The University has now added another sports team to the list. A men’s lacrosse team will be added to the roster for the 2013 season. The University has just named Rutgers graduate, Brian Fisher, as the head coach of the first Hawks’ men’s lacrosse team.
Excited to be coaching back in New Jersey, Fisher has definitely felt the support from the University and the community already. After graduating from Rutgers, he coached their men’s lacrosse team for six years. From Rutgers, Fisher took his talents to Notre Dame where he coached before being named head coach for the Hawk’s team. “Monmouth has really gotten behind the program!” exclaimed Fisher.
Joining Fisher on the coaching staff is Andrew Geison, who graduated from the University of Maryland and earned his master’s degree at Rutgers.
After college Geison had a lot of collegiate coaching experience starting off at Rutgers. Next, he coached at Lafayette. From there, he spent four years as the head coach of DeSales University. Following that, Geison was named the first-ever head coach at Elmhurst College.
“Many coaches say that this is an ambitious endeavor that you have to have a lot of energy to do,” described Geison. “But at the same time it’s pretty fun and not a lot of people get the chance to build something from the ground up.” This mentality sums up the positive outlook that the coaching staff already has in place for the upcoming season.
“We have only been on campus for two months and there is already a sense of community and a pride within the student body and the athletic department here,” explained Fisher. One of the most important aspects is finding that right fit so the team can be included in not only the campus, but also within the community.
At this point, they are doing whatever they can to build the best men’s lacrosse team. Between watching club athletes and athletes from around the country, Geison and Fisher are also creating a prospect date and a recruiting seminar for interested athletes. This observing process will continue into the spring during the high school lacrosse season. “Knowing we don’t have our own team is a challenge,” stated Geison. “But part of the fun in the challenge is building a team.”
One of the biggest challenges they face is also being considered one of the most exciting parts of this process.
The coaching staff is working together to build a team from the ground up. It is important for them to build a strong structure on and off the field. With that said, the coaches have stressed the importance of holding the athletes accountable on the field and in the classroom.
The coaches are providing all the men on the University’s club lacrosse team an opportunity to try out. It is important for each athlete to be aware of the stronger commitment to join a division one team.
Each coach is hoping to also establish a relationship with each athlete trying out to see if they are dedicated to putting everything into the team.
Geison explained how important it is for the athletes to form a good culture, represent the University positively, do well in the classroom, be capable of making good decisions and being respected in the community.
Along with these traits, it also comes down to being a competitive athlete on and off the field. The University’s support has the men’s lacrosse team looking forward to creating and achieving success
“The Monmouth lacrosse brand will be ours once this process is all said and done,” explained Fisher.
PHOTO COURTESY of MU Photography