Former Naval Academy Athletic Director Capt. J.O. (Bo) Coppedge Has Passed Away At The Age Of 88

Former Naval Academy athletic director Capt. J.O. (Bo) Coppedge died on Wednesday at the Ginger Cover Health Center. He was 88.

Coppedge, who was the Director of Athletics at the Naval Academy from 1968 to 1988, oversaw unprecedented growth in the Naval Academy’s athletic department and was the first civilian to run the athletic department after he retired from active duty.

He was a 1946 graduate of the Naval Academy where he was an offensive tackle and a member of the wrestling team and a former sub commander, who famously brought his diesel-electric submarine from the deep to the surface in 1960 so his crew on the USS Tang could listen to the Army-Navy football game, a game that Navy won 17-12.

“It is with heartfelt sadness to learn of the passing of Bo,” said current Naval Academy Director of Athletics Chet Gladchuk.  “Everyone in the Naval Academy Athletic Association expresses their sincere condolences to the Coppedge family.  We hold a special appreciation for an incredible man who touched so many lives in such a magnificent way throughout his distinguished career.  Bo was an icon within intercollegiate athletic circles and would always exude the values of the Academy he loved through his outgoing and embracing personality.  To know Bo was to love Bo.  We still miss his lovely wife Ann, and now Bo’s big smile, sense of humor, favorite anecdotes, along with his gentle kindness and friendship with so many will be a memory we will always cherish.”

Coppedge served on the destroyers CHEVALIER AND COLLETT and had five years of sea duty in the submarines U.S.S. DIODON and U.S.S. BASHAW.  In August 1954, Coppedge returned to the Naval Academy as a member of the Physical Education staff and coached the plebe football team to a 15-4 record.

Coppedge served as Executive Officer of the U.S.S. GUDGEON in which he participated in the first circumnavigation of the world by a U.S. submarine in 1957-58. He then commanded the U.S.S. Tang for two years before serving for one year in the Operations Division on the Staff of the Commander Submarine Force, Pacific Fleet.

Coppedge then served as the athletic director at the Naval War College, while also earning a master’s degree in International Relations from George Washington. He next worked in the Pentagon in the Undersea Warfare Division in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations and later served as Chief of Staff Officer and Operations Officer for Commander Submarine Squadron Six, and was Commander of Submarine Division 62.

Coppedge was awarded the World War II Victory Medal, American Campaign Medal, China Service Medal (Extended), Navy Occupation Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal with Bronze Star, Korean Service Medal and the United Nations Service Medal.

Coppedge was hired as the athletic director in 1968 as an active duty captain and retired from active duty in 1970 after 25 years of service.  He earned the Navy Distinguished Public Service Medal in 1979, which is the highest award the Secretary of the Navy can bestow on a non-federal employee.

In his 20 years as the Director of Athletics at Navy, the Midshipmen went to three bowl games (the 1978 Holiday Bowl, the 1980 Garden State Bowl and the 1981 Liberty Bowl) and appeared in three NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournaments (1985, 1986 and 1987), including the 1986 Navy Basketball team that made it to the Elite 8 and is widely considered the greatest basketball team in school history and was led by Player of the Year David Robinson.  The Midshipmen produced 37 All-Americans in Coppedge’s tenure and he added 12 varsity sports to the athletic department.

Coppedge served as chairman of the NCAA Classification Committee, chairman of the NCAA Television Committee and chairman of the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship Committee.

As a midshipman he lettered in football and wrestling. He played both ways at tackle in football and helped lead Navy to a 7-1-1 record in 1945. As a wrestler, he was a member of two Eastern Championship teams.

Plans for services are incomplete. Visitation likely will be held next week at the Taylor Funeral Home in Annapolis followed by services at the Naval Academy.

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - I hope those watching the 113th Army/Navy game Saturday afternoon didn’t come away from the game thinking “if (Navy QB) Keenan Reynolds is doing this already, imagine what he could do for the next three years.”

It’s not as if it isn’t possible that the true freshman from Antioch, TN doesn’t have grand heights attainable during his next three years of eligibility in Annapolis. It’s just that when a teenager accomplishes what Reynolds did Saturday at Lincoln Financial Field, it deserves to stand alone without any future context.

The United States Naval Academy has made wins over the United States Military Academy a bit of habit in recent years, claiming 11 straight victories. Most haven’t been quite as gut-wrenching as Saturday’s 17-13 victory.

Before Saturday, Navy hadn’t trailed Army in the fourth quarter of any game since 2001-the year Army last defeated the Midshipmen. This time the contest moved past the midway point of the fourth quarter with the Black Knights not only leading Navy 13-10, but also in possession of the football inside the Navy 20 yard line.

It was a situation wholly unprecedented for any Navy player, but it would take only eight plays for the nervous energy hanging over the Brigade of Midshipmen to turn into an exuberant celebration. More importantly, it would take four particularly key plays from Reynolds that won’t soon by forgotten by military faithful. It would take an uncommon level of confidence, moxie and ability from a young man his age to make it happen.

“Before the drive started, I told the guys, ‘this is the one’” Reynolds explained after the game. “We have to go down and score. They all looked at me and were like, ‘Let’s go!’”

“Keenan comes in, uses his man voice and calls the play, and does a really good job” WR Brandon Turner added. “And the way he talks and the way his huddle prescense is, because I played quarterback in high school so I know how important that is to what extent, he makes you want to believe in him.”

Facing 4th & 5 from the Navy 19 yard line, Army chose to trot out K Eric Osteen for a 37 yard field goal attempt instead of attempting a conversion that would leave them tantalizingly close to a game sealing touchdown. The kick would sail wide left and give the Midshipmen the ball back with 6:57 to play. The Mids would immediately find trouble, but Reynolds connected with Geoffrey Whiteside for 10 yards on 3rd & 8 to reverse fortune and gain momentum. He wouldn’t look back.

Two plays later, Reynolds escaped a crowded pocket and juked a defender before tip-toeing down the right sideline to gain 11 yards and another first down. He then through a beautiful downfield ball to Turner that the 6’4″ receiver would easily haul in 49 yards downfield to set up a 1st and goal from the Army 8 yard line. The receiver would later describe the throw as the best he had received from Reynolds all season.

On the very next play, Reynolds waltzed into the endzone on a quarterback follow to punctuate an incredible game-turning drive and fully etch his name in Army-Navy lore.

The situation was unusual for Navy against Army, but it wasn’t the first time in Reynolds’ short tenure as Navy’s starting quarterback that he was faced with adversity. In fact, Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo said after the game he wasn’t surprised at all by the remarkable heroics of the game’s Most Valuable Player.

“If he can come into the Air Force game down by eight in the fourth quarter with eight minutes left at their place and have clear eyes and not miss a beat and not seem nervous, I don’t know if he can be in a tougher situation.”

Reynolds worked mop-up duty for the Mids in early season blowout losses to Notre Dame (in Dublin, Ireland) and at Penn State. He entered a hopeless situation in the 4th quarter of a shutout loss to San Jose State in the Mids’ fourth game of the season as well. But he didn’t officially become the Naval Academy’s starting quarterback until the Midshipmen were desperate.

Sitting at 1-3 on the season, the Midshipmen found themselves 9:03 away from losing grip on their most significant preseason goals in Colorado Springs, CO October 6. They trailed Air Force 21-13, with a loss assuring they could not win back the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy from the Falcons and meaning they would have to finish the season 5-2 just to get bowl eligible. Niumatalolo benched then starter Trey Miller in favor of Reynolds, who quickly navigated a six play, 75 yard drive that would tie things up after a two point conversion by FB Noah Copeland. Reynolds would put together another TD drive in overtime to finish off the Falcons and completely turn Navy’s season around.

Niumatalolo described Navy’s win Saturday as “indicative of the season” they had. Perhaps in no way more than in the resolution of their freshman quarterback. When everything mattered most, the young man was absolutely unflappable.

Keenan Reynolds isn’t even yet 19 years old.

It’s hard to fathom the type of poise it took to author a comeback. It’s hard to put into words the intensity of an Army/Navy game. It’s hard to imagine a young man roughly six months removed from prom clinging to the term “I.M.A.N-It’s Not About Me” in the waining moments to give his team salvation. (Reynolds said I.M.A.N. has been a rallying cry for the entire Navy football program this season.)

“There’s something about the kid, and just the way he led us on that last drive, it was unbelievable” Turner described. “In one of the biggest games as a freshman, he came in and beat one of the better Army teams the last few years. That’s incredible. That’s remarkable.”

I couldn’t say it any better.

-G

ANNAPOLIS, Md. –  Four games against teams who qualified for the 2012 NCAA Championship highlight the 2013 Navy men’s lacrosse schedule released by second-year head coach Rick Sowell on Tuesday.  Additionally, Navy will play host to six home games played at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, including its April 5 contest against NCAA finalist Maryland.

“We are excited about the challenge our 2013 schedule presents,” said Sowell, who guided the Midshipmen to a 6-6 record in his first season and featured wins over nationally-ranked Colgate and Johns Hopkins.  “Parity in Division I lacrosse is at an all-time high and we’ll need to be on top of our game each and every week.”

The Midshipmen kick off their spring season with a pair of scrimmages on the road against two of the most successful programs in recent memory.  Navy will battle Duke, a team who has played in six consecutive NCAA Tournaments and was a semifinalist a year ago, in Durham on Jan. 26.  Meanwhile, the Mids are set to take on Virginia in Charlottesville on Feb. 2 in their final preseason tune-up.  Virginia has earned the second-most NCAA Tournament invitations with 35, including dates to the Dance in each of the last eight years, and has won five National Championships.

For the sixth consecutive year, Navy will play its season opener against VMI when the two teams face off on Feb. 9 at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.  Last year attackmen Tucker Hull (Charlotte, N.C.) and Sam Jones (Annapolis, Md.) combined for 17 points, including 11 goals, as the Mids scored a 14-7 victory over the Keydets.

The Midshipmen will play the first of two new opponents on its 2013 schedule with a Friday, Feb. 15 contest against Detroit in Annapolis.  The Titans are in their fifth year as a Div. I program, returning 35 members from a squad that posted a 6-9 record and was the No. 2 seed in the MAAC Tournament last spring.

Just four days later, Navy will make the trek to Fairfield, Conn. to battle the Stags in a midweek meeting at Lessing Field in the inaugural meeting between the two programs.  Fairfield, which was elevated to a varsity program in 1993, won a program-record 12 games in 2012 and twice reached a program-best national ranking of 13th during the year.  For the second consecutive season the Stags upset the second seed to advance to the ECAC Championship Game, where it fell to eventual National Champion Loyola.

The Fairfield contest kicks off three consecutive road games for the Midshipmen.  Following it’s Tuesday matchup against the Stags, Navy rekindles its series with Georgetown on Sunday, Feb. 24.  A scheduling glitch in moving Patriot League foe Lehigh from a week day to a weekend pushed the annual tilt between the Mids and Hoyas off last spring’s schedule.  The two will pick the series in Washington, D.C., meeting for the 23rd time overall and the 23rd time in the last 24 years.

“I’ve always enjoyed adding new teams to the schedule and the addition of teams such as up-and-coming Detroit, as well as Fairfield, who is coming off the program’s most successful season and past rival Georgetown, we will have our hands full leading up to Patriot League play.  This will be a real test and prepare us for league play, a league that by all accounts is the best it has ever been.”

The Midshipmen begin their quest for the program’s sixth Patriot League title when they travel to Lewisburg, Pa. on Saturday, March 2.  Navy will face Bucknell in their league opener for the fifth time overall and the fourth time in the last five years.  While Navy holds a 7-5 advantage, six of the 10 league matchups have been decided by one goal, including five of the last six.

Navy plays its next three games over the course of just eight days with two of the three contests played in Annapolis.  Kicking things off will be a March 9 contest at home against Lafayette, a program Navy owns a 13-1 series record against.  Three days later (March 12), the Mids will briefly step away from Patriot League action to play host toTowson.  Last year the Mids outscored the Tigers 5-1 in the third period to overcome a 2-1 halftime deficit and go on to win by a 10-6 decision.

Navy plays its final game over the eight-day span on the road, traveling to Worcester, Mass. to face Patriot League foe Holy Cross.  The Mids staged a strong second half effort on both ends of the field outscoring the Crusaders 5-1 in the second half and holding them scoreless for the final 26 minutes of the contest en route to a 13-7 win.

Like the Bucknell series, the annual Navy-Colgate matchup has turned into its own rivalry.  Though the Mids have a handle on the series with an 11-4 advantage, the last five games have proven to be nail-biters with each of the last five meetings decided by a goal.  Last year Sam Jones slipped the defense on the crease, scoring the game-winner with 3.4 seconds left and leading the Midshipmen to a 12-11 victory over 12th-ranked Colgate.  The Raiders went on to finish the season with a 14-4 record and played their way into the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

This year’s Navy-Colgate matchup is slated to be played at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Md. on March 23 as part of the 2013 Konica Minolta Face-Off Classic.  The Konica Minolta Face-Off Classic will feature the Mids and Raiders in the opener at 2:00 pm, followed by Virginia vs. Johns Hopkins at 4:30 pm.

“We are thrilled to participate in the 2013 Konica Minolta Face Off Classic,” added Sowell.  “To have the opportunity to play before a national audience at such a premier venue, M&T Bank Stadium, against a strong conference opponent is what every coach asks for.  Colgate had a great season last year and returns a very good team in 2013, if not better than the quarterfinal team of 2012.  If this game is anything like last year’s, then the fans are in for a real treat.”

Navy will travel to Lehigh on March 30 in what will be the fourth game played in Bethlehem between the two programs in the last five years.  Traditionally played in the middle of the week, the two programs made the decision to move the game to a Saturday for the first time since Navy joined the league in 2004.  The Mids own a 28-3 series advantage against the Mountain Hawks who a year ago finished 14-3 and earned an NCAA Tournament berth by way of winning the Patriot League Tournament.

Fans have been treated to some great battles between Maryland and Navy over the last decade and on April 5 the rivalry will continue as the two meet at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.  While the two programs have met 87 times, they have battled in each of the last 67 years which is the second-longest continuous series Navy has with another team (Army, 80-consecutive years).  Eight of the last 14 games between the two have been decided by one goal, while five of the last seven battles in Annapolis have been decided by two or fewer goals.

One of the sport’s longest and most cherished rivalries, the Army-Navy Star Game will be played on Saturday, April 13 at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis in what will be the 92nd meeting between the two service academies.  The Mids own a 57-31-3 series advantage, including wins in 14 of the last 19 games.

“Having a chance to experience the intense Army-Navy rivalry on the road last season, I could not be more excited to play this game at Navy Marine Memorial Stadium before the entire Brigade and our passionate Navy lacrosse faithful, said Sowell.”

For the 10th straight year, Navy will close out the regular season by facing Johns Hopkins on April 20.  After losing 36 consecutive games to the Blue Jays from 1975-2009, the Midshipmen have taken two of the last three from Johns Hopkins including an 8-2 route in Annapolis last spring.  Navy, though, has not been able to enjoy a win at Homewood Field since 1969 when the Mids claimed a 9-6 win in Baltimore.

Finally, the four-team Patriot League Tournament is slated to be played April 26-28 at the site of the highest seed.  Since joining the league in 2004, the Midshipmen have played host to four of the eight tournaments and have claimed the title five times.  Navy owns an 11-2 all-time record in the Patriot League Tournament.

“The Patriot League has established itself as one of the toughest conferences in Division I,” said Sowell.  “Each of our Patriot League games will be intense and hard-fought battles.  Our focus will be to take one game at a time with the goal of competing in the NCAA Tournament as Patriot League Champions.”

Navy’s television schedule was unavailable at press time and will be released at a later date.

ANNAPOLIS, Md.—The Navy football team conducted its first full scrimmage of fall camp on Saturday afternoon in front of approximately 3,000 fans at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.

“It’s fortunate we still have three weeks to go before our first game, because we still have a ways to go,” said Navy head football coach Ken Niumatalolo.  “We got a lot of good work in, over 100 snaps, and we were able to evaluate a lot of players. We were substituting in a bunch of people today and that hurts your chemistry at times but today was a big evaluation day for us.

Junior quarterback Trey Miller completed 13 of his 19 pass attempts for 123 yards and one touchdown, while rushing for 32 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries to lead the offense.  His touchdown pass was a 26-yard strike to senior slot back John Howell down the middle of the field.

Freshman quarterback Keenan Reynolds completed four of his nine pass attempts for 40 yards, while sophomore quarterback John Hendrick was 1-6 for eight yards.  Reynolds rushed for just four yards on six carries, while Hendrick had 10 rushing yards on six carries.

“The quarterbacks still have a lot of work to do,” said Niumatalolo.  “Today was good for them to get used to game management.

Senior fullback Prentice Christian had 113 yards rushing on 10 carries, including a 52-yard touchdown run, while sophomore fullback Noah Copeland rushed for 68 yards on seven carries, including a 52-yard touchdown run.  Senior slot back Gee Gee Greene scored on a 10-yard run on his only carry of the day.

All told, the offense ran 107 plays (73 rushes, 34 passes) for 560 yards (389 rushing, 171 passing) and scored five touchdowns on the day (4 rushing and 1 passing).

Senior linebackers John Michael Nurthen (seven tackles, tackle for a loss and a sack) and Matt Warrick (seven tackles) led the defense, while sophomore defensive end Paul Quessenberry had six tackles, a tackle for a loss and a sack.

Senior linebacker Brye French, junior outside linebacker DJ Sargenti, junior linebacker Cody Peterson and junior nose guard Barry Dabney all had five tackles apiece, with Dabney also recording a tackle for a loss.

The Mids will conduct their final two-a-day practice on Monday at 8:00 AM and 4:00 and will then practice Tuesday-Thursday at 4:00 PM at the Naval Academy.  The team will hold a second scrimmage on Friday at 2:00 PM, but this one will be closed to the general public.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Navy men’s basketball head coach Ed DeChellis  has announced that Kendrick Saunders will join the Navy coaching staff, replacing Jason Crafton, who took the head coaching job at Division II Nyack College last month. Saunders comes to Navy after spending the last two years on the staff at Princeton.

“Kendrick is an outstanding coach who possesses the ambition, work ethic and values that are important to be successful,” said Navy second-year head coach Ed DeChellis. “He will be very instrumental in recruiting quality student-athletes here at Navy. He brings a wealth of experience and expertise in recruiting and coaching at a service academy and we are excited to have him on our staff.”

“I am excited to become part of the United States Naval Academy and its basketball program. Navy is a special place and one of the great institutions in America,” said Saunders. “I am very familiar with the standards and mission and have an understanding of the special people and students that make up the Naval Academy family. Being from Maryland, I am excited to be back and have an understanding of the prestige of the Naval Academy.”

Saunders was the director of basketball operations at Princeton the last two seasons, helping the Tigers to the 2011 Ivy League Championship and NCAA Tournament berth, where Princeton would lose in the second round to eventual Final Four participant Kentucky, 57-53. During the 2011-12 season, Princeton finished with a 20-12 record, reached the CBI Tournament quarterfinals and finished third in the Ivy League with a 10-4 league mark.

Prior to his arrival at Princeton, Saunders served as an assistant coach at Army from the 2006-10 seasons, spending five years under Army head coach Jim Crews.

Saunders arrived at West Point following a two-year stint at Frostburg State University in Frostburg, Md., where he was a member of Webb Hatch’s staff. During his last year at Frostburg State, the Bobcats compiled a 14-12 mark. Prior to his tenure at Frostburg, Saunders spent four years as the top assistant at Hunter College in New York City, where he coordinated the team’s recruiting efforts, monitored players’ academic progress and managed the preseason conditioning program.

A 1998 graduate of Palm Beach Atlantic College in West Palm Beach, Fla., Saunders earned a bachelor’s degree in history with a minor in physical education. He played point guard and served as the team captain during his senior season. Saunders embarked upon his coaching career immediately upon graduation, serving a one-year stint as an assistant basketball coach at his scholastic alma mater, Great Mills High School in Great Mills, Md., before moving on to Hunter College.

Saunders, an assistant coach for the Gotham City Knights of the National Rookie League during the summer of 2000, has also been a counselor at a host of summer camps, including the heralded Five-Star Camp.

Saunders and his wife Janice have two sons, Alexavier (5) and Hezekiah (3).

FOXBOROUGH, MASS. — Furman University director of athletics Dr. Gary Clark announced today that U.S. men’s national senior team coach Richie Meade has been named the school’s first men’s head lacrosse coach.

The announcement was made by Clark and Furman president Rod Smolla at a press conference at Gillette Stadium, site of the 2012 NCAA Division I Men’s Lacrosse Championship.

Furman, a private, co-educational university of 2,700 students in Greenville, S.C., and member of the Southern Conference, announced on Feb. 9 that it would add men’s and women’s lacrosse to its Division I athletics program.  The teams will begin varsity competition by the 2014-15 academic year.

“Richie Meade is the ideal person to jump start our new men’s lacrosse program at Furman,” Clark said.  “He sports a tremendous combination of experience and leadership to help grow lacrosse in a non-traditional area of the country.  We are thrilled to have Richie join the Furman family.”

Said Meade, “My family and I are very excited with the opportunity to join the Furman community. I am grateful to President Smolla and Gary Clark for their faith and trust in me.  We will build our program with integrity, substance, and toughness.  Our goal will be to compete with passion, skill and honor, and to graduate individuals who will make a difference in the world and reflect the values of a great American university.”

Meade was named head coach of the U.S. men’s national senior team by US Lacrosse in December. He is the 12th head coach in the history of the men’s senior team program, and he will lead Team USA in its title defense at the 2014 Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL) World Championship in Denver, Colo., July 10-19.

“We are very pleased that such a well-respected and highly qualified coach as Richie Meade has agreed to lead our men’s lacrosse program,” said Smolla.  “His connections in the sport are unparalleled, and he has enjoyed great success in coaching and recruiting at the national level.  We welcome Richie and his family to the Furman community, and we look forward to seeing the men’s lacrosse program grow and prosper under his guidance.”

A 35-year veteran of collegiate coaching, Meade most recently served as head coach for the United States Naval Academy men’s team from 1994-2011, where he led the Midshipmen to a 142-97 (.589) record. In his 21-year career as a head coach, including four years at the University of Baltimore, Meade compiled a 162-120 (.585) ledger.

During Meade’s head coaching tenure at Navy, his teams claimed five Patriot League regular season and tournament titles, appeared in seven NCAA tournaments, and racked up 39 All-America citations. In 2004, Navy advanced to the national championship game and Meade was honored with the Morris Touchstone Memorial Award as National Coach of the Year. He also was twice named Patriot League Coach of the Year (2004 & ’07).

Meade began his coaching career as an assistant at Duke University in 1977. Following a two-year stint in Durham, he moved on to the University of North Carolina, where he served as an assistant for one year before accepting his first head coaching job at the University of Baltimore (1980-83).  In 1984 he was named defensive coordinator at Navy (1984-88) before returning to Chapel Hill (1989-90) for a two-year stint as offensive coordinator.  He accepted the same post, as well as an instructor’s role in physical education, at the United States Military Academy in 1991, remaining there for three seasons, before returning to Navy as head coach in 1994, becoming the seventh lacrosse mentor in school history.

In addition his coaching duties with the Midshipmen, he also served as a tenured professor of physical education and is a Senior Fellow at the Vice Admiral James B. Stockdale Center for Ethical Leadership at the Naval Academy.

He has served the sport in a variety of administrative positions, including the U.S. Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association Rules Advisory Committee, U.S. Lacrosse Men’s Coaches Council, and NCAA Rules and Equipment Committee.  Since 2005, he has been president of the Intercollegiate Men’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IMLCA) and over the last two years has served as executive director of the Wounded Warrior Project Lacrosse.

A native of Williston Park, N.Y., Meade attended and played lacrosse at Nassau (N.Y.) Community College.  He then transferred to the University of North Carolina, from which he graduated with a B.A. in 1976 with a degree in parks and recreation administration.  He later added an M.S. from UNC in 1979.

Meade is a member of both the New York Metropolitan Long Island Lacrosse Hall of Fame and University of Baltimore Athletic Hall of Fame.

He and his wife, Sue, have three daughters:  Jillian, Shannon Grace, and Cassidy.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING ABOUT FURMAN’S RICHIE MEADE… 

“Richie Meade represents everything that is good about college lacrosse. Furman University hit a home run. Coach Meade is a well-respected individual that brings instant credibility to Furman. He is an outstanding coach, strong recruiter and dynamic leader. Most importantly, he is a tremendous human being. Hats off to Furman for recognizing what a special individual Coach Meade is.”

Dave Pietramala
Men’s Lacrosse Coach
Johns Hopkins University

“The announcement of Furman adding Division I men’s lacrosse was exciting to all who love the game and want to witness its growth. The hiring of Coach Meade shows great conviction and dedication by Furman to get the absolute best lacrosse man possible to lead that charge.  I am thrilled for Richie, his family, the university, and all of lacrosse, that this great coach is back in the college game.”

Bill Tierney
Men’s Lacrosse Coach
University of Denver
National Lacrosse Hall of Fame Inductee

“Rarely does a start-up program have the chance to hire someone with the experience and ability of Richie Meade. Furman University is fortunate to have a proven winner, a man of integrity and a committed leader like Richie.”

Kevin Corrigan
Men’s Lacrosse Coach
University of Notre Dame

“Furman is not only hiring one of the best lacrosse coaches of all time, but they are hiring one of the best leaders, a tremendous motivator and a wonderful person. You build a program from the ground floor up and this foundation with Coach Meade is rock solid. I couldn’t be happier for both Furman and Coach Meade.”

David Cottle
Chesapeake Bayhawks (MLL)

“Furman University has hit a home run with this hire.  No one is more capable of building a Division 1 lacrosse program from scratch to national prominence than coach Meade.  He is one of the most respected coaches in lacrosse.  He is a proven winner and, most importantly, a leader, teacher and mentor of young men.  Coach Meade’s passion for and commitment to developing leaders of integrity who are also athletes will reverberate across the Furman campus in the same manner that it did at the Naval Academy. I congratulate the search committee on their excellent choice of coach Meade to lead the Furman lacrosse program.”

Dr. Tom Virgets
Senior Associate Athletics Director/ Head Physical Education
United States Naval Academy

“Richie Meade, USA Team head coach, is arguably the best collegiate lacrosse coach in the country.  With the hiring of Coach Meade to head up its new program, Furman University has stamped its name on the lacrosse collegiate landscape in a most prominent way.  He is an absolute winner. The boys who will experience his leadership will be better men for it and Furman, as time passes, will be increasingly proud to call Richie Meade their head lacrosse coach.”

Coach Jack Emmer
National Lacrosse Hall of Fame Inductee

“This is absolutely a tremendous hire by Furman University!  Richie Meade is one of the most respected, admired and revered men’s lacrosse coaches in the history of our sport. Furman lacrosse has just now burst onto the Division 1 lacrosse world. For Furman to land the next Team USA head job is just brilliant. The future of Paladin lacrosse could not be brighter. I am so happy for Richie, his family, and Furman athletics.”

Mike Pressler
Men’s Lacrosse
Coach Bryant Univeristy
Head Coach, Team USA 2010

“Furman’s hiring of Richie Meade as its lacrosse coach is great news for the sport of lacrosse and also for one of college lacrosse’s most respected coaches. The announcement of a new Division I lacrosse program in South Carolina at a school with Furman’s athletic reputation is a positive step in the growth of the men’s game. Having Richie Meade as the individual responsible for the leadership of a start-up program is another positive in ensuring that Furman lacrosse is in most capable hands.  I think the kids who compete for Furman will benefit by having Richie as their coach.  The people involved in anything you do are the most important and significant factors.  Richie will get good kids. Their experience as undergraduates and lacrosse players will be enhanced by studying at Furman and having a coach like Richie Meade.”

Willie Scroggs
Senior Associate Athletics Director
University of North Carolina
National Lacrosse Hall of Fame Inductee

“Furman’s announcement that coach Meade has been hired to lead the men’s lacrosse program is evidence of the excellence that is a hallmark of the university. Coach Meade brings national credibility to the upstart Furman program, and it is the perfect pairing of a coach whose integrity and coaching prowess have turned young men into leaders and a university whose priorities and goals are perfectly aligned with the coach.  It is a great match.”

Dan Einstein
Furman Lacrosse Advisory Committee

Naval Academy Announces Major Athletic Award Winners

ANNAPOLIS, Md.– The United States Naval Academy announced its major athletic award winners Thursday morning at the annual Prizes and Awards Ceremony at Alumni Hall.

Cody Rome (Eagle, Idaho), a member of the cross country and track & field teams, was awarded the NAAA Sword for Men which is presented to that man of the graduating class who is considered by the Association’s Athletic Council to have personally excelled in men’s athletics during his years of varsity competition.

Rome is a five-time Patriot League track & field champion and a six-time runner-up.  He is the school record holder in the 3,000 meters and helped lead the Mids to four Patriot League cross country titles and two track & field titles.  He is a three-time All-Patriot League selection in cross country and was a 2011 CoSIDA Second-Team Academic All-American.   Rome was also the 2011 and 2012 Patriot League Indoor Track & Field Scholar-Athlete of the Year and a three-time NCAA track & field regional qualifier.

Rome is just the sixth dual cross country/track & field athlete to win in the 121-year history of the award and the first since Aaron Lanzel in 2003.

Other nominees for the NAAA Sword for Men included Andrew Faulk (gymnastics), Mark Meyer (swimming), Jabaree Tuani (football) and RJ Wickham (lacrosse).

Jess Palacio (Sun Valley, Nev.) of the cross country and track & field teams was awarded the Vice Admiral Lawrence Sword for Women, which is presented to that woman of the graduating class who is considered by the Association’s Athletic Council to have personally excelled in women’s athletics during her years of varsity competition.

Palacio earned 12 varsity letters and 10 N-Stars in her career on the cross country, indoor and outdoor track & field teams.  Earning 2012 Women’s Indoor Track Second-Team All-America honors in the mile, she in the program’s first indoor women’s track All-American.  Palacio holds five middle distance school records in track and field and is a four-time Patriot League Track-Athlete of the Meet.  She won 11 Patriot League individual track titles and helped lead the Mids to three track & field titles and two cross country titles in her career.  She was a Three-Time First-Team All-Patriot League selection in cross country and was the 2011 Patriot League Cross Country Individual Champion.

Palacio is the fourth dual cross country/track & field athlete to win the award in its 33-year history and the first since Amy Baxter in 2001.

Kierstin King from the women’s lacrosse team was also nominated.

Andrew Faulk (San Antonio, Texas) of the gymnastics team won the Thompson Trophy Cup, which is presented to that midshipman, male or female, who has done the most during the year to promote athletics at the Naval Academy.

Faulk, the gymnastics team captain, won 2012 ECAC titles in the all-around, pommel horse, parallel bars and high bar and was named the ECAC Gymnast of the Year.  He placed 13th in the all-around competition at the 2012 NCAA Championship and was one of six finalists for the Nissen-Emery Award, which is presented to the nation’s top senior gymnast.  He was ranked in the To 10 in the country in all-around average and finished first in the all-around competition in seven different meets.

Faulk is just the second gymnast to win in the 125-year history of the award and the first since N.C. Gillette in 1913.

Other nominees for the award included John Dowd (football) and Taylor Reynolds (lacrosse).

Will Race (Claremont, N.H.) of the men’s rowing team was awarded the men’s Coaches’ Calvert Award, which recognizes a graduating varsity letterwinner who displayed leadership, consistent effort, loyalty and dedication to the sport and who has taken their abilities beyond the expectations of the coach, peers and themselves.

Race was a three-year letterwinner and a member of Navy’s varsity eight boat.  This season he helped the varsity eight to a fifth-place finish in the Eastern Sprints, Navy’s best finish since 2004.  As a sophomore, Race helped the varsity eight to an eighth-place finish at the 2010 IRA National Championship.  He was selected to the under 23 U.S. National Rowing team where he rowed in the four without coxswain boat at the World Rowing Under 23 Championship in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Race is the fifth member of the rowing team to win in the 40-year history of the award and the first since Dean Phillips in 1997.

Erin Edwards (Hockessin, Del.) of the women’s basketball team was awarded the women’s Coaches’ Calvert Award, which recognizes a graduating varsity letterwinner who displayed leadership, consistent effort, loyalty and dedication to the sport and who has taken their abilities beyond the expectations of the coach, peers and themselves.

Edwards helped lead Navy to back-to-back Patriot League Championships including the school’s first women’s basketball championship in 2010.  Over her last two seasons, Edwards started 52 games and scored 329 points. Edwards, who was the 2011-12 team captain, improved her game as a senior scoring in double figures eight times after scoring in double figures only eight times her first three seasons combined.  She led the Patriot League in three-point field goal percentage both as a junior and senior.

Edwards is just the second women’s basketball player in the 23-year history of the award to be recognized and the first since Jennifer Bombinski in 2001.

BALTIMORE, May 23, 2012 – The 2012 induction class for the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame has been approved by the US Lacrosse Board of Directors. This year’s eight-person class will be officially inducted in a ceremony Saturday, Oct. 20, at The Grand Lodge in Hunt Valley, Md.

The 2012 induction class is comprised of Jen Adams, Roy Colsey, Brian Dougherty, Missy Foote, Kelly Amonte Hiller, Jesse Hubbard, Tim Nelson, and Cindy Timchal.

The National Lacrosse Hall of Fame, a program of US Lacrosse, was established in 1957 to honor men and women who by their deeds as players, coaches, officials and/or contributors, and by the example of their lives, personify the great contribution of lacrosse to our way of life. More than 350 lacrosse greats are honored in the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame, which is located with the Lacrosse Museum at US Lacrosse Headquarters in Baltimore.

Brief bios for this year’s inductees follow, with more detailed career bios listed further below:

Jen Adams
Adams will be inducted as a truly great player. She enjoyed a record-setting four-year playing career at the University of Maryland from 1998-2001, during which time she earned first-team All-America honors three times and won the Tewaaraton Award as a senior. Adams was named the national player of the year and the national attacker of the year by the IWLCA three times, winning each award in 1999, 2000 and 2001. She concluded her career as Maryland’s all-time leader in goals, assists, and points, and helped lead the Terrapins to four straight NCAA national championships from 1998-2001. A native of Australia, Adams also played for the Australian national team in 2001, 2005 and 2009 and earned All-World honors twice. She is currently serving in her fourth year as head women’s lacrosse coach at Loyola University Maryland.

Roy Colsey
Colsey will be inducted as a truly great player. He was a four-time All-American at Syracuse University from 1992-1995 following a standout prep career at Yorktown (N.Y.) High School. Colsey earned first-team All-America honors in each of his last three collegiate seasons after earning third-team honors as a freshman. He received the USILA’s McLaughlin Award in 1995 as the national midfielder of the year, and also was selected for the North-South All-Star Game as a senior. He led Syracuse to the NCAA national championship in 1993 and 1995. Colsey also played nine seasons (2000-2008) professionally in Major League Lacrosse and earned all-star honors four times. He was the MLL’s Championship MVP in 2006. Colsey also was a member of the 2006 U.S. Men’s National Team.

Brian Dougherty
Dougherty will be inducted as a truly great player. He was a two-time, first-team All-American at the University of Maryland (1993-1996), earning the award in his junior and senior seasons. Dougherty was a two-time recipient of the USILA’s Ensign C. Markland Kelly Jr. Award as the nation’s top goalkeeper (1995, 1996) and was named the Lt. Raymond Enners Award winner as the nation’s outstanding player in 1995. In addition, he was MVP of the 1995 NCAA Championship after leading Maryland to a second place finish. Dougherty played nine professional seasons in Major League Lacrosse and was an MLL All-Star six times and the MLL’s Goalie of the Year three times. He also won two World Championships as a member of the U.S. Men’s National Team in 1998 and 2010.

Missy Foote
Foote will be inducted as a truly great coach. She completed her 31st season as head coach at Middlebury (Vt.) College in 2012, and has a career winning percentage of nearly 80 percent. Foote has guided Middlebury to the NCAA Division III national championship five times (1997, 1999, 2001, 2002 and 2004) and has recorded four perfect seasons. Under her guidance, Middlebury has recorded seven conference championships and made 14 straight trips to the NCAA national semifinals from 1994-2007. She has been recognized as the IWLCA national coach of the year five times. Foote also served as an assistant coach with the U.S. Women’s Developmental Team from 2005-09, and a member of the NCAA Division III Women’s Lacrosse Committee from 2003-06.

Kelly Amonte Hiller
Amonte Hiller will be inducted as a truly great player. Amonte Hiller was a four-time All-American at the University of Maryland, earning first-team honors in 1994, 1995 and 1996 after receiving second team honors as a freshman in 1993. She helped to lead the Terrapins to the NCAA national championship in 1995 and 1996, and was named the national defensive player of the year in 1995 and the national offensive player of the year in 1996. She was chosen as the Atlantic Coast Conference’s (ACC) Female Athlete of the Year in 1996. Amonte Hiller is a three-time member of the U.S. Women’s National Team (1997, 2001, 2005), and was selected to the All-World Team in 2005. She is currently serving in her 11th season as head women’s lacrosse coach at Northwestern University.

Jesse Hubbard
Hubbard will be inducted as a truly great player. Hubbard was a three-time All-American at Princeton (N.J.) University, earning first-team honors in 1996 and 1998 and second-team honors in 1997. He helped lead the Tigers to three straight NCAA national championships (1996, 1997, 1998) and four consecutive Ivy League titles during his career. Hubbard also earned All-Ivy League recognition three times, and was named the league’s player of the year as a sophomore in 1996 when he established a new school record with 53 goals in a season. He finished his career as Princeton’s all-time leader in goals scored (163) and second in career points (211). He was a member of the 1998 U.S. National Team that won the world championship, and played professionally for three indoor seasons and eight outdoor seasons. He was a six-time all-star in Major League Lacrosse (2001-2006) and the MLL’s leading scorer three times (2001-2003).

Tim Nelson
Nelson will be inducted as a truly great player. He was a three-time first-team All-American (1983, 1984, 1985) at Syracuse (N.Y.) University after transferring from North Carolina State University following his freshman season. In addition, Nelson was awarded the USILA’s Lt. Col. Jack Turnbull Award as the national attackman of the year three times (1983, 1984 and 1985). Syracuse won the NCAA national championship in 1983 and finished as the national runner-up during Nelson’s junior and senior seasons in 1984 and 1985. Nelson also was selected for the USILA’s North-South All-Star Game in 1985, and recognized on the NCAA’s Silver Anniversary Team in 1995.

Cindy Timchal
Timchal will be inducted as a truly great coach. Timchal is the all-time winningest coach in NCAA women’s lacrosse history, with a 412-108 career record in 30 seasons as a head coach through 2012. She is the only women’s lacrosse coach to lead three different teams to the NCAA tournament, having done so previously with Northwestern University and the University of Maryland in addition to her current team, the U.S. Naval Academy. Timchal has won the NCAA national championship eight times (1992, 1995-2001) – all at Maryland – and made her 24th NCAA tournament appearance in 2012, the most all-time among coaches. She was named the IWLCA’s national coach of the year in 1999, was the ACC’s coach of the year four times (1999, 2000, 2001, and 2003) and recognized as the head coach on the NCAA’s 25th Anniversary Team in 2006.

A fuller listing of each inductees accomplishments follows below:

Jen Adams – Player 
• Four-year college player at University of Maryland (1998-2001)
• First-team All-American (1999, 2000 and 2001)
• Tewaaraton Award winner (2001)
• National Player of the Year (1999, 2000, and 2001)
• National Attacker of the Year (1999, 2000, and 2001)
• Atlantic Coast Conference Champion (1999, 2000, and 2001)
• NCAA National Champion (1998, 1999, 2000, and 2001)
• Named to NCAA 25th Anniversary Team
• Maryland career leader in goals, assists, and points
• Australia Women’s National Team (2001, 2005, and 2009)
• All-World Team (2005, 2009)
• Inducted to US Lacrosse Potomac Chapter Hall of Fame (2007)

Roy Colsey – Player
• Three-year player at Yorktown (N.Y.) High School (1989-1991)
• Selected as all-county (1990 and 1991) and All-American (1990 and 1991)
• Won state championship (1989 and 1991)
• Four-time All-American at Syracuse Univ.: 1st Team (1993, 1994, 1995); 3rd Team (1992)
• Winner of USILA’s McLaughlin Award as Midfielder of the Year (1995)
• Two-time NCAA National Champion (1993 and 1995)
• Selected to North/South All-Star Game (1995)
• Played post-collegiate club lacrosse for New York AC (1997-2000)
• Played professional lacrosse for New York Saints (indoor, 2000-2001)
• Played professional lacrosse for Philadelphia Barrage (outdoor, 2001-2008)
• Selected as NLL All-Pro: First Team (2001); Second Team (2000)
• Selected as MLL All-Pro: First Team (2006) and four-time MLL All-Star
• Named MVP of MLL Championship Game (2006)
• Member of U.S. Men’s National Team (2006)
• Inducted to US Lacrosse Hudson Valley Chapter Lacrosse Hall of Fame (2001)

Brian Dougherty – Player
• Four-year player at Episcopal (Pa.) Academy (1989-1992)
• Named all-state (1990, 1991, 1992) and All-American (1991, 1992)
• Won state championship (1991)
• Two-time All-American at the University of Maryland: First Team (1995 and 1996)
• Winner of USILA’s Ensign C. Markland Kelly Award as Goalie of the Year (1995, 1996)
• Named to All-ACC Team (1995 and 1996)
• Named Outstanding Player in NCAA Tournament (1995)
• Selected to USILA’s North/South All-Star Game (1996)
• Selected to ACC’s 50th Anniversary Team
• Played post-collegiate club for Chesapeake (1997-2000) and Team Toyota
• Played professional lacrosse for Rochester Rattlers (outdoor, 2001-2002)
• Played professional lacrosse for Long Island Lizards (outdoor, 2003-2004, 2009); MLL Champions (2003)
• Played professional lacrosse for Philadelphia Barrage (outdoor, 2005-2008)
• Selected as MLL All-Star six times (2001-2004, 2006, 2008)
• Named MLL Goalie of the Year three times (2003, 2006, 2007)
• Member of the U.S. Men’s National Team (1998 and 2010)
• Inducted to US Lacrosse Philadelphia/Eastern Pa. Chapter Lacrosse Hall of Fame (2010)

Missy Foote – Coach
• Head Coach at Middlebury College (1979-1983, 1987 to present)
• Cumulative record of 376-101-1 (79%) through the end of the 2012 season.
• Five-time NCAA Division III National Champion (1997, 1999, 2001, 2002, and 2004)
• Five-time National Coach of the Year (1994, 1997, 2000, 2001, and 2002)
• Five-time conference Coach of the Year (2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005)
• Coached Middlebury to four perfect seasons (1999, 2001, 2002, and 2004)
• Led Middlebury to 14 straight trips to NCAA semifinals (1994-2007)
• Seven-time NESCAC Champions
• Assistant Coach for U.S. Women’s Developmental Team (2005-2009)
• Served on NCAA Division III Women’s Lacrosse Committee (2003-2006)
• Served on Tewaaraton Committee (2001-2005)
• Inducted to US Lacrosse Vermont Chapter Hall of Fame (2002)
• Inducted to US Lacrosse New England Chapter Hall of Fame (2003)
• Inducted to Springfield College Hall of Fame (2004)
• Inducted to Ward Melville High School Hall of Fame (2002)

Kelly Amonte Hiller – Player
• Four-year player at Thayer (Mass.) Academy
• Three-time high school All-American (1990, 1991, and 1992)
• Four-year player at the University of Maryland (1993-1996)
• Four-time college All-American: First Team (1994, 1995, 1996); Second Team (1993)
• National defensive player of the year (1995)
• National offensive player of the year (1996)
• ACC Female Athlete of the Year (1996)
• Two-time NCAA National Champion (1995, 1996)
• Selected twice to All-NCAA Tournament Team (1994, 1995)
• Three-time member of the U.S. Women’s National Team (1997, 2001, and 2005)
• Named to All-World Team (2005)
• Inducted to US Lacrosse New England Chapter Hall of Fame (2006)
• Inducted to University of Maryland Hall of Fame (2009)

Jesse Hubbard – Player
• Four-year player at St. Alban’s (D.C.) School (1991-1994)
• Named All-Metro twice (1993 and 1994) and All-American once (1994)
• Selected as The Washington Post’s Player of the Year (1994)
• Three-time college All-American at Princeton: 1st Team (1996, 1998); 2nd Team (1997)
• Three-time NCAA National Champion (1996, 1997, and 1998)
• Named to All-NCAA Tournament Team three times (1996, 1997, and 1998)
• Named to All-Ivy League Team three times (1996, 1997, and 1998)
• Named Ivy League Player of the Year (1996)
• Won four Ivy League championships (1995, 1996, 1997, and 1998)
• Finished as Princeton’s all-time leader in career goals; goals in a season (1996)
• Played post-collegiate club for Capital Lacrosse Club (1999)
• Played indoor professional lacrosse for three seasons (1999-2002)
• Played outdoor professional lacrosse for eight seasons ( 2001-2008)
• Six-time MLL All-Star (2001-2006)
• Leading goal scorer in MLL three times (2001-2003)
• Member of the U.S. Men’s National Team (1998)
• Inducted to US Lacrosse Potomac Chapter Lacrosse Hall of Fame (2008)

Tim Nelson – Player
• Four-year player at Yorktown (N.Y.) High School (1978-1981)
• Named All-County (1979, 1980, and 1981) and All-American (1980 and 1981)
• Won three section championships (1978, 1980, and 1981)
• Four-year college player at North Carolina State (1982) and Syracuse (1983-1985)
• Three-time first-team All-American: (1983, 1984, and 1985)
• Three-time winner of USILA’s Turnbull Award as Attackman of the Year (1983, 1984, 1985)
• Won NCAA National Championship (1983)
• Finished as NCAA Championship runner-up (1984 and 1985)
• Served as Syracuse team captain (1985)
• Selected to USILA’s North/South All-Star Game (1985)
• Named to NCAA’s Silver Anniversary Team (1995)
• Inducted to US Lacrosse Hudson Valley Chapter Lacrosse Hall of Fame (1994)

Cindy Timchal – Coach
• Assistant Coach at University of Pennsylvania (1980)
• Head Coach at Northwestern University (1982-1990) – 76 wins, 40 losses
• Head Coach at University of Maryland (1991-2006) – 260 wins, 46 losses
• Head Coach of U.S Naval Academy club team (2007)
• Head Coach of U.S. Naval Academy varsity team (2008-2012) – 76 wins, 22 losses
• Cumulative varsity record through the end of the 2012 season: 412 wins, 108 losses (79%)
• Winner of eight NCAA National Championships (1992, 1995-2001)
• Named National Coach of the Year (1999)
• Named IWCLA South Region Coach of the Year (2000)
• Named ACC Coach of the Year (1999, 2000, 2001, 2003)
• Named to NCAA’s 25th Anniversary Team as Head Coach (2006)
• Head Coach of U.S. Developmental Team (1997-1998)
• Inducted to US Lacrosse Philadelphia/Eastern Pa. Chapter Hall of Fame (2002)
• Inducted to US Lacrosse Potomac Chapter Hall of Fame (2006)
• Inducted to Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame – Delaware County Chapter (2009)

Loyola Men’s Lacrosse Earns No. 1 Seed, Will Host Canisius In NCAA First Round

BALTIMORE – The Loyola University Maryland men’s lacrosse team gathered as ECAC Champions on Sunday night to watch the NCAA Championship Selection Show on ESPNU, and the Greyhounds learned they will host CanisiusCollege in the First Round on Saturday, May 12, at 5 p.m. at Ridley Athletic Complex.

The Greyhounds, who have won a school record 14 games this year with just one loss, received the No. 1 seed in the Championships afterwinning the ECAC Championship on Friday evening with a 14-7 victory over Fairfield University.

“It’s a special day for our program,” Head Coach Charley Toomey said. “I am so proud of our guys. They have worked so hard day-in, day-out. Our senior leadership, and our captains have been special this year.”

Loyola and Canisius will play on ESPNU with a simulcast offered online on ESPN3. The winner of the game will take on the winner of North Carolina and Denver in the NCAA Quarterfinals on Saturday, May 19 in Annapolis, Md., at the U.S. Naval Academy.

Canisius enters the NCAA Championships after winning the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship Game over Siena. The Golden Griffins rallied from a 9-6 halftime deficit to beat the Saints 10-9. Canisius will bring a 6-7 record to Ridley for the First Round game.

The Greyhounds will host a game for the first time since 2000.