Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 8/28/10
From Press Releases
Alvernia University Director of Athletics Bill Stiles announced Friday the hiring of Rich Carrington as the new head coach of Men’s Lacrosse.
Carrington joins the staff after building the program at Chestnut Hill College and takes over for seven-year head coach Kevin Meany.
Carrington is eager to jump in and raise the level of a program that has yet to make a playoff appearance in its eight-year history.
“I feel extremely blessed to have the opportunity to lead Alvernia Men’s Lacrosse to new heights,” said Carrington. “Dr. Flynn and Bill Stiles fully support this program and want to see it be successful, and I am honored to be charged with that task.”
Carrington, who brought 37 new student-athletes to Chestnut Hill in the first year of the program, was excited about what Alvernia provides for the full student experience.
“Resident apartments and a beautiful turf field are just a couple of the impressive additions to Alvernia’s campus over the last two years,” noted Carrington. “This is a healthy and growing institution and we intend to field a men’s lacrosse program that matches the institution’s growth and goals. I look forward to competing in the MAC and working with Alvernia’s quality young people for a long time to come.”
Stiles is pleased with the searches that yielded a new head track and field coach in Jason Kilgore and Carrington to guide Men’s Lacrosse.
“Rich is a proven recruiter and a tireless worker with an unmatched passion for success,” said Stiles of his new coach. “We’re confident that Rich is the right man for the task of taking our men’s lacrosse program to the next level.”
Alvernia went 4-13 last year, but graduates only one senior and fielded just one junior last year. The team last year featured 13 players from Pennsylvania and two more from Wilmington, DE. The Crusaders are scheduled to open the 2011 season on Saturday, February 26 at Centenary College.
During the first year of Carrington’s tenure at Chestnut Hill, he was charged with making all administrative decisions for the program, which included scheduling the inaugural season, ordering all equipment, establishing relationships for fundraising and community service projects, and recruiting an academically suitable class. Carrington’s 37-member inaugural class represented 10 different states and Canadian provinces.
Despite being a first-year team comprised of freshmen, Carrington and his young Griffins joined the premier conference in NCAA Division II Men’s Lacrosse as associate members. The East Coast Conference schedule pitted Chestnut Hill against several nationally ranked opponents, but that did not deter the Griffins from earning four victories in their inaugural season, including wins over established programs like American International University and Neumann University.
Carrington came to Chestnut Hill by way of Mars Hill College, where he served as the assistant men’s lacrosse coach. In 2008, Carrington helped the Lions to an 11-6 finish and a 3rd place ranking in the NCAA Division II South Region. Mars Hill concluded that season with the program’s first Deep South Conference championship.
To his credit, Carrington coached a much-improved defensive unit that produced three all-conference selections and a participant in the prestigious North-South All-Star Game. Carrington is also a Mars Hill College alumnus. He competed as a four-year defensive starter for the Lions and graduated as Mars Hill’s career ground ball leader (268) — a record which stood for six years.
Carrington’s first head coaching stint came at Cape Henry Collegiate School in Virginia Beach, Virginia. There he led the boys’ varsity lacrosse team for two seasons, where he amassed a 26-14 record (13-5 vs. conference opponents).
Carrington also guided each of his lacrosse teams to the conference championship game and his 2007 squad reached the Division I State Quarterfinals. Additionally, he coached 11 all-conference performers, two all-state performers, and one All-American.
Before coaching at Cape Henry Collegiate School, Carrington served as an assistant coach and defensive coordinator at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio and Albemarle High School in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Carrington graduated from Mars Hill College in 2003 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in communications. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree at Alvernia University. He is a native of Charlottesville, Virginia and he currently resides in Conshohocken.
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