By Chris Goldberg
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 10/4/11
Ryan Greer, who served as the associate head coach for 2011 state finalist St. Joseph’s Prep, has been named the head boys’ lacrosse coach at Abington.
Greer, who helped Ridley win two state championships and later starred at Cabrini College, takes over a program that has won five straight Suburban One championships and finished undefeated each of those years.
Greer replaces Randy McNeil, who resigned during the summer.
Greer was a two-time all-conference player at midfield during his career (1998-01) at Cabrini. Greer coached for five years as an assistant at Cabrini and helped guide the Cavaliers to five straight Pennsylvania Athletic Conference championships.
Greer was a member of Ridley’s state championship teams in 1994 and 1997 and earned all-Central League honors as a midfielder in 1996. At Cabrini, Greer was a first-team all-conference midfielder in 2000 and 2001, when he helped the Cavaliers win their first league title and defeat their first ranked opponent, No. 18 Marymount.
Upon completion of his college career, Greer was Cabrini’s No. 5 all-time scorer with 120 points, ranking seventh in goals (47) and third in assists (73).
Greer answered these questions:
What is your coaching philosophy?
Greer: “My coaching philosophy is pretty straight forward with the team. I expect the team to work hard in the classroom and on the field, while having respect for their teammates, opponents, teachers, and the community that the Abington High School jersey represents. I am very fortunate to inherit a senior laden team that will be mentors to the underclassmen to uphold the character and philosophy of the Abington Lacrosse Program.”
How have your past experiences as a coach molded you?
Greer: “I have been very lucky to have been coached by some great Philadelphia lacrosse coaches. Going through the Ridley youth and High School program which was coached by Matt Flynn (Youth), and Doug and Kevin Ellers in High School, they taught me the basics and fundamentals of lacrosse while instilling the drive to always work hard on the field.
“After a brief stint at the United States Military Academy I transferred to Cabrini College where I was coached under Pat Scarpello and then Steve Colfer, who I also coached with after graduation in 2001. Steve really influenced my Coaching philosophy and let me understand that coaching isn’t just raising your voice and barking out orders. He showed me how to teach the players more then just the game. I learned to teach young men how communicate in group settings, commit to a goal bigger then any one individual, develop their individual skills for the benefit of the team, and mature as a respectable young man.
“At St. Joe’s Prep I was lucky enough to coach under Eric Gregg. Eric showed me what it takes to build a premier high school program through hard work and love of the game. The success with Eric and SJP really gave me the drive to become a head coach, which led me to Abington.”
What are your expectations in your new job with a program that has been very successful and returns many key players?
Greer: “I am extremely lucky to be taking over such a premier program and that has a great feeder program such as the Abington Youth Lacrosse Club. I hope to build a program that makes the Abington School District and community proud, while increasing the aspirations of the youth lacrosse players in Abington to one day step into Schwarzman Stadium with an Abington High School lacrosse jersey on.
“Of course my goal is to win games, but I want to make sure that these young men are learning that hard work in the classroom, in the community, and on the field will make them better men at the end of the day! I know this year’s team has high expectations and it will be my job to help them accomplish their goals by giving them the knowledge and direction that is needed. The team and I have a lot of work to do for this season, but I know they will be up to the challenge. My expectation for the program is build upon all of the accomplishments of past teams at Abington High School, and have a long successful run into the State Playoffs.”
What type of style for offense/defense do you stress?
Greer: “On offense and defense we will probably have a few more options to utilize. Coach McNeil did a great job before me, so I really just have to build upon his teachings. I know we will be prepared for each team we will play this year, and I want the team to be comfortable in playing a fast or slow paced game. With such a senior heavy team I want us to be able capitalize on the other team’s mistakes, and play full speed for the entire game.”
