Set to become a varsity sport next year, the DePauw Lacrosse team has made a competitive step in the hiring of the program's first head coach, Carl Haas.
It's an exciting move for a lacrosse team that has competed exceptionally as a club sport and now has a leader to steer them in the right direction.
In August 2011, DePauw announced the addition of men's and women's lacrosse as varsity sports. The teams will compete on the varsity level beginning with the 2012-13 academic year.
"I'm excited to have Carl join the staff and start the men's varsity lacrosse program at DePauw University," incoming Director of Athletics Stevie Baker-Watson said. "His experience as a head coach in men's lacrosse will enable the program to make an immediate impact. Carl's philosophy on the game, as well as the student-athlete experience, is a great fit for DePauw."
Haas has served as the head coach at Saint Vincent College (Div. III) the last two seasons after one year as an assistant. He led the Bearcats to a 14-12 record in two seasons including a 9-5 mark in 2011 which was the program's first winning season since 2005. Each of his two teams finished in the top 10 in the nation in scoring.
"I think DePauw has great potential in men's lacrosse and this is an incredible opportunity," Haas said. "There are a lot of young men ready to come to a great school and compete in a strong conference. I'm very appreciative of the coaching opportunities Saint Vincent provided me and I look forward to building the DePauw program."
Men's club team senior captain Alex Grip is very excited about the hiring and believes the program's future is bright.
"(The hiring) is a pivotal step forward for our program and for the university," Grip said. "Our team has a bright and promising future, one that will demand hard work and dedication from both the players and the staff. We are all looking forward to working with and learning from Coach Haas in the seasons ahead of us."
Haas' resume both as a coach and player boasts years of experience as he has shown before he understands what it takes to run a successful program.
Prior to coaching at Saint Vincent, Haas was an assistant at Div. III Roanoke College from 2003-08. During that time the Maroons compiled a 63-22 record including two conference championships, three NCAA postseason appearances and two trips to the Div. III semifinals.
Haas coached three all-American players including the 2006 Div. III Defender of the Year. He began his career as an assistant during the 2003 season at Div. II St. Andrews Presbyterian College.
Junior Jack Glerum knows Haas' vast experience will be great for the program and will be a key factor in pushing them to the next level.
"Right now we have the raw talent necessary to beat similar club teams, but lack the team play that an experienced coach brings to the table," Glerum said. "Though run-and-gun is fun, I look forward to that organization more than anything else."
A native of Fairfax, Va., Haas graduated from the Virginia Military Institute where he earned a bachelor of arts degree in history. Haas earned four varsity letters for the Div. I Keydets and served as a two-year captain. Twice he was named to the Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll.