2021 Coaching Carousel

[InsiderRoll]

I thought this job would bring more shakeup. Time will tell.

Question of the day

1. Best Hire of the Summer?
2. Most Interesting?
3. Most Underrated?

Good coach, not a dynamic recruiter.

[River Donkey]

I thought this job would bring more shakeup. Time will tell.

Question of the day

1. Best Hire of the Summer?
2. Most Interesting?
3. Most Underrated?

I agree, figured it would have been a bigger name with HC experience.
Best hire? Time will tell but initial thought is No.
Most interesting? No
Underrated? No, but again time will tell.

[jerseyjames]

I thought this job would bring more shakeup. Time will tell.

Question of the day

1. Best Hire of the Summer?
2. Most Interesting?
3. Most Underrated?

I agree, figured it would have been a bigger name with HC experience.
Best hire? Time will tell but initial thought is No.
Most interesting? No
Underrated? No, but again time will tell.

I could be wrong here but I'm pretty sure he's asking "now that all the majors have been filled... 1, 2, 3"

[Switzerland]

CC has their coach...should hear soon

Heard they were only offering $50k, can’t imagine they knock this out of the park if that’s the case.

That’s underwhelming.

[relaxedfan]

Underwhelming is an understatement. Coach Woods could recruit "outside the box" and was a great salesman, to go along with his coaching. Going from Woods to this hire I think Colorado sees (which Coach Woods probably knew) that CC cannot compete at the national level with conference realignments. Their clear road to the NCAA tourney is gone with changes to AQ's and they will most likely fall to the middle of the pack of D3 instead of continuing the trajectory they had been on.

[ReturnOfTheWAC]

I thought this job would bring more shakeup. Time will tell.

Question of the day

1. Best Hire of the Summer?
2. Most Interesting?
3. Most Underrated?

I agree, figured it would have been a bigger name with HC experience.
Best hire? Time will tell but initial thought is No.
Most interesting? No
Underrated? No, but again time will tell.

I could be wrong here but I'm pretty sure he's asking "now that all the majors have been filled... 1, 2, 3"

Correct

Ill go to get the conversation rolling

1.Best.....Amherst- Coming out of the situation they were in Woods is a massive stabilizer and comes with a ton of experience. Do they ever return to what JT had them at? Im not sure that's what Amherst the school even wants, but they will be a top 20 program year in and out once Woods heals the wounds.
2. Most Interesting...... ill give you 3. WAC, Denison, Gettysburg- WAC returns and all time great player to The Shore. Can Coach restore the program to former glory? This obviously is a homer pick for me. Denison brings in Coach Koch to replace Coach C. He comes with plenty of asst. experience but is he ready to be the head honcho? The way the bracket is set up Denison should be walking into the quarterfinals every season. Gettysburg went a different route with Peter Toner. From the sounds of the inside lacrosse article he is doing a lot of changing in that program. I wonder how Gettysburg looks under him.
3. Most Underrated.....Messiah- Coach Carson comes with plenty of high level coaching experience. Messiah is a giant in other sports and has been a pain in the side for many of the top programs in mens lacrosse. I liked this hire back when it was made and I think due to the mega jobs we had open up this went under the radar

[jerseyjames]

Update on 8-13

Update 8-2

Alvernia University - (Vacated by Carl Haas, 4yrs)
Amherst College - (Vacated by Rashad Devoe, 1yr - Filled by Sean Woods, Colorado College HC)
Baldwin Wallace University - (Vacated by Trey Keeley, 4yrs)
Bowdoin College - (Vacated by Jason Archbell, 8yrs - Filled by Bill Mason, Lasell Head Coach)
Capital University - (Vacated by Dom Marzano, 5yr Filled by A.J. Smith, Shenandoah Assistant Coach)
Carroll University (WI) - (Vacated by Zack Olsen, 2yrs- Filled by Jacob Acevedo, Spaulding Head Coach)
Cazenovia College - (Vacated by Zak VanValkenburgh, 2yrs - Filled by Chris Cooper, Colgate Assistant Coach)
Colorado College - (Vacated by Sean Woods, 10yrs - Filled by Mike Horowitz, DC St. Joes Philly)
Concordia University-Chicago - (Vacated by Brian Welch, 4yrs- Filled by Scott Gwyn, Shaler High School Assistant Coach)
Denison University - (Vacated by Mike Caravana, 28yrs- Filled by Eric Koch, Washington & Lee Assistant Coach)
Drew University - (Vacated by Doug Sage, 4yrs- Filled by Dan Liedl, St. George's School Head Coach)
Gettysburg College - (Vacated by Hank Janczyk, 34yrs- Filled by Pete Toner, Penn State Associate Head Coach)
Greensboro College - (Vacated by Mike Foderaro, 7yrs - Filled by Nate Bates, Elon University Club Head Coach)
Guilford College - (Vacated by Mark Crisco, 3yrs- Filled by Mark Frey, Methodist Assistant Coach)
Heidelberg University - (Vacated by Bill Schmoldt, 6yrs- Filled by Mark Cyron, Mount Union Assistant Coach)
Keystone College - (Vacated by Justin Ross, 3yrs, Filled by Brett Capps, Wake Forest Assistant Coach)
Lasell University - (Vacated by Bill Mason, 6yrs)
La Roche University - (Vacated by Cody Golon, 1yr)
Manhattanville College - (Vacated by Ryder Bohlander, 7rs- Filled by Kyle Hayes, Babson Assistant Coach)
Marian University - (Vacated by Bob Leary, 3yrs)
McDaniel College - (Vacated by Keith Euker, 6yr - Filled by TC DiBartolo, Gettysburg Associate HC)
Medaille College - (Vacated by Dan Patrone, 4yrs - Filled by Sean Behan, Skidmore Assistant)
Messiah University - (Vacated by Atsen Bulus, 7yrs-Filled by Dan Carson, Santa Fe Christian School Head Coach)
Monmouth College (IL) - (Vacated by Chris Klaiber, 4yrs)
Salem State - (Vacated by Eric Small, 4yrs)
Spalding University - (Vacated by Jake Acevedo, 1yr- Filled by Kurt Ohlen, Former Johnson & Wales University Head Coach)
SUNY-Plattsburgh - (Vacated by Andrew Hauk, 1yr - Being Retained)
Transylvania University - (Vacated by Terry Justice, 10yrs - Filled by Logan Otto, Transylvania Associate Head Coach)
Trine University - (Vacated by Karl Zimmerman, 7 yrs - Filled by Ryan Kuhn, Heidelberg Women's Assistant Coach (Lincoln Memorial HC))
Wabash College - (Vacated by Tim O’Shea, 2yrs- Filled by Chris Burke, Maryville Assistant Coach)
Warren Wilson - (Vacated by Dan Gold, 1yr)
Washington College - (Vacated by Jeff Shirk, 11yrs - Filled by Jon Nostant '86, Gilman School Head Coach)
Washington & Jefferson College - (Vacated by Kevin Kustron, 7yrs - Filled by Cody Golon, La Roche Head Coach)
William Peace University - (Vacated by Colin Smith, 2yrs- Filled by Dylan Price, Mount Olive Assistant Coach)
Wilmington College (OH) - (Vacated by Jeff Arneson, 4yrs - Filled by Garyck Todd ‘16, Pickerington HS (OH) Head Coach)

For everyones referance

[jerseyjames]

Best- Ill go Denison. Think Koch is a very talented coach and has been ready for a big time job, think he will keep the ball moving their and dare I say help the program take the next step?

Most Interesting- Gettysburg, not loving what I am hearing coming out of the program, its hard to replace an absolute legend like that who was the program and try and change everything. I have also heard he would not have been returning to PSU if he did not get this job.. If he has a rough few seasons I think alumni will start talking and loud, most interesting

Most Underrated- Ill go with the most recent, Mike Horowitz. I think the statement earlier of him not being a great/dynamic recruiter is fair but I do think he is a very smart and intelligent coach and that school kind of recruits itself, wouldn't exactly take much to keep on that same path or to move that program forward, doesn't take much to win pool B and lose in the first round

[InsiderRoll]

Best - I’ll say Toner at Gettysburg. Change is never easy, but the fact is they had a HOF coach way past his prime. A shake up is needed, and from what I’ve heard he’s tried to ramp up competition and raise the standard. There’s been pushback from guys that care more about their Thursday nights than the good of the team. There’s a reason Gettysburg has just been average for the last decade or so. If the guys buy in then there will be a resurgence. There’s also rumors that DiBartolo was really trying undercut him and was actively turning the players against him in the beginning, likely because he didn’t get the job.

Most Interesting - Nostrant at WAC, a job that really needs a full staff grinding out the recruiting trail and out working every other staff in the league hired a guy who’s never recruited and has no intention of hitting the circuit hard. He also hired a senior assistant with no college coaching experience. I think they’re in the same spot in 10 years when Nostrant retires.

Most Underrated - Carson at Messiah, very experienced for this level and a homerun culture fit. Will Messiah win a national championship? No. But he will get every bit of potential out of that program and his beliefs and personality are a fantastic fit for that administration.

[WhiteCarrera]

Best - Amherst. The disparity between where this program was, the sh**show it became, and the stability that this brings, is huge. You expected Denison and G-burg to keep the train running and they did - top 10% programs with top 10% selections, so no surprise there. With Amherst we really didn't know what they were going to do. In three years they went from the pinnacle to the dumpster (administratively at least), and this appears to be a great choice amidst the chaos.

Most Interesting - Washington. There were several interesting hires with high school or other odd backgrounds (Concordia-Chicago, Trine, Drew), but those are reflective of the available pool and the questionable commitment at those schools. Washington is different, and Maryland lacrosse is different. It's all one big family, whether you're talking about Mount Washington, or Gilman, or WAC. Even if they're struggling financially (as some assert) that won't matter here. He's not a young guy looking for a bigger paycheck, and alumni $$ will roll as needed. The chance to come back and retire at your alma mater, coaching only lacrosse, and not dealing with things like the mom's club or baseball scheduling, will be a breath of fresh air.

Most Underrated - Wabash. Call me biased if you want (guilty as charged), but this one is under people's radar and rightly so - relatively new program that's floundered. But the competitive gap between Wabash lacrosse and the school's success everywhere else is huge, and they want that changed. Without reservation it's a unique college, but that's not a bad thing. All the pieces are in place and the effect of the coaching change is immense. 2022 will still be a lean year with 20-25 players, but recruiting is already light years ahead of the past.

[smoova]

Best - Another vote for Woods at Amherst. I've spent some time with the man and it is tough for me to think of a better fit for this challenging situation. I strongly suspect that he will return that squad to national prominence in very short order. As noted by @ReturnOfTheWAC above, Woods may actually draw the administration's ire for doing too good of a job.

Most Interesting - Koch at Denison. He was the lead on recruiting at W&L for the last few years and (IMHO) didn't fully leverage W&L's natural advantages. I think Denison is a tougher spot to recruit for, so it will be interesting to see what he is able to do with the next few classes.

Most Underrated - Mason at Bowdoin. Seems like the perfect pairing of a successful, motivated coach who was already a solid recruiter and an elite school with a (reportedly) renewed focus on athletic achievement.

[Chips O'Toole]

Most Underrated- Ill go with the most recent, Mike Horowitz. I think the statement earlier of him not being a great/dynamic recruiter is fair but I do think he is a very smart and intelligent coach and that school kind of recruits itself, wouldn't exactly take much to keep on that same path or to move that program forward, doesn't take much to win pool B and lose in the first round

Tend to agree with this, but should point out that CC is joining the Heartland Conference this year and will be eligible for (and strongly favored to earn) a Pool A bid. Also, CC made it to the quarters of the tourney last year, where it fell by 6 goals to eventual champion RIT in a game that was tied about halfway through the 3rd quarter (on RIT's field, no less). I don't know anything about Horowitz, but that's not a bad spot for a young coach to land. He must be smart enough to recognize a good opportunity. Looks like it worked out ok for Woods.

[richard]

Best - I’ll say Toner at Gettysburg. Change is never easy, but the fact is they had a HOF coach way past his prime. A shake up is needed, and from what I’ve heard he’s tried to ramp up competition and raise the standard. There’s been pushback from guys that care more about their Thursday nights than the good of the team. There’s a reason Gettysburg has just been average for the last decade or so. If the guys buy in then there will be a resurgence. There’s also rumors that DiBartolo was really trying undercut him and was actively turning the players against him in the beginning, likely because he didn’t get the job.

Most Interesting - Nostrant at WAC, a job that really needs a full staff grinding out the recruiting trail and out working every other staff in the league hired a guy who’s never recruited and has no intention of hitting the circuit hard. He also hired a senior assistant with no college experience. I think they’re in the same spot in 10 years when Nostrant retires.

Most Underrated - Carson at Messiah, very experienced for this level and a homerun culture fit. Will Messiah win a national championship? No. But he will get every bit of potential out of that program and his beliefs and personality are a fantastic fit for that administration.

Nice to know that Gburg has been average for the last decade or so! Throwing Janczyk under the bus for the record they have had the last ten years is worse than foolish. 110-42 is the record with 21 of those losses in 12,13 and 14 and the last two years never played out. T he record for the five years in between was 81 -18.

Change is fine but to say there was a problem with the program is dead wrong.

[InsiderRoll]

Best - I’ll say Toner at Gettysburg. Change is never easy, but the fact is they had a HOF coach way past his prime. A shake up is needed, and from what I’ve heard he’s tried to ramp up competition and raise the standard. There’s been pushback from guys that care more about their Thursday nights than the good of the team. There’s a reason Gettysburg has just been average for the last decade or so. If the guys buy in then there will be a resurgence. There’s also rumors that DiBartolo was really trying undercut him and was actively turning the players against him in the beginning, likely because he didn’t get the job.

Most Interesting - Nostrant at WAC, a job that really needs a full staff grinding out the recruiting trail and out working every other staff in the league hired a guy who’s never recruited and has no intention of hitting the circuit hard. He also hired a senior assistant with no college experience. I think they’re in the same spot in 10 years when Nostrant retires.

Most Underrated - Carson at Messiah, very experienced for this level and a homerun culture fit. Will Messiah win a national championship? No. But he will get every bit of potential out of that program and his beliefs and personality are a fantastic fit for that administration.

Nice to know that Gburg has been average for the last decade or so! Throwing Janczyk under the bus for the record they have had the last ten years is worse than foolish. 110-42 is the record with 21 of those losses in 12,13 and 14 and the last two years never played out. T he record for the five years in between was 81 -18.

Change is fine but to say there was a problem with the program is dead wrong.

An average record of 11-4 at a place like Gettysburg is average. It’s a relative term to the caliber of program. 15 years ago they were poised for a national championship

[Sidelinehorn!]

Is that true about TC? Doesn't strike me as something he would do....or Toner would allow to happen. I've heard the kids don't like Toner...they use colorful language when they talk about him....

[InsiderRoll]

Is that true about TC? Doesn't strike me as something he would do....or Toner would allow to happen. I've heard the kids don't like Toner...they use colorful language when they talk about him....

That last bit probably says more about the Gettysburg players then Toner.

[ReturnOfTheWAC]

Is that true about TC? Doesn't strike me as something he would do....or Toner would allow to happen. I've heard the kids don't like Toner...they use colorful language when they talk about him....

That last bit probably says more about the Gettysburg players then Toner. I’ve also heard most of their players spend more time with the booger sugar then they do with their sticks so I can’t imagine their excited by change.

I think this has gone a bit far and these rumors most certainly lack credibility at this point. I’d ask the moderators to step in here and remove the “rumors” about players and coaches which are not founded on any factual information

[Nosey Ned]

Is that true about TC? Doesn't strike me as something he would do....or Toner would allow to happen. I've heard the kids don't like Toner...they use colorful language when they talk about him....

That last bit probably says more about the Gettysburg players then Toner.

I think this has gone a bit far and these rumors most certainly lack credibility at this point. I’d ask the moderators to step in here and remove the “rumors” about players and coaches which are not founded on any factual information

I second the motion. This has gone off the rails … no pun intended. We should collectively be better than this.

[KingPrat]

For what it's worth, I'm sure there was a bit of culture shock coming into Gettysburg for Toner. Fraternities are deeply ingrained in the lacrosse program, and that can be a big culture definer that he doesn't have much control over. I know PSU has fraternities, but I'd be surprised if those student athletes are allowed to participate in frat life (I'm guessing)

I've heard a story from a GBurg alum from their national championship run that they had guys on the team (who played a lot) who wouldn't pass the ball to one another because they were in rival fraternities. Not sure how much that should be taken with a grain of salt, but he believed that the frat culture was a big reason they lost the 09 NC game.

Trying to come in and change that culture, after having a HOF coach at the helm, is an incredibly difficult task. There's going to be personalities clashing for sure. I'm sure Toner will do just fine.


Best hire: Woods. I think this will turn out to be a great hire for Amherst. He'll have a year or two where they'll have to recover with recruiting and roster, but he is a hell of a recruiter and well respected.

Most Interesting: Koch. I was surprised that he stayed at W&L so long, think he's been poised to jump to a HC position for a few years now. Denison has a great reputation and a better merit aid structure than W&L - I have a feeling they'll be back to Top-10 prominence in a few years.

Underrated: This one is tough, but I'm going to go with Mason. If the talk about Bowdoin refocusing on athletics, they could be back to a giant as they were in the late 2000s/early 2010s. He was a big factor in Bates' run in the top 10.

[Nosey Ned]

Is that true about TC? Doesn't strike me as something he would do....or Toner would allow to happen. I've heard the kids don't like Toner...they use colorful language when they talk about him....

That last bit probably says more about the Gettysburg players then Toner.

I think this has gone a bit far and these rumors most certainly lack credibility at this point. I’d ask the moderators to step in here and remove the “rumors” about players and coaches which are not founded on any factual information

I second the motion. This has gone off the rails … no pun intended. We should collectively be better than this.

Kudos to Inside for amending his post - I’ve removed the passage from my reply. I’m confident Return will do the same and we can erase that passage entirely. Yes we can moderated ourselves and not needlessly do harm to the sport or student athletes who play the game we all love.