Hofstra Athletics Hall of Fame
AL LAHOOD
Al Lahood, a 1956 graduate of Hofstra, was a four-year letterwinner in both football and lacrosse and a highly-decorated student-athlete during his tenure with the Pride.
A three-year starter on the offensive and defensive line, Al was named to the 1953 All-America team, and was also an honorable mention All-East selection and a Long Island Press All-Star. He also earned Hofstra’s Outstanding Lineman Award.
Al followed his 1953 campaign by earning honorable mention All-America and Long Island Press All-Star honors as a senior in 1954. He also repeated his selection as Hofstra’s Outstanding Lineman.
On the lacrosse field Al was a four-year starter and an honorable mention All-American in 1954 and 1955. He was selected to start in the 1955 North-South Senior All-Star Game.
Following graduation, Al served as an assistant football coach in 1955 before completing six months of military service. He then returned to Hofstra to earn a master’s degree in education administration.
Al began his teaching career in the Bethpage School District on Long Island where he coached and founded what has become the highly-successful lacrosse program. He left Bethpage to begin a 34-year career in the Reading, Massachusetts, School District. Starting as a history and philosophy teacher at the high school level, Al also was an assistant football coach and started the wrestling program. He then served as a middle school guidance counselor until being appointed principal of Coolidge Middle School in 1974. Al was the 1990 Massachusetts Middle School Principal of the Year and retired after 20 years as principal in 1994. In retirement, he served as a consultant to the Massachusetts Department of Education for 10 years.
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