land the Illinois High School Lacrosse Association Coach of the Year. He followed that with the school's first-ever DuPage Conference Championship in 2003. Neff owns a 56-25 overall record as an IHSLA head coach. In addition, Neff was the head coach of Team Illinois from 2006 to 2007.  Edit to 2002-2007
A native of Waukegan, Ill., Neff received a bachelor's degree in finance from the University of Illinois in 1995 and a master's degree in business administration, also from Illinois in 1998. Neff was a member of the Illini club lacrosse team that competed in the USILA & NCLL National Championships four consecutive seasons, including two Final Fours, and was selected a 1997 United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association All-Star.Â
He has been a member of two different US Lacrosse Chapter Boards, the D-III Coach's Poll, and the Men's Midwest Regional Committee.  He has also served as a Club Coach for True Lacrosse, Yeti Lacrosse, Alpha Lacrosse, and several additional local programs, camps, and clinics.
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His father, John Neff, graduated from Carthage in 1963 and was a 1997 inductee into the Illinois High School Football Coaches Hall of Fame. Neff was an All-Lake County football player under his father at Waukegan HS.  He has also served as an adjunct professor in Carthage's business administration program, and resides in Pleasant Prairie with his wife, Erin, their daughter, Pippa, and twins Gavin and Georgiana.
