Keating leaves post at St. Joseph’s Prep with all positive vibes

By Chris Goldberg
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 10/1/08

Dan Keating feels that just about everything in his three seasons as head coach at St. Joseph’s Prep was positive.

But after accepting a new teaching job at St. Anastasia School in Newtown Square this summer, Keating was forced to resign his post after recording an impressive record of 61-22.

“The three years were great in every way,” said Keating. “The kids were fantastic, the parents were fantastic and everything worked out well.

“I never dealt with any major issues. Ultimately, the kids and parents were extra supportive and crucial in helping that program do pretty well in the last three years.”

About the only thing bad about Keating’s three years was the presence of La Salle. The Hawks fell to the mighty Explorers all three seasons in the Catholic League finals.

Last year St. Joe’s Prep gave the eventual state champions all they could handle in the Catholic League finals, holding a two-goal halftime lead before bowing, 6-5. The Hawks (22-5 overall) also reached the quarterfinals of the Eastern Pennsylvania Scholastic Lacrosse Association (EPSLA) playoffs, but then fell again to La Salle, 13-3.

St. Joe’s Prep finished seventh in the final Phillylacrosse.com Boys’ Poll.

Keating, an All-American midfielder at Episcopal Academy who graduated from Duke University in 1998, was the JV coach at Haverford School in 1994 and then accepted the head coaching job at Taft School in Connecticut in 2005.

He came to St. Joe’s Prep in 2006 and led the Hawks to the EPSLA playoffs all three years.

Keating taught history at St. Joe’s Prep in 2006, and then worked in real estate development the past two years. He decided to get back into teaching this year and took a job teaching 8th grade English at St. Anastasia.

His day at St. Anastasia ends, though, at 3:45 p.m. and it is not possible to make the commute to St. Joe’s in time for practices.

Keating, who is working toward a Master’s degree at St, Joseph’s University, has accepted a job as an assistant with defending Inter-Ac league champion Malvern Prep.