Lacrosse Playground Coach's Companion: Recent Episodes
Lacrosse Playground
We're interviewing high school and college coaches to discuss philosophy and X's and O's.
If you want to be a better coach today or just want a behind the scenes look at your favorite program, you’re going to listen to every episode more than once.
We are pleased to introduce The Lacrosse Playground Coach's Companion presented by Epoch Lacrosse and Top 66.
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We're speaking with new Taft head coach Max Rosner on this episode of Coach's Companion.
Prior to being elevated to the head coaching role, Coach Rosner spent time at the Westtown School in West Chester, PA and Potomac School in McClean Virginia.
He's also coached with Next Level.
We discussed his influences, coaching philosophy, and the transition from assistant to head coach at Taft.
The Lacrosse Playground Podcast Network is presented by Epoch Lacrosse.
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This is another two guest interview
First up, Nate Webber assistant coach at DePauw.
We discussed his first year in collegiate coaching which began this spring, how his recruiting process has evolved since his first time on the road this summer, how his role as a defensive middie at D2 U Indy informs his coaching, and his approach to working with the Midwest Express club program.
Our second interview is with Limestone head coach Brendan Storrier (29:50).
Coach is in his second year leading the Saints after three seasons as head coach of Mars Hill and he spent eight years as an assistant at Limestone prior to that.
We covered the growth and development of Division 2 since his playing days at Limestone, the progress he made at Mars Hill, how he would grade year one at Limestone, the challenges of managing a very large roster, how he hired his new assistants and a lot more.
The Lacrosse Playground Podcast Network is presented by Epoch Lacrosse .
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New Washington & Lee offensive coordinator Will Garrett joins the show to discuss his NAIA experiences, his approach to getting acclimated to a new roster and new coaching role, how he elevates stick work, recruiting to W&L, and more.
The Lacrosse Playground Podcast Network is presented by Epoch Lacrosse .
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A two guest episode with Drake Porter and Luke Karnick.
Drake Porter is in his first year as an assistant at Messiah after being a starting goalie at Syracuse. We discussed his path to the position, the biggest mistake young goalies make, what goalies should be doing this winter, and what he's noticed about evaluating defensive talent.
Luke Karnick (23:54) is in his first year as head coach of Bishop Chatard in Indianapolis. We discussed some of his biggest influences, his focus on culture building, the rise of lacrosse in Indianapolis and his role as co-director of the Midwest Express club program.
The Lacrosse Playground Podcast Network is presented by Epoch Lacrosse .
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A two guest episode with Josh Coons of Maryville and Patrick Gaeger of St. Viator.
After not diving into coaching as a career, Coach Coons was able to be a part of the University of Indianapolis' 2019 NCAA semifinal run in his first year as a coach. He is now the offensive coordinator at D2 Maryville. We discussed the path, what he looks for on the recruiting circuit, how he would write the scout for his offense, and more.
Coach Gaeger (26:23) comes on to discuss coaching at his alma mater, the improvement of Illinois high school lacrosse, goalie development, Sweet Home Goalie Academy, a mini 2022 recap, a 2023 preview. and more.
The Lacrosse Playground Podcast Network is presented by Epoch Lacrosse .
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Michigan's new offensive coordinator Scott Bieda joins the show to discuss the transition from Lafayette to Ann Arbor, recruiting 2024s in person and on film, their player development approach to fall ball, coaching with his brother and more.
The Lacrosse Playground Podcast Network is presented by Epoch Lacrosse.
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Austin High school varsity head coach and program director Jordan Ruggeri joins the show to discuss the state of lacrosse in Austin, Texas, how much tape the self proclaimed film junkie watches everyday during the off season and in season, his defensive non-negotiables, and more.
The Lacrosse Playground Podcast Network is presented by Epoch Lacrosse.
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2 Wolves founder Jack Kensil breaks down the college fall ball experience, his return to St. Anthony's now as a coach, Brennan O'Neill, Tess Calabria, Abigail LoCascio, and more.
The Lacrosse Playground Podcast Network is presented by Epoch Lacrosse.
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Western Reserve head coach Dylan Sheridan discusses the recruiting process for juniors leading up to and following the September 1st contact period.
We also cover the formation of the Spiders Lacrosse Club which will serve the northeast Ohio community.
The Lacrosse Playground Podcast Network is presented by Epoch Lacrosse .
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Double interview with coaches from the Hoosier State, Wabash head coach Chris Burke and Guerin Catholic head coach Charlie Barry.
Coach Burke recounts his first season as a head coach at Wabash, the adjustment period of being a head coach, and recruiting to one of only two all male schools in the US.
Coach Barry (43:21) hops on to discuss the rise of Guerin, transitioning to the top classification in Indiana this spring, and growing the program as a whole.
The Lacrosse Playground Podcast Network is presented by Epoch Lacrosse .
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Florida Southern head coach Marty Ward discusses the evolution of Florida Southern since he took over in 2011, recruiting to FSC, evaluating young goalies, training his current goalies, and more.
The Lacrosse Playground Podcast Network is presented by Epoch Lacrosse .
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Mercyhurst head coach and Waterdogs LC assistant coach Chris Ryan joins the show.
Coach Ryan guided the Lakers to the 2011 D2 title and recently helped the Waterdogs claim the 2022 PLL title as the defensive coordinator.
We discussed his recent experience in the PLL, recruiting to Mercyhurst, how he's changed as a leader since taking over in 2001.
The Lacrosse Playground Podcast Network is presented by Epoch Lacrosse .
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Pittsburgh Central Catholic head coach Anthony Abbondanza joins the show to discuss how the pandemic influenced his coaching career, the differences between his first ever coaching season and year two, as well as how he approaches coaching high school defensemen.
The Lacrosse Playground Podcast Network is presented by Epoch Lacrosse and Top 66.
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2 Wolves founder Jack Kensil is back on the show to discuss the conclusion to his spring season with Byram Hills, the 2 Wolves sponsor program, deep dives into Joey Spallina and Brennen O'Neill, and what's coming up this fall for 2 Wolves training.
The Lacrosse Playground Podcast Network is presented by Epoch Lacrosse and Top 66.
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Lawrenceville School assistant coach and Faceoff Academy Pennsylvania director Colby Cohen joins the show today to discuss how they prepare for game day, making in game adjustments, what young faceoff men should be focused on and briefly touch on his time as an MCLA coach at Arizona.
The Lacrosse Playground Podcast Network is presented by Epoch Lacrosse and Top 66.
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Western Reserve head coach Dylan Sheridan joins the show. Coach Sheridan spent over ten seasons at the NCAA D1 level before returning to lead his high school alma mater.
We discussed their 2022 season, a drill they were using this past spring which they borrowed from the High Point staff, scheduling, and their team building process.
The Lacrosse Playground Podcast Network is presented by Epoch Lacrosse and Top 66.
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Roswell head coach Bryan Wallace is this week's guest. We discussed his journey from college coach in Western Massachusetts to high school head coach to Miami to high school head coach in Atlanta.
We also spent some time on the evolution of lacrosse in Georgia, recapped the conclusion of the Roswell season and previewed the offseason ahead.
In addition to coaching multiple D1 commits over his Georgia coaching tenure, Coach Wallace is also the senior director at Thunder Lacrosse.
Unrelated lacrosse spoiler alert, he agrees with us that football in Georgia is better than football in Florida.
The Lacrosse Playground Coach's Companion podcast is presented by Epoch Lacrosse and Top 66.
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Don Bosco Prep's Brendan Gorman joins the show to discuss his journey from Elmira College to Cary Grove, Illinois to Ramsey, New Jersey where he is the leader of the 2021 New Jersey TOC state champions.
We discussed his attraction to box lacrosse, how he introduced it to his New Jersey program, how they are prepping for the post season and more.
The Lacrosse Playground Coach's Companion podcast is presented by Epoch Lacrosse and Top 66.
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Jack Kensil, Byram Hills girls varsity head coach and Two Wolves performance founder, returns to discuss Byram Hills getting off to a fast start this spring season, when and why he decided to be more of a players coach rather than a task master, and what it means to be a professional during training sessions.
In our second interview (46:31), Midwest Express director and Brownsburg (IN) head coach, John Doss joins us to break down the club's genesis, his new position as club director and he provides some awesome hacks for starting a new program.
The Lacrosse Playground Coach's Companion podcast is presented by Epoch Lacrosse and Top 66.
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Cathedral's Andy Gruber has been the leader of the Indianapolis program since their first season back in 2001.
We discussed the growth and development of lacrosse in the region, why he still enjoys coaching even after winning five state titles and, how they plan to continue to push Hoosier lacrosse forward.
Currently, Cathedral is in Hudson Ohio competing in the MSLA tournament.
The Lacrosse Playground Coach's Companion podcast is presented by Epoch Lacrosse and Top 66.
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Farmingdale head coach Mike Hungerford talks about the importance of the #40 jersey to the Farmingdale lacrosse community.
We discussed what makes Nassau County lacrosse so good, what advice he would give to a coach from a non traditional area trying to have success on the Island, working with young and advanced goalies, and briefly touched on their Saturday game against Massapequa.
The Lacrosse Playground Coach's Companion podcast is presented by Epoch Lacrosse and Top 66.
Website: https://lacrosseplayground.com/
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University of Georgia head coach Holin Axley joins us next to discuss his head coaching debut which was spread out over essentially two seasons due to a covid abbreviated 2021 campaign.
There's a big zone defense segment because that's what Florida State threw at them in the conference tournament a couple weeks back.
We also spent some time talking about his experience playing D3 lacrosse at Piedmont before transferring to Georgia and how he talks about those experiences with prospective Dawgs.
The Lacrosse Playground Coach's Companion podcast is presented by Epoch Lacrosse and Top 66.
Website: https://lacrosseplayground.com/
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On this Florida High school state playoff episode, Bolles head coach Tom West comes back on the show to discuss their season finale with Jacksonville Episcopal, attacking a zone defense, and preparing for the aforementioned state playoffs.
We then dive into the Florida club scene and his involvement with the Florida Crabs.
The Lacrosse Playground Coach's Companion podcast is presented by Epoch Lacrosse and Top 66.
Website: https://lacrosseplayground.com/
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Navy head coach Joe Amplo discusses the differences between coaching at Marquette and the Naval Academy, the drill he still uses from Marquette, Cone of Silence, defending the two man game, and what he looks for when recruiting future defensive middies.
In our second interview, Taft head coach Nic Bell (14:57) joins us to detail their approach social media, the path to Taft for perspective student athletes, how technology makes their lives easier, and his strategy for calling the offense on game day.
The Lacrosse Playground Coach's Companion podcast is presented by Epoch Lacrosse and Top 66.
Website: https://lacrosseplayground.com/
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St. Anthony's head coach Summer Koepplin (0:37) discusses the expectations of playing lacrosse for the Friars, how they approach player development at practice, and gives a few shout outs to 2024s to keep an eye on this spring.
Taft's Jenna McNicholas (21:46) talks about how her experiences as a two time national champion at Middlebury have helped prepare her for her head coaching debut.
Wantagh's Robyn Rooney (41:11) returns to recap recent games against North Shore and Garden City, how they approach free position shots, coaching the youngest players at Lax On, and more.
The Lacrosse Playground Coach's Companion podcast is presented by Epoch Lacrosse and Top 66.
Website: https://lacrosseplayground.com/
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On this episode, Duke women's head coach Kerstin Kimel talks about the state of the women's game since she first took over at Duke in 1996, utilizing pre shot clock era Xs and Os, recruiting to Duke and recaps the season to date following a win over Virginia this past weekend.
In our second interview, we speak with Jack Cribbin, head women's lacrosse coach at Lindenwood.
Coach Cribbin started his playing career at Lindenwood has ushered the women's program from club to NCAA D2, winning the national last season, and is now tasked with transitioning the program to NCAA D1.
The Lacrosse Playground Coach's Companion podcast is presented by Epoch Lacrosse and Top 66.
Website: https://lacrosseplayground.com/
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On this episode, we interview Army head coach Joe Alberici and Mater Dei high school head coach Johnny Rodriguez.
Coach Alberici details the recruiting approach at West Point, the importance of having coaching staff continuity when it comes to recruiting to West Point, his favorite drill "3 Versus 2 Tight," and how they managed to stifle Bucknell's offense.
In our second interview, Johnny Rodriguez covers his journey from playing at D3 power Salisbury to coaching high school lacrosse in Southern California. He goes over the differences and similarities with lacrosse on the Eastern Shore and at Mater Dei in Los Angeles, even including a Coach Berkman impression.
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On this episode, Clemson head coach Allison Kwolek becomes our second ACC coach to break down her process for building a team from the ground up including recruiting strategies for a start up program and why she felt like the time was right to leave Richmond.
In our second interview, Middlebury head coach Kate Livesay recaps coaching through stringent non contact covid practices, selecting Xs and Os after the team hadn't been on the field for some time, recruiting through the shut down and a deep dive into free position decision making.
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On this Florida centric episode Tampa head coach JB Clarke details his decision to leave Limestone this past summer, getting to know new players during the season, and overcoming slow starts against Lindenwood and Florida Tech.
For our second interview, we travel north to Jacksonville to speak with Tom West the head coach at Bolles. Like Coach Clarke, Coach West took over a new program this year. Coach West discusses why the timing was right to leave Ponte Vedra, how far Florida lacrosse has come in the last decade, the expectations of a Jacksonville area high school athlete, and his involvement with the Epoch North American Showcase and Juniors Open.
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On this episode, Jack Kensil discusses his journey from live television to the formation of 2 Wolves performance and coaching girls lacrosse at Byram Hills in Westchester New York.
Coach's dog Hugo also popped by to say hello.
In our second interview, Tampa women's coach Kelly Gallagher breaks down the differences between year 1 as a start up to year 9 as top 20 D2 program.
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Virginia lacrosse coach Lars TIffany is on the show today to breakdown how they evaluate high school talent during the season recruiting and deploying athletes from non traditional areas and then we recap their game against Maryland.
Our second interview features Casey D'Annolfo. We discuss his path from Taft to Tufts how they handle starters in blowouts, their approach to social media, and what makes Tufts so special.
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Robyn Rooney's Wantagh team ended the season with a loss and were ranked 10th in the country. Did she consider it a successful season? How does manage a roster with athletes heading to North Carolina, Northwestern, and Virginia? And, what are the recruiting expectations for the typical Long Island lacrosse player?
Then, Pitt head coach Emily Boissonneault breaks down the process of building a program from the ground up in the best lacrosse conference in the country. Can you believe that they spent five days practicing their pregame routine? The Panthers took Duke to the wire in Durham so we're very high on every decision Coach has made for the fledgling ACC outfit.
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Rutgers head coach Brian Brecht kicks off our new show by breaking down how they've navigated the transfer portal, what they look for on the road at recruiting events, and breaks down their Friday night game against Princeton.
Then, Calvert Hall head coach Bryan Kelly shares what a typical Calvert Hall practice is like, the challenges of coaching 5 star recruits, and their top 10 game against St. John's.
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