The Changing Coaching Landscape of D2 Men's Lacrosse

SPEAKER_03 0:14

Welcome, welcome, welcome to another episode of In the Crease with Danny and Kevin, a coast-to-coast discussion of D2 Men's lacrosse. I am your co-host, Kevin Stenstrom, and with me as always, the man I like to call the omniscient one, Danny Moran. Hey Danny, how are you doing tonight?

SPEAKER_04 0:33

Kevin, you kevin omniscient. Definitely not omniscient. Kevin, I'm doing great tonight. I love your intros for me. Uh they get better and better each time. I'm doing great tonight. How are you doing tonight?

SPEAKER_03 0:48

Uh I'm doing well. I'm just hoping that you can live up to that title for as we go through this tonight, you know, we'll see, right?

SPEAKER_04 0:54

We will see. It's a it's it will be an adventure for sure.

SPEAKER_03 0:59

As always with the two of us. So, Danny, as you remember in the last podcast, you kind of tease it out a little bit about, you know, some coaching changes in the D2 lacrosse landscape. And you got a little bit ahead of ourselves because, as you recall, right, we had a listener send us a message actually saying you should do a podcast episode about coaching changes. But when you did that, remember that several weeks ago, actually months ago now, and the only one we knew about was in Tampa and J.B. Clark taking over for Coach Whipple, right? Right. Right. So it was like, hmm, sounds like a great idea, but how many really are there? So what'd we do? We got our cracked research team right on it, which really is just you and me. After we looked at all these things, once we did the research, really it comes down to if you include the schools that are starting new programs, meaning they're actually going to play this season, uh, there are really 12 schools that are in the mix.

SPEAKER_04 2:04

Yeah, once you know, once we did the homework a little bit, we found out there was there there was a lot more that met the eye. Um, there was a a number of coaching changes. Like you said, some uh some new programs getting going with new coaches, and then we have some uh storied programs getting some uh some big time coaches.

SPEAKER_03 2:22

Yeah, exactly. And so, you know, as you do the research, obviously, when there's changes in D1, those get a lot more press. But except for maybe uh a press release on the on the website, there's not a lot of information. So as always, we started to reach out to the coaches, and I thought maybe we get a couple on, but every coach is excited to come on to talk about the coaching changes at their school and taking over programs.

SPEAKER_04 2:51

Well, Kev, this podcast is starting to reach people. We're starting to get some you know decent numbers on downloads. Not that that's our our our main mission, but um, the word about our podcast is getting out there, and these coaches are calling each other and saying, hey, did you hear about this podcast? That's what's going on out there. And so you know what? As large as lacrosse is across the country, it's a very small community. And these coaches all know each other, you know, they all talk to each other, they all have been around each other either at seminars, coaches' meetings, um, conference coaches meetings, whatever. You know, they've been around each other a long time. So the word's getting out there. And now, you know, we had we had a coach from every single conference in Division II come on with us. And we were humbled. We were humbled. We didn't think that that would happen. But not only did it happen, it was great. Right now, because of a listener, we we we threw it out there. Hey guys, if you have any ideas of where we can go with this podcast, feel free. Feel free to drop us a line, feel free to go on our Instagram page or or just let us know through the podcast or through Facebook or whatever it may be. We'll take a good hard look at it. And if it's a good idea, we'll roll with it. And we had one again where a listener said, Hey, why don't you talk about the changes? And you sent out a couple of emails, and next thing you know, all 12 said yes, they'd like to.

SPEAKER_03 4:25

Well, all 11, because we've got one that doesn't have a coach in there yet, and we'll we'll talk about that when we get we get through them. But but I I'm ecstatic that they're willing to come on. It's just phenomenal. And because of that, though, um this isn't just one episode, this is going to be several episodes. And this is just one, this is the first one that we're doing as we go through the through the list. So why don't we get started and first talk about um really I want to talk to you and get your thoughts. As I was going through the list of coaching changes and looking at the bios, and it's it's kind of universal, right? In in all in all sports. There's probably, in my mind, you can break it down to two schools of thought. You hire in a new young gun, someone is up and coming, to be there, you know, take over the program, fresh new ideas, or you hire an established coach that's got the the pedigree and and the winning record and has got that kind of experience behind him to take over the program.

SPEAKER_04 5:27

Yes, and you know, it's I think a lot of sometimes that depends on the resources of the college. I think depends on maybe what kind of coach you can get there. Um but to have the opportunity to have a good coach come into your program, somebody with a with a storied past, uh, uh, uh, uh, you know, with a winning record, um, whether it be NCAA tournaments or conference tournaments or just wins in general, you know, to have a coach come like that doesn't come around very often. So when you get a coach that has that kind of pedigree, you know, uh a college should jump on that, you know, especially if they want to continue what they're doing or take the program into a new into a new direction. Right. And we I think we have both of that here.

SPEAKER_03 6:18

We do. And I think conversely, when you talk about young coaches, new head coaches, I mean, we've already seen it in some of the programs that we've talked with some of those coaches, right? Um, that have been coaches for the first time and are having success. And they can turn around a program. It doesn't mean it's going to happen in the first year, but you can see what they're trying to build. And I think that's important.

SPEAKER_04 6:45

Oh, absolutely. You know, I think every program is trying to build a winning program, of course. Of course, that's what you're there to do. Um, some programs might take a little bit longer than others, just depending on resources, um, location, size of school, um, what majors are available at that school. So to get certain types of kids. So here we are. There's 12 spots out there that got filled this year in in Division II. And that's a lot. That's a lot.

SPEAKER_03 7:15

Right. And so let's start off. Let's start off in really what you and I call uh the domino effect that started really with Coach Whipple retiring from Tampa. You want to talk about that?

SPEAKER_04 7:29

Well, just think about what happened, that little ripple effect just from Coach Rory Whipple stepping down after years at Tampa and building a phenomenal program. He's he decides to step down. So now we have a top-notch Division II school, uh, you know, perennial NCAA uh tournament team, you know, a perennial uh Sunshine State Conference champs, or you know, there's perennial powerhouse in Tampa looking for a head coach. So now so now there's a there's a a college with the resources that can go after a good coach, okay? So the ripple effect basically from Coach Whipple retiring was a four-school effect. Tampa now needs a head coach. They hire, who do they hire? They hire JB Clark from Limestone, a perennial winner, and then another one with national championships under his belt, a pedigree a country mile long. Um, what he's done at limestone is speaks for itself. Right. So so JB leaves Limestone, steps into the into the Tampa job. Now that leaves the limestone job open. See, there's your second ripple effect. And what happens? Brendan Storrier leaves Mars Hill to take over Limestone, where he was an assistant for many years. So he goes back to his program and he's an excellent recruiter. And that's one thing about Coach Storer that's you know, he's a phenomenal recruiter. He knows how to get the right kids. So what does that do? That opens up a third job. Now the Mars Hill job is open. And what happens there? Coach Joe Turner leaves his assistant job at Alabama Huntsville and gets his very first head coaching job at Mars Hill. So we had from one coach retiring, three schools open up their door for new coaches. And that's the way it goes in in college boys.

SPEAKER_03 9:50

It's interesting how that can happen. So let's now start to break down by school. So let's start with Tampa and JB Clark coming there. Obviously, the first thing is it's a a coach with a lot of pedigree, Whipple leaving, and they're replacing one that has the same level pedigree, right? It's a it's a wow announcement.

SPEAKER_04 10:15

It's a wow announcement, you know. JB leaving limestone after so many years to go to Tampa. That's wow. Holy mackerel, man. You know, that that that every everybody knew about that. Who you know, in the in the lacrosse field in the division two, that that was a big thing. You know, for Coach Whipple to step down. And you know, JB's been at limestone a long time. You know, that they didn't have the year this year, this past year, that limestone's you used to having. And they didn't have that. But Tampa's nicer than Gaffney anyway. That's that's all I'm gonna say. Well, and he's I've been to bolt. I've been to bolt. So I don't blame, I don't blame JB one bit. Hey, sometimes the change of scenery is good, you know.

SPEAKER_03 11:02

And and it's a new challenge, maybe, and uh we you know, it may it's a new challenge. I think also it's interesting, like we talked about during the season, and and we talked about some of the coaches. We talked to Coach Jorgensen in the Sunshine State conference, right? We talked to him like, you know, he's taken over a program that was undefeated, where they only played in their division. I mean, in their conference, I'm sorry, in their conference during the season play. And yet, you know, they got to the the NCAAs and and they were still they were ready to go. Absolutely. It'll be I'm really excited to see where Coach Clark can, you know, take and maybe propel it, right? And and so what what do you think about that?

SPEAKER_04 11:45

I I think he's gonna be just fine at Tampa. I think Tampa doesn't miss a beat. Uh it'll be interesting to see what they do in the future. I know that they've had a JV team. I don't know, I know they had a lot of kids on the on the roster. Um I would be interested to see if that's gonna continue at Tampa. I don't know, but we can ask the man himself, can't we?

SPEAKER_03 12:12

Yeah, so let's do that. Let's bring in the coach right now, Coach Clark of Tampa. Hey, coach, can you hear us, coach?

SPEAKER_02 12:21

I can uh you turn the speakers up, it helps. There you go.

SPEAKER_03 12:26

That's why I have these little things in my ears. It makes it a little bit easier for me.

SPEAKER_02 12:30

Oh man.

SPEAKER_03 12:30

I shall be so. Thanks so much for coming on, especially after practice. We're excited to have you. Thank you.

SPEAKER_04 12:38

Yes, coach, thank you so much for taking the time with us. We really do appreciate it.

SPEAKER_02 12:42

What a

marker 1

SPEAKER_02 12:43

neat concept you all have going.

SPEAKER_04 12:45

I we're shocked. We're shocked, okay? We're I'm gonna be honest with you, we're completely shocked. We started this as a whim, coach. It was a whim. It was a joke by Kevin's wife joking with us. And we said, hey, let's give it a shot. What the hell, right? And now we're what, 15 podcasts in, and it's growing and growing, and we are humbled to have coaches like you come on and spend some time with us.

SPEAKER_03 13:11

Great. Thank you. Yeah, I'll I'll tell you, coach, what's even funnier. So when we decided to do this podcast episode, we thought it'd be one episode on coaching changes, and really you coming to Tampa was the kind of was the catalyst of it, right? And we had to do some more research and everything. So I just went to each new coach for each program just to see if I could get a few. Every single one of you said yes. And so, I mean, that's when we say we're humbled, we really are because this is now going to be like three episodes long, um, which is phenomenal. I mean, I and I think it's great for D2 lacrosse. I think it's great for um, you know, kids who are looking for uh to play NCA lacrosse and maybe not know enough about D2, but I think it's just great for fans of D2 lacrosse, you know, in general. So uh we appreciate you coming on. So, but let's enough enough about the podcast and let's talk about it. You'd rather hear about that than me. So tell us how it how the uh um the coming from limestone to Tampa has been.

SPEAKER_02 14:17

Uh it's been phenomenal. I I couldn't be happier. Um, you know, when you're when you compete against a program like Tampa, um, I remember 10 years ago before we competed, and I heard that they were starting the program. I think uh not only myself, but I think in Division II there was a collective uh uh kind of moment for all of us. Uh, you know, just knowing what the city had to offer, the institution, and and quite frankly, 10 years ago, the University of Tampa was half of what it is now.

SPEAKER_04 14:48

Right, right.

SPEAKER_02 14:49

You know, some of that absolutely has to do with what Coach Whipple uh did here with the lacrosse program. But the vision of the athletic direct and uh, you know, uh Larry Morfice and the president, Dr. Vaughn, uh they looked at starting football. Uh you know, Tampa used to have a football program, dropped it, they looked at bringing it back. Dr. Vaughn saw there that there were a lot of programs in the South starting lacrosse, and he liked the demographic of men's lacrosse. You know, if you start football at Tampa, you're gonna get a lot of Tampa kids, you're gonna get a lot of Florida kids.

SPEAKER_03 15:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 15:20

If you start lacrosse at the University of Tampa, you're gonna bring kids from all over the place. Um, so really their vision on this was phenomenal. And I got to jump in after all the hard work was done, I think. You know, uh getting a program started and finding, you know, building a stadium and all that sounds like a lot of fun, but it's a lot of work. And uh Coach Whipple did an amazing job getting a whole bunch of kids here that can play the game, have represented the institution very well. And uh I just kind of jumped in here after 10 years, and I couldn't be more excited.

SPEAKER_03 15:51

Yeah, it's interesting you say that. So that was one of my questions was you know, you're going into a a program that's you know, strong, strong foundation and legacy, legacy, just like you had at Limestone, really. You're it's almost like a um moving over to something at the same level, always nationally ranked, always up there at the top. I mean, I'm just curious of do you change things? I mean, there's been such a, you mean, or do you just like you said, well, everything's been I'm I know you're gonna try to put things in your own way. I'm just curious of what you're what you're thinking and what you're gonna do.

SPEAKER_02 16:24

Yeah, it's interesting, Kevin. I I've been lucky because uh, you know, I went to Washington College right after they won a national championship. Um, you know, so it's not the first time I've done this. I went to limestone, they were perennial, you know, final four contenders. They'd already won a couple national championships. Uh, you know, I don't know how many years prior to my getting there. But uh so it's it's not new. It's it's it's the kind of program that I look for, I guess. Uh so what do I do? I you know, I I I'm spending a lot of time right now just trying to figure out what works and what doesn't. I I don't want to come in and just say, oh, it's all gonna change because you got a new head coach, right? Uh you know, there's obviously plenty of great things going on here before I, you know, you know, reared my ugly head in here. But uh the number one thing, uh Kevin and Danny, and I really need to give the credit to the my my predecessor, this senior class could not be more eager, more open arms, uh, more excited to get going in another direction, whether it's the right one or wrong one. They don't know yet. We all don't know yet. Uh but they're they've just been phenomenal. Open arms for this senior class. And um they're they're like I said, they're eager is the best word I can use. They're they're eager for change. And that doesn't mean it was bad before, it just means it's going to be different. But it's different every year. You know, that's the thing that I've noticed in my long time of coaching, is every year is a different culture because people make up the culture, and every year the people change.

SPEAKER_04 17:55

Right.

SPEAKER_02 17:56

So the culture was going to change, whether they got a new head coach or not, just based upon the fact there'd be a whole bunch of new guys in the program through graduation and then new guys coming in. So um, like I said, they've welcomed me with open arms, and uh it's been a lot of fun the first five, six weeks. Um, just figuring out how I like to run practice, how we run meetings, what my expectations are of the upperclassmen with regards to leadership. Uh, you know, it's it's it's all new to the guys, um, and they're all new to me. So they're trying to figure out one guy. I'm trying to figure out, you know, a whole bunch of them. Yeah. Right.

SPEAKER_04 18:30

How about the ass how about your assistant coaches? Um, did you bring anybody in, or did you did these couples stay in-house?

SPEAKER_02 18:37

Or yeah, great, great question, Danny. I I thought it was very important to to keep some around. Uh and uh Andrew Q, who played here, one of the best players ever. He was a thorn in my rear end for four years.

SPEAKER_04 18:49

An amazing, amazing player.

SPEAKER_02 18:52

I'd much rather be on this side of Andrew Q than the other. Uh so he's sticking around doing his graduate work. So we got a few parts of the office out of him and every day of practice, which is phenomenal.

SPEAKER_04 19:02

That's great.

SPEAKER_02 19:03

Um, what an asset for our young players to have a guy like him. And you know, you you don't know when you're playing against someone. I always enjoyed competing against Andrew because he was a great competitor. Uh seemed like a really good guy. Um, and he really is. He's a really good person, better person than he is the crossplayer. And then uh Ryan Sullivan, who has been here five years or so, played at Mercyhurst, uh was on their national championship team, uh, beat up, beat my team a couple times. So he lets me, you know, remember another he's a defensive coordinator, recruiting coordinator, and doing a phenomenal job. I'm really lucky to have him stick around. Uh and then I'm in the process of hiring two more guys. Um and uh actually I had an interview today, so we're right in the middle of all that. So, yes, I will get to bring in some of my own guys and sum that stay, which is I think very important for the continuity of the program. I don't think you want to come in and trash everything. I really don't.

SPEAKER_04 20:00

Right. You know what? I if I was a player at at Tampa, I guess, you know, when Coach Coach Whipple, who's got so much pedigree and he's done such great things, if I was like a junior going into my senior year, I think I'd be upset if he left, you know. But then they hire you and your pedigree. No, no, I would think I would I would think just the opposite. I would be excited to be like, hey, we got another great coach coming in with all his pedigree national championships, and you look what he's done at Limestone and look what he's done in his career. If you're a senior, I would, I would welcome that. I would be like, hey, you know what? This is something that could be really interesting and and and and cool to have you come in. I mean, I I I don't think Tampa's gonna miss a beat.

SPEAKER_02 20:51

No, I hope not. Um yeah, they they've certainly acted that way, Danny. Uh they they've they've uh like I said, it's been open arms. And uh it's that's great it's really been a lot of fun, you know. Uh 11 years at Limestone, 12 years at Washington College before that. And uh, you know, I frankly, I think some of these oftentimes these jobs have shelf lice. And uh, you know, I uh I spent a lot of time on the phone with with Coach Tierney um trying to make this decision because he was about the same age as I am. He obviously had a lot more success at Princeton than I had anywhere, but uh still similar situations, you know, and Denver was good. They weren't great, they were really good. Um so it was interesting to talk to him about you know what it means to your in your life, not just your professional life. You know, is your family ready to make a move, you know, uh 600 miles off? Uh you know, we my wife Lisa and I have a little guy, Jack, he's nine years old, moving him in the middle of fourth grade, you know, just but uh now it's uh the administration, like I said, our boss Larry Murphy's is phenomenal. It's been a lot of I'm just learning from him about the school. And the resources here, as you know, are outstanding. The the institution cares a lot about its athletes. And uh so it's so far it's been a pretty easy transition, really. Other than the boxes. Boxes.

SPEAKER_03 22:16

Are they do you still have boxes, coach? Boxes. So, coach, when I was still in the military, you know, we knew that we could get rid of boxes if we were stationed in a place for three years, and we never opened that box after three years. It's time to get rid of that box. I'm afraid she's gonna get rid of me. Just keep moving around, you know, and changing shirts like you did. There we go. So I'm curious on this. So you were, you know, at Limestone, you were in uh Coastal Carolina conference, then you were in the SAC, and now you're in the Sunshine State Conference. Can you give me a sense of what you think of those three different conferences? Obviously, the Sunshine State, actually, Danny and I talked about this, and when we talked to Coach Jorgensen earlier on a on a podcast, and we talked about last season them playing in-state, and you know, even in-state, the you know, they're the teams are so strong in the Sunshine State conference. You know, the very you beat beat each other up. I'm just curious if you see uh similarities, differences from what you're looking at right now.

SPEAKER_02 23:19

I really do. You know, when I was in Conference Carolinas, I told everybody that was the best conference in America. When I went to the SAC, that was the best one. Now, this is clearly the best conference. I was wrong. You know, that's that's how we talk. But no, very similar conference. They really are. You know, the top to bottom, uh, this is as good a conference as any any anyone there out there. Um, you know, the SAC was a whole different beast for us. And you know, when you when you change conferences, you're it's not only uh you know different on the field, it's different off the field. Different conferences have different ways of doing things. And uh the SAC was, I think that's gonna be a really fun conference for Limestone to be in. I think it's a better conference for Limestone travel-wise. Um fortunately, I've played just about every team in this conference at some point in the last four or five years. Um, so I do have you know, I do have a knowledge of some of them, um, which is helpful. Obviously, teams change year to year, but uh, you know, I uh I'm excited about going to different schools and playing, just like I was last year, going to different sack schools and playing, you know, uh just the different travel and and and uh changing up the scouting reports and all that. I I think it's gonna be a blast.

SPEAKER_03 24:31

For us, I think it'll be really interesting to see what um the SSC, the Sunshine State Conference, does now that they get hopefully this next season play out of conference too and see how they they match up. It's funny. We we were talking about that. We'll have to tell you that uh Danny and I ate crow during the the tournament, NCAA tournament time, because we said, oh no, Tampa, Tampa, they only played in in conference. And then they showed us, they handed us what kind of level of comp uh play they were still at, you know, and what they could do when they were in the NCAA tournament, right, Danny? Oh yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 25:07

No, we we we didn't give Tampa a whole lot of love last year during the team, basically because we felt they were just playing in conference and struggled against Lynn in one game. And anyway, like Kevin said, they came into that tournament and we were we were just eating our crow. They were like, we were so wrong about Tampa. They are a really, really, really good team.

SPEAKER_02 25:30

It was a it was a very difficult. I'm on the NCLA men's lacrosse committee. So Tampa gave us fits last year from a ranking standpoint, the regional rankings, um, because we knew they were very good.

SPEAKER_01 25:43

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 25:43

But you can't say, you know, in division two, you're not allowed to use the eye test. In division one, they were instructed to use the eye test.

SPEAKER_04 25:50

Right.

SPEAKER_02 25:51

Opposite of division two. We we were we were given 16 criteria, it was all about the numbers. And for the first three, four weeks, Tampa didn't have enough games to qualify for the tournament. So we had to rank them low. Um, and then once they got in, you know, they kept beating the same teams. So it's great to beat Lake, but now they have an out another another loss. So it's you know, it's it was a catch-22. We knew how good Tampa was.

SPEAKER_04 26:18

Right.

SPEAKER_02 26:18

And I know they were very upset about being, I think they were maybe fourth or fifth in the in the uh final um rankings, but that's where they fell numerically, not you know, to the eye tests.

SPEAKER_04 26:30

Right.

SPEAKER_02 26:31

Um, right now it seems pretty wide open. We have uh Palm Beach and Rollins coming to our place on Sunday to do a little uh scrimmage. Uh I know Florida Southern and and a couple of those other teams are having some scrimmages this weekend.

SPEAKER_03 26:47

They are, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 26:48

St. Leo is not allowed to play outside competition with their out-of-season sports, but I think pretty much everyone else is wide open, which is great.

SPEAKER_04 26:59

That is great. That's great. Um, how about um like official visits now? Are you guys letting kids stay over? Or yeah, okay, good.

SPEAKER_02 27:08

We're wide open. The only thing, you know, they they're saying wear masks inside.

SPEAKER_04 27:12

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 27:12

Whether you're vaccinated or not. So um, you know, you walk into the cafeteria, you put a mask on, you go sit down and eat and take a mask off. I don't know what's going on. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 27:22

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 27:23

That's uh that's really important. Uh athletics wide open, full practices. Uh our fall teams are you know deep into competition. Basketball started, they're expecting a full season. Volleyball's great. So uh that's great. That has something to do with being in Florida too, obviously, right?

SPEAKER_04 27:39

I guess I think so. It might it might have a little bit to do with that. But hey, Tampa's a beautiful city. Uh the school is amazing. I've been on campus several times, right there on the river. It's right next to everything. It's beautiful. And I'm sure you and your wife and your young son are just gonna be just fine down in Tampa.

SPEAKER_03 27:58

We'll be all right.

SPEAKER_04 27:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 28:00

Hey Coach, we can't thank you enough for being on. Thanks for having me on, guys. It's been it's been fantastic. We wish you uh great success. Uh, except when you play my son's team, which I won't announce on the air here.

SPEAKER_02 28:13

You're not gonna let us know where K where Kevin Jr. plays.

SPEAKER_03 28:16

First of all, he's not Kevin Jr., so there you go. But but uh but um we do we you know we're excited to see where you take the team uh and be watching you. Hopefully, maybe we can get you on during the season uh to to give us a quick minutes.

SPEAKER_02 28:31

I love doing this stuff. And uh let me know where I can uh uh direct our parents and and fans to so they can uh get into your pod podcast.

SPEAKER_03 28:40

Oh I'll be I'll be sending you all that information, Coach, without a doubt.

SPEAKER_02 28:44

Awesome.

SPEAKER_04 28:44

Thanks, guys. Coach JB Clark, the new head coach of Tampa. Congratulations on the new job. Wish you all the best, and uh we'll see you during the season. How's that sound?

SPEAKER_02 28:54

Good luck with all this. Great job, guys. Thank you.

SPEAKER_04 28:57

Thanks, Coach. We'll see you soon. JB Clark, the new coach of Tampa.

SPEAKER_03 29:05

All right, now, Danny, let's let's move on. Let's move on to limestone and and uh a little bit about Coach Brendan Storrier.

SPEAKER_04 29:12

Well, Coach Storrier is um I actually met Coach Storrier in 2015 when my middle son was looking at schools down south. Um, limestone called him down, said, Hey, why don't you come down and visit? We went and visited, and and Coach Storrier was the one who we met and we hung out with for a couple hours that afternoon. Really, really nice guy. I liked him a lot. Um he's got a ton of pedigree. You know, he's been part of a winning program for a long time. Uh granted as an assistant, uh, but still, you know, he was at Limestone and he was responsible for a lot of those recruits that he got and those Canadian kids that that you know limestone would bring in. And and Coach Storier was really a big part of that program. As big as JB Clark is, Coach Storier really was a part of that. And now with Coach Storier leaving Mars Hill to come into Limestone, uh I see limestone uh coming back. I know they didn't have the year last year that they they normally have, and they're used to down there in Gaffney, South Carolina. They're used to, you know, kicking booty. And uh and this year they struggled a little bit, you know. Some teams look good against them that, you know, you know, limestone won, but they probably should have beaten and down, you know, like dogs. And and teams were uh hung out with limestone this year. So again, they didn't have the year uh that they usually have, but I'm sure that Coach Storrier and his assistants, which I would love to find out who's gonna be his assistants, because I think that plays a big part in recruiting as well.

SPEAKER_03 30:57

Sure. And I, you know, the interesting thing too, not only did he obviously was assistant coach there, but he played there. So another one, like when we talked to Coach Dunn, like coaching at your alma mater is something special. And when he was at Mars Hill, he didn't really get a winning record. He's trying to rebuild a program. It was during the COVID year, you know, the COVID pandemic. Tough, tough to rebuild in that time frame. He didn't have tough to recruit. Well, he did a good job. He almost doubled the roster, I think. Uh, there you go.

SPEAKER_04 31:30

That's so there. That that speaks volumes about Coach Storia right there. He can get kids, man. He can get kids in and he knows what to do with them.

SPEAKER_03 31:39

He knows. Yeah, and he knows the story of limestone. He lived it, he breathes it, you know, and he's gonna be doing it again. So why don't we bring him on?

SPEAKER_04 31:48

You know what? I think that's a great idea.

SPEAKER_03 31:51

We should definitely have to let's welcome Coach Storia right now.

SPEAKER_04 31:54

Welcome, Coach.

SPEAKER_03 31:58

Hey, coach, welcome. Thanks for having me. So let's just start off with this. Tell us what it's like to come back to your alma mater where you played and where you coached. What is that experience like to be able to take over that program?

SPEAKER_01 32:15

Yeah, I mean, it's it weird is not the right answer. Um, because

marker 1

SPEAKER_01 32:21

you know, when I when I did play there, right, and then I was an assistant coach there for eight years. So when I became an assistant, uh, it was like I fulfilled my dream, you know. Um, as a as a player, I did not uh I did not fulfill the duty of of uh bringing a national championship back to London, you know. And um that was certainly something that we talked a lot about as players. Uh and and to be honest with you, we didn't put the work in to make that uh come to reality. So when I became an assistant there and was hired um by coach Clark, that was the main mission, you know, uh personally was to put the work in, get the best guys there, you know, who would fit in, who would kind of um fit our mission as a you know, as a university, a college at the time, and uh a lacrosse program. And we, you know, we were fortunate enough to do that. And now, you know, kind of being the head coach, it's it's it's one of those things that's pretty surreal. You know, I walk out um with my two assistants who are both limestone graduates. Uh I love them to death. They're great guys. Uh, they're fun to work with. And uh yeah, it's it's pretty surreal. And I go out there and I I I you know, I coach these guys and um share my experience with them and and and hope it helps, you know, them in the future.

SPEAKER_04 33:38

Well, coach, you know, you're walking into a perennial powerhouse, as you know, and and um I think that's an awesome way to start your head coaching there. It's it's it's limestone speaks for itself, uh, it the history there and what JB has been able to do. But you as an assistant have been a remarkable recruiter. How are you gonna do that now?

SPEAKER_01 34:00

You know, I I came from a small town in upstate New York. You know, we had a McDonald's, uh, a gas station that sold pizza, and and now they have a burn dairy there, and it's like the uh the big meeting place in town, you know.

SPEAKER_03 34:12

We're moving on up.

SPEAKER_01 34:14

Yeah, exactly. So uh, you know, limestone with all the rest, you know, Gaffney with all the restaurants, the outlet mall, and a bunch of different places

end of recuruiter

SPEAKER_01 34:22

for college kids to go hang out. It was like, wow, look at this. Um, you know, everything, right? So uh Carowyn's, Carolyn's not too far away. Yeah, exactly. And you know, you got to find their kids, you know, the kids who want to put the work in. Um, you know, we we uh we've talked to kids and they're like, hey, you know, I'm looking for this big atmosphere. You know, that's not it. We're looking for guys to come to a small school uh in a small town in South Carolina who want to get a good education, uh, be a part of a tremendous program with you know pretty much success second to none, especially when you're talking the last, you know, 25 years. And, you know, those are the guys we're going after. It it's it's not easy to be a limestone lacrosse player. You know, we we do community service, we make you go to class, we have study hall. Um, you know, we we expect you to work really hard in the weight room and on the field.

SPEAKER_04 35:13

And and the pedigree of lacrosse is uh as good as it gets. I mean, you guys always play the top, always play the top dogs, you're always in the mix. Um limestone maybe not didn't have the year this year that they're normally used to having. Yeah. Um and and now we have in involved like the transfer portal now, which is part of the NCAA. Um are you in the future looking to just keep things close to home or transfer portal type stuff? Because limestone is always a great team and and you're gonna draw great players. Um what do you see yourself doing in that? Would you would you look into the transfer portal or yeah?

SPEAKER_01 36:00

I mean, if if you know, if you need a lefty attackman or you know, maybe your face-off guy is not gonna win at you know 65-70%, maybe you you know you do look there. Um you don't want to uh concentrate on transfers um to build your team. You want that to be the the extra piece you need to put you over the top. Um you know, and and and I learned that I was a transfer, you know. I went to community college and then you know was fortunate enough to go to limestone. And you you can't build your culture on guys who are only gonna be there for you know two years or one year, whatever it is. So, you know, we're fortunate to have a great culture. We have guys who've been there for four or five. We got one guy who's going into his sixth year, um, all American defenseman for us, Kendall Collins and Torres.

SPEAKER_04 36:45

Yeah, he's phenomenal, he's phenomenal. Yeah, yeah. I mean that I think that was a big part of the team last year, missing, you know, no doubt. No doubt.

SPEAKER_01 36:54

And yeah, I mean, so yeah, we're gonna look at guy, you know, if we need to get better at a position, and you know, we don't see that. Uh maybe that uh, you know, immediate help in the freshman class or sophomore class, and they have uh, you know, another year of seasoning, yeah. We might, you know, we will look at the transfer portal. I mean, you know, that we, you know, we are expected to win games. So um we uh we gotta put ourselves in the best situation to do that.

SPEAKER_04 37:19

How's fall going? How's fall going so far, fall ball?

SPEAKER_01 37:23

Oh, it's great. Uh, I mean, you know, the facilities are tremendous. Like I said, my two assistant coaches, Kevin Reesman, Bailey Bourgeois, I was fortunate enough to, you know, coach them when I was an assistant. Um, we're very like-minded people, which I don't know if that's a good or a bad thing. Uh we'll see. Yeah, we'll see, right? Uh but you know, the guys We shall see, right? Yes, we will. Uh the guys I get to coach, uh, I love them. You know, I told them when I got the job, I love you, and you don't even know it, you know, and um because they chose a place that's special to me. And uh, you know, and then I'm very fortunate to have my college coach who is now the athletic director. He's been the athletic director there for about 13, 14 years. And uh he's just a person that uh I can, you know, I called when I was the head coach of Mars Hill and you know, looking for advice. So he's right down the hallway now. And uh it's a great setup for me. You know, I have friends there that uh I've known for you know 12, 15 years. Awesome.

SPEAKER_03 38:25

And then just going back, that's really interesting. I didn't know that about the athletic director. You have like that built-in mentorship right there, which is phenomenal. Yeah, and then taking over for such a renowned coach like Coach Clark, you know, obviously you built it with him there, but he was the head coach. Do you do you see any challenge with that or do you see that almost as a benefit? You know?

SPEAKER_01 38:47

Um, uh not a challenge. Uh yeah, I I mean everything's a challenge, you know, and that's that's why you take a job, you know, like limestone, uh, because you want that challenge. You you don't want to go to work knowing that everything's taken care of. You want to go to work um knowing that you have to do a job um and you have to do it, try to do it better than uh, you know, the guy previous, uh, which is gonna be difficult, you know, and then that's not gonna just come out of nowhere. That's gonna come with um, you know, me working and uh the assistant coaches I'm able to hire and the players we're able to bring in. Um but it's not like they won the national championship last year, right? So there was work to be done. That's that's the expectation at Limestone is to win the national championship. And that hasn't been done since 2017. And uh, you know, so we we do we're we have our work cut out for us, uh, which is exciting. And, you know, we got to catch uh the Bulldogs and uh, you know, the Bears and whoever else is is in our way. And uh we're we're looking forward to that challenge.

SPEAKER_04 39:47

Well, coach, I think that you're gonna be just fine. I just uh I really do. I think you know you're a phenomenal coach, and you've been like the pedigree that you bring is as good as it gets. And um limestone has that pedigree of being a great, great lacrosse team, physical, fast, smart. They have all the attributes, you know, great attack play, always always been a physical, fast team. I always felt limestone was. And um, I'm sure that limestone's gonna be just fine. And they couldn't have named a better head coach for that program than than you. I I it it was perfect. When I heard that JB had left, I was like, wow, woof. You know, it kind of caught, I think it caught some people off guard, I think. I um, but when they named you the head coach, I was like, perfect. That's a perfect fit.

SPEAKER_03 40:38

Yeah, Danny and I talked about it, it was like totally makes sense, you know, from where you had been and where you're going back. I mean, it just it just seems like the a natural fit uh to carry the program to you know further heights.

SPEAKER_01 40:53

Yeah, well, I I appreciate that. Uh it means a lot to be, you know, um the head coach at limestone and uh to be the first alum, you know, who's uh who's done there. That's great. That's great. I didn't know that. That's great. Yeah. And um, you know, I was fortunate to get a job at Mars Hill um, you know, when I did, and uh it worked out for my family there. And uh I you know I coached some great guys there, and uh, you know, I I I miss them. And uh, but I'm I'm excited to kind of lead this charge. And uh, you know, like I said, we got our work cut out first, so we're excited about that.

SPEAKER_04 41:28

Well, coach, I'm gonna be excited to watch you guys play for sure this year. And you're in the SAC now, you know, tough conference, tough conference, you know. Even the 500 teams are scrappy, you know. The the the SAC is uh, I think is one of the most physical conferences in the country.

SPEAKER_01 41:46

Yeah, it is, because you you know, you have you have a great mix of guys from up north, the mid-Atlantic, and then you you know, you're gonna get some Southern guys in there who grew up playing football. And yeah, um, you know, it's uh it is a great conference. You know, I I was in there for the previous three years at Mars Hill and now being at Limestone and looking to that challenge. So, you know, we we won Conference Carolina championship after Conference Carolina championship, but we've never won a SAC championship. So um, you know, the the first chance we get to do that is gonna be special for sure.

SPEAKER_03 42:19

Yeah, well, coach, we really appreciate you coming on tonight without a doubt. I know it's been been quick, and we do wish you the best of luck, and we're looking forward to seeing what you're gonna be doing.

SPEAKER_04 42:29

Yeah, yeah. I'm I'm excited to see Limestone play with you at the helm. I really am. It's gonna be it's gonna be fun. I know I know I know what you bring to the table, Coach, and I wish you all the best of luck.

SPEAKER_01 42:42

Yeah, well, thank you. You like I said before, you guys do an awesome job. It's it's fun to listen to you guys, and uh anytime you want me back, let me know. I'd I'd be uh be happy to you know get back in time.

SPEAKER_03 42:53

Look out if I find your phone number, I'll start texting you during the season and we'll get you on. Don't worry about it.

SPEAKER_04 42:58

No, we'll definitely get you back on, coach. Thanks so much for coming on. Thank you very much. Appreciate it. Yeah, thank you very much. Have a good night.

SPEAKER_03 43:08

Okay, now let's move on to the the third domino.

SPEAKER_04 43:12

Mars is my this is my favorite because I personally really like Joe Turner. Um Coach Turner was an assistant at well he let coach Coach Turner has a little bit of pedigree himself now. Um National Championship at Dowling as a player. Uh graduate assistant at Dowling under Tim Boyle, uh you know, perennial top ten team every year. Um, you know, Long Island, yeah. He's a Minnesota kid, which is kind of cool. Right. He's a Minnesota kid, but that went to Long Island to play with Long Island kids and and and did well and got a national championship. And Coach Boyle loved him so much, said, Hey Joe, would you like to be my graduate? Assistant and Joe became Coach Boyle's graduate assistant. Now, Coach Boyle has a national championship under his belt, actually been to two, and his teams are perennial, you know, top 20, top 10 teams. He's a phenomenal coach, Coach Boyle. And Joe was his right hand man. Coach Turner was his right hand man for a long time. When Wingate, when Coach Mark Lawson left Wingate in 2016, the end of the 2016 season, um Dowling College on Long Island had closed its doors. And Coach Boyle and Coach Turner were kind of left out in the dust. And what did he do with that team? In one year, got him to the NCAA tournament. SAC championship. So two three SAC championships in a row. And and you know, and Coach Turner was a part of that. Um I know also that uh Coach Turner had some family issues and had to leave coaching for a little bit. And I admire that about him. It was family. And and he did what he had to do to to take care of whatever issues they were. And I admire that about Coach Turner. Um but he missed coaching. He missed it. And then he got the call, hey, Alabama Huntsville was looking for an assistant, brand brand new in the peach belt. And we spoke about how much the peach belt we spoke about that in several of our podcasts, and what happened in Alabama Huntsville. As an assistant, they made the championship in the first in the first year of the uh the conference's existence. So Coach Turner has a lot of pedigree as an assistant. So now here we go with the whip, uh, the the whipple effect, the whhipple ripple. Uh I'll call it. We'll call it the whipple. It's the it's the whipple ripple. Coach Whipple leaves. Coach Clark leaves limestone, takes the the Whipple's job at Tampa. Coach Storyer leaves Mars Hill, goes back to his alma mater where he was a longtime assistant, and now is a head coach at his old alma mater. And now Mars Hill needs a head coach, and now Coach Joe Turner, the Minnesota kid, gets his very first shot as a head coach of Mars Hill. And I'm very excited to speak with Coach Turner about that.

SPEAKER_03 47:12

So, I mean, why don't we just go to the horse's mouth and bring on Coach Turner? Welcome, Coach. Glad to have you on the show tonight. How you doing?

SPEAKER_00 47:24

Good. How are you guys doing? We're doing well. We're doing well. Good. Thanks for having me. You know, I'm kind of you know, kind of spurned that I've got I've been kind of down the list here on invitees to the to the podcast. So, you know, it's been a while. We've got the chat, you know, not at any tailgate. So it's it's good to see you guys.

SPEAKER_03 47:41

Well, you know, we we we have to kind of spread the wealth, you know, since we know you. We don't we don't want to look like homers right off the bat, right?

SPEAKER_04 47:49

He comes out like a true Minnesota kid throwing darts right away. That's right.

SPEAKER_03 47:53

That's right. We love it, we love that.

SPEAKER_04 47:55

Uh coach, coach, thank you, thank you so much for uh taking the time to come on with us. It's really good to see you. And uh, like Kevin said, it's gonna kind of be fast and furious a little bit tonight. But tell us about your new head coaching job.

SPEAKER_00 48:10

Well, well, first, thanks for having me. Honored uh to speak with you guys. And you know, it's been a minute, so it's good to see you guys. And uh, you know, this is a dream I've been having for a long time, and um, I think with everything is you kind of have a picture of what it's gonna be like, and then you get into it, and it's not what you thought it was gonna be. So, you know, you you learn and you just kind of you keep going every day. And um, I'm just I'm just really happy to be in a good place. And uh Marshall is just a super welcoming community, a lot of people who really care about not only our team, but athletics and and the general support of the student is it's been overwhelming. So I'm just really happy to be around some amazing people, and uh, you know, we're gonna kind of keep working together to to push this program to its limits.

SPEAKER_03 48:54

Yeah, so Danny, interesting. Before you got on, I was talking with Coach Turner and talk about a whirlwind. You know, he he was recruiting all all summer for Huntsville as the assistant, gets the interview, gets the job, school has started. He's still living in Huntsville for two weeks before he can even find an apartment up near uh Mars Hill.

SPEAKER_04 49:17

So the life of a coach.

SPEAKER_03 49:19

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 49:21

It's coach's life.

SPEAKER_03 49:22

Yeah, I'm interested, coach. You know, you talk about you know how everyone's kind of backing the program and and the students. Is that what kind of drew you there? I mean, obviously, uh besides the head coaching job, what what things draw you to Mars Hill? Because it is, like we talked about, very different academically from what Huntsville brings.

SPEAKER_00 49:42

Um, and like you said, you know, there's you know, the athletic director is in his second year now and the president's in his third, you know, so there's some new leadership um coming within the university. And after speaking to both of them and and hearing their vision and kind of the mission of uh of what the university is going through right now and kind of the transition uh with the leadership was was something that really stuck out to me and both great men with with great plans, and um they they see that athletics is is gonna get a push here in the future, and you know, they have some some stuff going on that that they think that can really help on the athletic side, and um, you know, on top of that, just great people as well, you know, just to be able to to have those those guys and many of other people as well in my corner to support me during this, you know, during the transition and and during this journey is is important. Um, you know, but on top of that, the the right off the bat, the tradition of the program is what interests me in the the position right away, you know. Uh 2015 SAC tournament champs um you know was something that was was something that was big for me. And then also even before the South Atlantic Conference became a thing, the they were also uh you know, shared the title in 2011 in the Deep South Conference as well. So there's been championships in the past, and you know, the tradition of winning is is something that's been at the university before with the men's across program. And I'm seeing that you know, that's something that we're gonna work towards and and knowing that that that tradition is there to bring that back.

SPEAKER_04 51:10

You know, coach, before you came on, we spoke about your pedigree, where you came from, doweling, national championship, assistant to Coach Tim Boyle up there. Um, you come from a really good line of coaches. Um, you've had a lot of success as an assistant. You've done great things. Um, what do you see yourself doing at Mars Hill that's gonna be maybe similar, or will it be different from what you're used to doing?

SPEAKER_00 51:38

I think uh the biggest thing is uh I've been able to learn over the years. I'm not a guy that you know thinks that I know everything. You know, every every every player can get coached differently, every team is gonna have a new offense and a different defense. You know, it's kind of about learning what works best for the guys and and being able for myself and any other coach to put them in a position to succeed. So um, you know, a lot of people have asked me what kind of offense are we gonna run or what are we gonna be founded on in terms of our our pace of play or or what kind of defense are we gonna run. And I think every year is a is a new team, you know. So the guys understand that, you know, maybe they have a role this year and they can grow into a new role next year. So um being able to really look at each player differently and each system and and kind of grow that within our program is important. Um, but like you said, you know, Coach Tim Boyle is is a big piece uh of my life, and you know, being a player under him for four years and then coaching with him for six, you know, that man's been, you know, leading me and advising me for 10 years. So I I would be you know foolish to say that I didn't learn a lot from him. And um, but there's a lot of other coaches as well that I've learned you know pieces from. And, you know, Coach Connor Doyle down there at Alabama Huntsville is you know great friend and um allowed me to look at some things differently as well. Um and then there's some other guys in other conferences where you know we can kind of throw ideas at each other and see what sticks. So I think that's the cool thing about the lacrosse community is they want to see you succeed as long as you're not the guy on the other sideline.

SPEAKER_03 53:09

Right, right, right. Well, and that's interesting, you know, you said it, and obviously you're going back into the sack, right? And you're gonna be competing against Wingate. How one, are you excited? I'm sure you're pretty excited about that. But two, can based on what you know, you know the teams there, do you think that's gonna help you as you try to build Mars Hill?

SPEAKER_00 53:30

Certainly. I mean, if you look at the success that Wingate's had under, you know, Coach Boyle and the time that they've had in the past few years. I mean, Final Four last year, three SAC championships, you know, SAC regular season champs. I mean, you know, that's something that it speaks for itself. So it being in the in the conference in the past certainly will will give and you know, help me through this transition and help me learn a little bit more about what we need to do, you know, knowing what each team is kind of founded on in terms of their strategies and how they play. Um, but you know, I'm ready for the new challenges because it's different when you're in the head coach chair and um now it's your job to lead the boys and and put them in that in the in the right place to succeed. So um it's definitely gonna be a challenge. And but that's why I wanted to be a part of this university and part of this lacrosse program is because of the conference. I mean, Lenore Ryan, Wingate, both of them were in the final four last year, both phenomenal programs led by great men. And um, you know, that's something that I aspire to to be like here at Mars Hill.

SPEAKER_03 54:32

Yeah, and Danny and I have talked about that. Danny, I'll let you well, we have talked about that, like not only those two teams, but you can run down in in the conference, the level of play is just astounding. And and yeah, we're looking forward to seeing uh what you can do at Mars Hill, without a doubt.

SPEAKER_04 54:50

You know, coach, being an assistant for so long and getting that head coaching job, that's I I I'm so happy for you since I know you and we we have a little bit of a history. Uh I, for one, am thrilled to death that you got that job. But a good coach always told me one time, he said, You're only as good as your best assistant. So let's talk. Let's talk a little bit about your assistance.

SPEAKER_00 55:17

Yeah, yeah, for sure. So I have uh Griffin Steckmiller is on my staff, and he's obviously was a great player at Queens and you know did some phenomenal things there as a player. And I think that adds to kind of what you guys were hitting on before of our experience um within the conference is you know, obviously Wingate and Queens has their own rivalries, and you know, Griffin and I certainly you know make a couple jabs at each other here and there in the office. But what we've learned, I agree. What we've learned, yeah, what we've learned from the from being in the conference and and kind of putting you know our brains together and what we need to do is is something that I think gives us an advantage. And you know, I'm always a listener, I always listen, and I may not agree with everything, but you know, it's important to listen to different strategies. And I think what we're trying to grasp is that what worked at Queens may not work at Mars Hill or what worked at Wingate may not work at Mars Hill, but if we find the right solution, the right way to do it, that this school and and these guys that are here, I mean, we can we can do some great things. So there's some guys here that are fifth-year seniors that are so hungry to see the program succeed and doing whatever it takes. And um, and and then there's a bunch of freshmen that are just chomping at the bit that you know maybe they didn't get the the the recognition that they had in their high school programs, or you know, maybe they weren't recruited by the biggest teams in the country and they're hungry. They got a chip on their shoulder and they're ready to compete.

SPEAKER_04 56:38

Right. That's awesome.

SPEAKER_03 56:42

Yeah, so Coach, uh, we really thank you for coming on tonight. Uh, I know it's been short and sweet. I wish it could be longer, and and we'd love to have you on again later in the season and you know, uh see how things are going. We'll definitely be watching you as you as you build your program there. We wish you all the luck.

SPEAKER_04 56:58

I think Coach Turner should be one of the first coaches we speak to when we sit when we start our season. Let's not put him at the end of the list. Hey, coach, thank you so much for coming on. I wish we could stay a little longer. Um I again, I am thrilled to death for you, and I wish you nothing but the best up there in Mars Hill. It's a nice little school up there. It's nice up there. I've been up there a few times, and um, I think good things are gonna come to Mars Hill. I really do, and I really wish you the best.

SPEAKER_00 57:29

Thank you guys. I really appreciate that. Your sport means a lot, and and that's what's I'm excited the most about this job is there's just so many people supporting not only me, but the boys and the team. And uh, we're hungry. We're just we're we're gonna put our heads down to work, and um, we've won the past and we're gonna try to win the future. So we're ready to put the work in and we're excited for the spring to get here. I can tell you that much.

SPEAKER_04 57:51

Well, you know, I'll definitely be watching. You know that. You know that. And I'm I'll probably shoot you an email. I always shoot him like one or two emails. Hey, good luck. That's all, you know, that's it's short and sweet, but just letting him know he's got the support, you know. And coach, I I'm sure you're gonna have success there because just of who you are and what you are and where you come from and your pedigree and just everything about you. I I'm sure you'll find success there.

SPEAKER_00 58:18

I appreciate that. I certainly miss our chats in the parking lots after tough, tough games, whether they're wins or losses. So I'm looking forward to uh to reconnecting, whether it's through Zoom or or maybe in the future on some other time. So thanks for having me, guys. I really appreciate it. Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_03 58:33

We'll talk soon.

SPEAKER_00 58:34

Thanks, coach.

SPEAKER_03 58:36

Take care. All right, Danny. I would I would consider that uh a wrap for uh tonight's episode. But before we go, I kind of want to reiterate what you said at the beginning of this episode, which is I I just want to thank our listeners for the feedback they're giving. And I really like you said, please keep it coming. As we talked about, this episode, which will be many a few more after this first one, came about because a listener reached out and said, Hey, I have an idea. And we are trying to incorporate those ideas into our into our podcast because that's obviously if people are listening to interested in D2 lacrosse, those are some things they want to hear. So, like you said earlier, you the best way to reach us is probably via Instagram. You can message us there at In the Crease D2Lacks. You can reach me on Twitter, message me there at coach Stenny. Interesting, the coach has nothing to do with lacrosse. It was when I was uh I coached athletes to run marathons, you know, for charity. So uh I'd like to say it was lacrosse coaching, but as we already said, we're neophytes in that area and we're just passionate lacrosse fans.

SPEAKER_04 59:50

So yes, sir, yes, sir.

SPEAKER_03 59:52

So though that's two ways we do, but and then if you like what we're doing, share it. Share this podcast with others so that others can understand what great lacrosse occurs at the D2 level.

SPEAKER_04 1:00:06

Yeah, you know, I think little by little, you know, Kevin, as as we go through each and every podcast, I know that I'm learning a ton by doing these podcasts, just doing our little research and and getting these coaches to come on. Again, humbling. I can't believe that they're actually saying yes. But they're listening. They're listening because you know why? We're the only boat in the bay when it comes to division two. Yeah, we're the only, we're the only avenue that's really pushing division two. And I think it's gonna go even further. And tonight, tonight was a great one because we had some great coaches with us tonight, and and next week proves to be the same.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:50

Exactly, exactly. So, with that, that's a wrap on this episode of In the Crease.