Coaching Carousel 2023 - D1

[a fan]

In the 80's they were very good- 35-40 years ago. In the past 30 YEARS they have been to the championship once (and won) and the Final Four twice and missed the tournament ELEVEN times. They have never had a Tewaaratan winner and have but one or two other positional winners (if it wasn't for Gray (the transfer) it would be even worse). That is NOT a championship level program. It is one of the easiest, if not easiest, college to recruit to as another poster commented. My beef is, as a member of the best conference in college lacrosse, they are the doormat.

Have you considered that maybe it's not as easy to get recruits there as you believe to be the case?

[gymman1031]

In the 80's they were very good- 35-40 years ago. In the past 30 YEARS they have been to the championship once (and won) and the Final Four twice and missed the tournament ELEVEN times. They have never had a Tewaaratan winner and have but one or two other positional winners (if it wasn't for Gray (the transfer) it would be even worse). That is NOT a championship level program. It is one of the easiest, if not easiest, college to recruit to as another poster commented. My beef is, as a member of the best conference in college lacrosse, they are the doormat.

Have you considered that maybe it's not as easy to get recruits there as you believe to be the case?

It is definitely easier to get recruits to UNC than pretty much any other program besides UVA. Name any other programs, and I will tell you why they aren't as easy sells.

[DocBarrister]

In the 80's they were very good- 35-40 years ago. In the past 30 YEARS they have been to the championship once (and won) and the Final Four twice and missed the tournament ELEVEN times. They have never had a Tewaaratan winner and have but one or two other positional winners (if it wasn't for Gray (the transfer) it would be even worse). That is NOT a championship level program. It is one of the easiest, if not easiest, college to recruit to as another poster commented. My beef is, as a member of the best conference in college lacrosse, they are the doormat.

Have you considered that maybe it's not as easy to get recruits there as you believe to be the case?

Agree. UNC is far from upstate NY and Maryland. Not as easy for parents to attend games. Plus, many competing programs have a better academic reputation.

DocBarrister

[jrn19]

What are we talking about here? UNC gets as many recruits as they want

[gymman1031]

What are we talking about here? UNC gets as many recruits as they want

That is what I am trying to tell people. UVA and UNC are, naturally, the easiest sells for talent.

[a fan]

What are we talking about here? UNC gets as many recruits as they want

That is what I am trying to tell people. UVA and UNC are, naturally, the easiest sells for talent.

That explains all the Championship rings.

Some of you have your mind set on this stuff. There's no changing it. It's why Gymman is utterly convinced that "everyone" wants to go to Ann Arbor.....not understanding that that opinion is made from....nothing. I could just as easily tell you that Harvard is the school every recruit wants to attend.

You guys have your opinions, and you are welcome to them just like the rest of us. I have the ol' scoreboard. And the scoreboard is telling me: it's not as easy as you think. If it was, UNC would have had several titles in the last 20 years instead of just one.

[jrn19]

Yes and you have your mind made up that all of the coaches have absolutely no impact whatsoever on any of the results and that a team cannot possibly underachieve because of coaching it’s all this sort of mythological world where the coach who recruits the players and coaches the players is somehow not responsible for getting good players or the players they come into. It’s just decided that all of the great teams get the great players and those teams are great and if a team doesn’t win it’s because they didn’t get great players. Why? Well it’s just hard.

Yeah, that makes sense. Must explain why it’s so hard for North Carolina women’s lacrosse to get good players. Or North Carolina women’s soccer. Or North Carolina men’s soccer. Or North Carolina women’s field hockey. Or North Carolina men’s and women’s basketball. Or North Carolina baseball. None of those programs win anything. Nobody wants to play sports at North Carolina.

[CU77]

About 10 years ago, there was a star attack at UNC (someone will remember his name) who transfered to Cuse (where he had to play midfield because Cuse attack was already loaded) because he felt that lax players at UNC did not get enough accolades/support/love from the campus culture there. He said he was much happier at Cuse, where lax players were BMOC.

[jrn19]

Nicky Galasso

[flyerfan17]

About 10 years ago, there was a star attack at UNC (someone will remember his name) who transfered to Cuse (where he had to play midfield because Cuse attack was already loaded) because he felt that lax players at UNC did not get enough accolades/support/love from the campus culture there. He said he was much happier at Cuse, where lax players were BMOC.

Are we talking about Nicky Galasso ? He might have said that but not sure that was the number one reason

[Exlaxbro]

Rumor has it Panos is out at Queens. New D1 program and an opportunity for a coach to make his mark.

Really? After just one season as their coach in DI? And after lots of success in DII?

So it seems. He was not on the sideline today.

[HopFan16]

Don't think anyone is saying UNC should be making the Final Four every single year (even though that is the expectation at crosstown rival Duke). But missing 4 of the last 5 tournaments is a tough look. I'm not sure that would even meet the standards of a newish program like Richmond, let alone one with the name and resources of North Carolina. The tourney is a bit of a crapshoot that depends a lot on matchups, seeding, which teams happen to get hot, etc. But you have to give yourself a chance. You have to get there. To me, making a Final Four every 5 years but missing the tournament the other 4 is considerably less impressive than, say, making the tournament 4 out of those 5 years and mixing in a couple of quarterfinals.

We don't know what UNC's standards for lacrosse are. We can only guess if they're being met or not. But assuming they do not beat ND and sneak into the playoffs here, we're about to find out.

[10 10 2]

Rumor has it Panos is out at Queens. New D1 program and an opportunity for a coach to make his mark.

Really? After just one season as their coach in DI? And after lots of success in DII?

So it seems. He was not on the sideline today.

There was some controversy a couple years ago when Queens brought in Hannan from Mercer to be the associate head coach supposedly without much input from Panos. Maybe they couldn't get rid of Panos yet but wanted to secure Hannan as the next head coach. Seems like a pretty rotten thing to do if true. Now Hannan has decided just to go back to Goucher and Panos is gone before the season has ended. Not a great look for the program.

[CU77]

About 10 years ago, there was a star attack at UNC (someone will remember his name) who transfered to Cuse (where he had to play midfield because Cuse attack was already loaded) because he felt that lax players at UNC did not get enough accolades/support/love from the campus culture there. He said he was much happier at Cuse, where lax players were BMOC.

Are we talking about Nicky Galasso ? He might have said that but not sure that was the number one reason

Yes! Couldn't think of the name. Interviews he gave at the time are now 404 so I can't verify my memory:
https://www.insidelacrosse.com/news/201 ... eaving-unc
https://www.usalaxmagazine.com/college_ ... e_top_pick

[FMUBart]

What are we talking about here? UNC gets as many recruits as they want

+1 If they don't get the top guys, I'm sure they were at least in the conversation

[Lewisfrederick]

Tbh I hate the argument that UNC isn’t capable of being an elite program that you can win at the highest level. Those were the same excuses people were making about UGA football which hadn’t won since 1980… however if you look at everything UGA had/has available to them all you need is the right coach to put it together. Which they did. I’m not saying UNC can be the men’s lax equivalent of UGA but the point is that just because you’ve had some underwhelming coaching hires doesn’t mean you can’t be consistently competing for the final 4.

Look at the women’s program who is arguably the best in the country. Look at how the men made 16 Quarters and 12 final fours in 17 years from 1980-1996. Is there something UNC doesn’t have now that they had back then?

The only thing holding back UNC is the AD’s obsession with hiring “in the family”. If Tiffany or Tillman were at UNC, they would be having just as much success at Maryland or UVA.

[August]

@ Lewis. UNC should be in the top 4 hunt every year. My suggestion is to talk to the players and figure out where the disconnect is- assuming they are safe from retribution. Its not a secret when a coach loses his team. And its very hard to recapture. It can take a long time but doable if there is a little humility and honesty. Lets hope this happens. But it is laughable to suggest that UNC has a recruiting problem, Breschi is one of the best recruiters ever- and on top of that, UNC is UNC!! UNC is sideways right now and thats a fact.

[Farfromgeneva]

If everyone if going off on Breschi how about the 2017 runner up who’s getting smoked by Mich now, has run off most inbound transfers he takes in and has this record since w 1 playoff appearance and a 5-9 season in 23?

2018 Nick Myers 8–7 3–2 T–2nd
2019 Nick Myers 8–4 1–4 T–5th
2020 Nick Myers 5–2 0–0 † †
2021 Nick Myers 4–7 4–6 T–3rd
2022 Nick Myers 10–6 3–2 3rd NCAA Division I First Round
2023 Nick Myers 5–8 1–4 T–5th

[jrn19]

The conversation is silly because Joe Breschi *himself* had UNC in the conversation during the first half of his tenure. Here's Breschi's first 8 years at Carolina.

12-6 (0-3 ACC); Quarterfinals
13-3 (2-1 ACC); Quarterfinals
10-6 (1-2 ACC); First Round
11-6 (1-2 ACC); First Round
13-4 (2-1 ACC); Quarterfinals
10-5 (2-3 ACC); First Round
13-4 (3-1 ACC); Quarterfinals
12-6 (3-1 ACC); Championship

14-14 in the ACC, 14-11 after Year 1; 3 times a regular season champion in 8 years; tournament champion in 2013; their seeds were 6, 4, 8, 8, 3, 5, Un, 3, Un. For an 8 year period he had them as a consistent threat to make the Final Four. One year they did and won it all. We can absolutely poke at some of the tournament losses; 2013 where they had the huge lead and let it slip away; 2015 where they were a solid favorite over Maryland and didn't show up. Maybe should have had another Final Four in there. But if we're talking about UNC being a consistent Top 8 team and contender to make Final Fours...it's been done. Breschi did it!

And then it stopped. He reverted back to the Haus years. Maybe he can turn it around. He did have one year where he put it together within the last 8 years. It is the outlier in that frame. But he has. He has a better track record than whomever they're likely to hire as a replacement. but it's not impossible for UNC to be at least a Top 8 team year, in year out. I will say I think it's possible that it's more difficult to do it while UVA is operating at their best (history shows this to a degree.) But we've seen it done in recent years. The question is whether Breschi is the guy to get them back there or whether sticking with him will lead to more of the recent history.

[jrn19]

If everyone if going off on Breschi how about the 2017 runner up who’s getting smoked by Mich now, has run off most inbound transfers he takes in and has this record since w 1 playoff appearance and a 5-9 season in 23?

2018 Nick Myers 8–7 3–2 T–2nd
2019 Nick Myers 8–4 1–4 T–5th
2020 Nick Myers 5–2 0–0 † †
2021 Nick Myers 4–7 4–6 T–3rd
2022 Nick Myers 10–6 3–2 3rd NCAA Division I First Round
2023 Nick Myers 5–8 1–4 T–5th

He got a 5 year contract extension last year and thus it's incredibly hard to see Ohio State parting ways with him. Breschi's is up. Don't think you'd catch a lot of people running to Myers defense but there's your reason