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Countdown to '09: North Carolina's Joe Breschi
June 27, 2008
It's never too early.
by Matt DaSilva, Lacrosse Magazine Online Staff New North Carolina men's lacrosse coach Joe Breschi visited Chapel Hill for the first time this week since resigning at Ohio State to take over at his alma mater. He called it a "whirlwind tour," meeting university and athletic administrators, compliance people, strength and conditioning specialists, academic advisors, alumni, boosters, fundraisers and realtors. His future offices remained barren, as the school relocates its lacrosse operations from the Carmichael Auditorium to the cushier confines of the Kenan Football Center. Women's lacrosse coach Jenny Levy took Breschi on a tour of neighborhoods and recommended pediatricians, dentists, school systems and even swimming pools for his three daughters, all under age 7. He saw nearly a dozen houses in Chapel Hill before placing a bid, accepted via cell phone as he boarded a flight to a recruiting camp in Baltimore. "I'm trying to sleep in between," Breschi joked. Seventy-two hours in his old haunts, however, were more than enough to convince Breschi he had made the right choice. Though his ties to the Columbus community were strong - his 11 seasons as Ohio State's head coach there included the tragic death of his 3-year-old son Michael, who was hit by a car in 2004, and a close friendship with Buckeyes football coach Jim Tressel - Breschi felt called to return to the place of his formative years. His family, which remained in Columbus this week, agreed. "This was one that we made together," Breschi said. "You know, let's go on another adventure." Breschi was an All-American defenseman at UNC from 1987-1990 and spent two seasons there as an assistant coach under Dave Klarmann - including the Tar Heels' last NCAA championship campaign in '91. Countdown caught up with Breschi as he caught his breath Friday. Is there any truth to the rumor that Roy Williams (UNC basketball coach and alumnus) called you to convince you to come back to Chapel Hill? I did not get a call from Roy Williams. That's a pretty good rumor though, isn't it? The coach I spoke to the most was Coach Tressel. We became good friends out there at Ohio State. He's just a terrific human being, and he put everything in perspective. He has a unique perspective on coaching, life and faith. I think that was important to hear from him. You wrote of a "heavy heart" in an e-mail to Ohio State family and friends announcing your departure. What was it like crafting that farewell address? I think everybody in the lacrosse community knows what Julie (Breschi's wife) and I went through out there at Ohio State. We would not have survived it without the Ohio State community as a whole, without the athletic department or the surrounding Columbus community. It was a difficult decision for Julie and I, but also one where we've been through the toughest of tragedies. You have to make difficult decisions in your life as a family. Would you say UNC is the only job for which you would have left Ohio State? Correct - no doubt about it. It's just unique being at your alma mater. You have a unique relationship with the school where you gave your heart out as a player and coaching there for two years as an assistant. You never lose that aspect of it. Your buddies at your alma mater you stay in touch with, that's the thing that pulls you. You sweat with those guys; you get after it with them. That's a strong experience that molds you. We spoke to [Ohio State assistant coach] Nick Myers earlier this week, and he expressed a strong desire to succeed you there. Would you like to see the Buckeyes hire a name brand coach elsewhere or give an up-and-coming assistant the opportunity? I'll say this - Ohio State is going to do the best job to get the person for that job, no question about it. That being said, my feelings are that Nick Myers is the right guy for the job. I'm supporting him 100 percent to get that job. He was such a big part of building it, our success, for two years as a volunteer and three years as our head assistant coach. He's a terrific person who has grown as an individual and coach, as a leader of young men. I would be absolutely thrilled if they gave him the opportunity to lead Ohio State. Has Ohio State become a less stable program with the formation and looming fallout of the Big East men's lacrosse conference? I think everybody was kind of in flux a bit, from the CAA to the Great Western Lacrosse League, the NEC forming and the ECAC. Until everything's down on paper and things are settled, I think teams are a little bit on edge. You don't want anything to happen that the newer programs get left out in the cold. What's best for lacrosse? It didn't have any affect on my decision at all, but I think there's uncertainty out there. They're trying to work together with the ECAC and GWLL to formulate a league that will last forever - but nothing's cheap these days, especially flying out to Colorado. Two public criticisms of the current North Carolina men's lacrosse program are out there. One, a party culture within the program has had a debilitating effect and two, the resources committed by the university to men's lacrosse are sub-par compared to elsewhere. Are these issues with which you are familiar and, if so, how do you address them? The biggest thing for me is to get an opportunity to meet the guys. I'm starting fresh. As for the atmosphere, I want these young men to enjoy their college experience. My approach has always been, family number one, academics number two, lacrosse number three and social life number four, in that order. That's what we've done at Ohio State, and that's what I expect to do at North Carolina. Otherwise, I can't really comment, because I don't know the social aspect. I know my experience when I was there for sure. But every time you go into something new, you want to make sure you do things right, and take steps forward that are going to prepare the university, athletic department and lacrosse program to be terrific on the field and off the field. Have you talked to [dismissed UNC coach] John Haus to get his gauge of the situation there? What I'll say is that I played for Coach Haus at Loyola (Md.) High School, and I have the utmost respect for him as a person and family man. I've always respected him when I played for him and as a peer in the coaching profession. I wish him nothing but the world. What's your timetable for hiring a staff? With recruiting being what it is, it seems you'd rather it be in place sooner than later. No question. I'm waiting to see the landscape of how things fall out at Ohio State. I obviously have connections with my staff there. I'm open to discussing other opportunities with guys in the coaching world and trying to put together the best staff possible that will help North Carolina. Countdown to '09: Archive June 20, 2008 - Colby's Jon Thompson
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