August 15, 2008
by Jac Coyne, Lacrosse Magazine Online Staff
Hobart's ill-fated decision to announce its return to Division III will provide a lesson for other schools making a dramatic change to their program without first consulting their alumni base. The decision, whether directly or indirectly, led to a coaching change for the Statesmen.
T.W. Johnson, an assistant for Hobart for the last five years and the head coach for Limestone's Division II national title in 2002, takes over the program after the departure of his good friend, Matt Kerwick.
Countdown caught up with Johnson in transition.
Hobart obviously has a concerned and active alumni base. Does that make you nervous as you take over the head coaching reins or does it provide comfort?
Hobart's a program that has a very rich history and tradition, and has had tremendous success, so when you combine those things, you get a group of alums who are active and want to see the best for Hobart lacrosse. They want to see the program successful. I know since my promotion in the middle of May, I have received a tremendous amount of support from the alums that I am very grateful for.
You added John Svec, one of the big reasons for Albany's recent success, to your coaching staff. When did you first come in contact with Svec and how did you coax him to join your staff?
John and I have gotten to know each other over the years. He and I were recruiting up in Canada last summer and, in between field sessions, we did some X-ing and O-ing. I liked a lot of what he was saying, and then obviously what he has helped Coach Marr do at Albany the last seven years speaks for itself. He and I were speaking again in the middle of May right as I was being promoted just about some professional things, and we had a great talk. So when I was officially promoted, he was someone I was interested in. And there was some interest from him, as well.
I feel very fortunate to have him here. He's had seven years as a top assistant for a nationally-ranked program and has worked with a great coach in Scott Marr. He is going to bring a lot to our program in terms of what he knows about the game of lacrosse, but more importantly, he is a great person with a lot of character.
Will his responsibilities be the same as at Albany?
I think there are going to be a lot of similarities for him. He is going handle our defense and, obviously, I'm comfortable handing that to him because of what he has accomplished at Albany. He played in a great program in college and learned a lot there also. In terms of recruiting, he is a seasoned, Division I top assistant, so I think for my transition and Hobart lacrosse moving forward, we really couldn't have asked for a better person than John Svec.
You take over as head coach after four years as an assistant, but every coach has his own concepts. Will there be any significant changes strategically or philosophically from the way Matt Kerwick did things and in your first year?
There are going to be some things that are the same and there are going to be some things different. And in no way, shape or form is that a disrespect to Coach Kerwick. I think Coach Kerwick is a great person and an excellent coach, but when there is a change at the head coaching position, there is going to be some changes in the program - I just think that's human nature.
After being Steve Koudelka's assistant for five years [at Lynchburg], I left and became the coach at Limestone. I loved what we were doing at Lynchburg, but at the same time when I went to Limestone, I implemented my vision on the program. I think that is going to be the same here at Hobart. We're going to have a nice combination of the two, and I'm confident the guys will buy into my vision. Obviously, I shared that vision with John Svec and Mark Williamson, my two assistants, during the interview process, so I think they are going to be a great help in getting that message out to the players when they get back on campus.
Since taking over, have you had much contact with Coach Kerwick?
I have. Our families are very close. I talk to him, maybe not every day, but three or four times a week. I see him in person at least two or three times a week. Like I said, our families are very tight. Our kids are of the same age; our wives are friends. He's someone that I would definitely consider a mentor and very close friend.
The Statesmen were three goals from being 11-3 last year. Should we realistically expect to see Hobart be in the hunt for a playoff berth next spring or will there be a transition period?
That's certainly what we're shooting for. Our goals will be to compete for the ECAC championship and to earn our way into the NCAA tournament. We did graduate some talented players last year - Daryl Veltman and Jamie Kirk, who were two great attackmen for us; Rafe Mattingly was our top player on defense last year; Dan Spinella at faceoff; and Sean Murphy and Nick Curry in the midfield. So we're losing a handful of guys who saw a lot of time for us not only last year, but during their four years on campus.
They left the program in better shape than they found it, but I think we've got some guys waiting in the wings who are ready to step up. We've got some recruits coming in next year who will be competitive right off the bat, so we're right there. We were three goals away from being 11-3, and my job as head coach is to try to get us on the other side of those one-goal games.
You won a national championship as the head coach of Limestone. As you look back on that experience, what, besides very good players, makes a championship-caliber team?
I think you have to have a group of guys who want to be the best and are not afraid to break their comfort zone in regards to training and the effort they give on the field. You have to have a group of guys who want to do things right on and off the field. I definitely cherish my Limestone experience and was fortunate to have a great group of guys who expected to win every time they stepped on the field. That's what I expect here. We're approaching every game expecting to win.
Countdown to '09: Archive
Aug. 8, 2008 - Penn's Ali Deluca
Aug. 1, 2008 - Chapman's Mike Wood
July 25, 2008 - Southern New Hampshire's Mary Squire
July 18, 2008 - Michigan's Trevor Yealy
July 11, 2008 - Johns Hopkins' Dave Pietramala
July 4, 2008 - Hamilton's Kallie Briscoe
June 27, 2008 - North Carolina's Joe Breschi
June 20, 2008 - Colby's Jon Thompson
Aug. 15, 2008
It's never too early.
With the 2008 season in the books, our neuroses turn to 2009. From Division I to Division III, MCLA to WDIA, we're spanning the college lacrosse globe for a look at what's in store for coaches and players. Check back to LMO each Friday for a new Q&A feature, as our "Countdown to `09" series commences.
by Jac Coyne, Lacrosse Magazine Online Staff
Hobart's ill-fated decision to announce its return to Division III will provide a lesson for other schools making a dramatic change to their program without first consulting their alumni base. The decision, whether directly or indirectly, led to a coaching change for the Statesmen.
T.W. Johnson, an assistant for Hobart for the last five years and the head coach for Limestone's Division II national title in 2002, takes over the program after the departure of his good friend, Matt Kerwick.
Countdown caught up with Johnson in transition.
Hobart obviously has a concerned and active alumni base. Does that make you nervous as you take over the head coaching reins or does it provide comfort?
Hobart's a program that has a very rich history and tradition, and has had tremendous success, so when you combine those things, you get a group of alums who are active and want to see the best for Hobart lacrosse. They want to see the program successful. I know since my promotion in the middle of May, I have received a tremendous amount of support from the alums that I am very grateful for.
You added John Svec, one of the big reasons for Albany's recent success, to your coaching staff. When did you first come in contact with Svec and how did you coax him to join your staff?
John and I have gotten to know each other over the years. He and I were recruiting up in Canada last summer and, in between field sessions, we did some X-ing and O-ing. I liked a lot of what he was saying, and then obviously what he has helped Coach Marr do at Albany the last seven years speaks for itself. He and I were speaking again in the middle of May right as I was being promoted just about some professional things, and we had a great talk. So when I was officially promoted, he was someone I was interested in. And there was some interest from him, as well.
I feel very fortunate to have him here. He's had seven years as a top assistant for a nationally-ranked program and has worked with a great coach in Scott Marr. He is going to bring a lot to our program in terms of what he knows about the game of lacrosse, but more importantly, he is a great person with a lot of character.
Will his responsibilities be the same as at Albany?
I think there are going to be a lot of similarities for him. He is going handle our defense and, obviously, I'm comfortable handing that to him because of what he has accomplished at Albany. He played in a great program in college and learned a lot there also. In terms of recruiting, he is a seasoned, Division I top assistant, so I think for my transition and Hobart lacrosse moving forward, we really couldn't have asked for a better person than John Svec.
You take over as head coach after four years as an assistant, but every coach has his own concepts. Will there be any significant changes strategically or philosophically from the way Matt Kerwick did things and in your first year?
There are going to be some things that are the same and there are going to be some things different. And in no way, shape or form is that a disrespect to Coach Kerwick. I think Coach Kerwick is a great person and an excellent coach, but when there is a change at the head coaching position, there is going to be some changes in the program - I just think that's human nature.
After being Steve Koudelka's assistant for five years [at Lynchburg], I left and became the coach at Limestone. I loved what we were doing at Lynchburg, but at the same time when I went to Limestone, I implemented my vision on the program. I think that is going to be the same here at Hobart. We're going to have a nice combination of the two, and I'm confident the guys will buy into my vision. Obviously, I shared that vision with John Svec and Mark Williamson, my two assistants, during the interview process, so I think they are going to be a great help in getting that message out to the players when they get back on campus.
Since taking over, have you had much contact with Coach Kerwick?
I have. Our families are very close. I talk to him, maybe not every day, but three or four times a week. I see him in person at least two or three times a week. Like I said, our families are very tight. Our kids are of the same age; our wives are friends. He's someone that I would definitely consider a mentor and very close friend.
The Statesmen were three goals from being 11-3 last year. Should we realistically expect to see Hobart be in the hunt for a playoff berth next spring or will there be a transition period?
That's certainly what we're shooting for. Our goals will be to compete for the ECAC championship and to earn our way into the NCAA tournament. We did graduate some talented players last year - Daryl Veltman and Jamie Kirk, who were two great attackmen for us; Rafe Mattingly was our top player on defense last year; Dan Spinella at faceoff; and Sean Murphy and Nick Curry in the midfield. So we're losing a handful of guys who saw a lot of time for us not only last year, but during their four years on campus.
They left the program in better shape than they found it, but I think we've got some guys waiting in the wings who are ready to step up. We've got some recruits coming in next year who will be competitive right off the bat, so we're right there. We were three goals away from being 11-3, and my job as head coach is to try to get us on the other side of those one-goal games.
You won a national championship as the head coach of Limestone. As you look back on that experience, what, besides very good players, makes a championship-caliber team?
I think you have to have a group of guys who want to be the best and are not afraid to break their comfort zone in regards to training and the effort they give on the field. You have to have a group of guys who want to do things right on and off the field. I definitely cherish my Limestone experience and was fortunate to have a great group of guys who expected to win every time they stepped on the field. That's what I expect here. We're approaching every game expecting to win.
Countdown to '09: Archive
Aug. 8, 2008 - Penn's Ali Deluca
Aug. 1, 2008 - Chapman's Mike Wood
July 25, 2008 - Southern New Hampshire's Mary Squire
July 18, 2008 - Michigan's Trevor Yealy
July 11, 2008 - Johns Hopkins' Dave Pietramala
July 4, 2008 - Hamilton's Kallie Briscoe
June 27, 2008 - North Carolina's Joe Breschi
June 20, 2008 - Colby's Jon Thompson
