By Chris Goldberg
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 8/26/10
Dan Keating, who led Malvern Prep to a share of the Inter-Ac League championship in his first season as head boys’ lacrosse coach, has resigned to pursue a career as a college coach.
Keating said he will be taking a position as a volunteer assistant at Lehigh University. He said his goal is to become a full-time college coach.
Keating guided the Friars to a 13-8 season in 2010, when they tied for the Inter-Ac crown with nationally-ranked Haverford School. Malvern defeated the Fords in both games, Haverford’s only losses to teams from Pennsylvania.
Keating came to Malvern Prep after three seasons as coach at St. Joseph’s Prep and served as an assistant for one year under coach John McEvoy before accepting the position as head coach last summer. Keating’s top assistant, brother Mike Keating, also resigned.
“I had an outstanding experience at Malvern Prep, one year as an assistant coach and one year as a head coach,” Keating said. “I have the utmost respect and regard for the Malvern administration, and it’s very hard to walk away from the program.
“They have a very bright future and I got the chance to coach great kids. But in order for me to pursue coaching college full-time, this was the best option.”
Keating said he was proud of the team’s success last year and said Malvern has a standout group of young student-athletes.
Keating was MVP of the Inter-Ac League while playing midfield for Episcopal Academy as a senior in 1994. He later played twice in the NCAA Final Four at Duke and was head coach at Taft School (Conn.) before moving back home and to St. Joe’s Prep where he posted a record of 61-22 and took the hawks to the Catholic League title game each year,
At Lehigh, he will coach under former Duke great and US National team captain Kevin Cassese. Also on the staff at Lehigh is Duke grad and Philadelphia Wings defenseman Taylor Wray, as well as Brendan Callahan.
“When Kevin Cassese came back from England (this July in the Federation of International Lacrosse championships) I spoke with him about the position,” Keating said. “I had been thinking about coaching at the college level for three or four years and thought long and hard about this.”
Keating informed the Friar players of his decision at a team meeting Thursday night. He wished to thank people for his support at Malvern Prep and St. Joseph’s Prep.
“I got the opportunity to coach at two great schools, locally,” he said, while wishing to personally thank Malvern athletic director Curt Ruch and McEvoy.
Keating is one of three coaches of successful boys’ programs to resign this week. The others are Hatboro-Horsham’s Dave Sowers and Springfield-Delco’s Mike Friel.
