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| P.J. Kavanagh |
P.J. Kavanagh, who has six years of NCAA Div. III head coaching experience and also assisted a couple Major League Lacrosse teams, will take over as The College of Wooster's head men's lacrosse coach, effective March 2, announced Keith Beckett, the school's director of athletics, physical education, and recreation.
"We are excited to welcome Coach Kavanagh as our head men's lacrosse coach," remarked Beckett. "He brings considerable experience and passion into this role. He has a proven record of success within the collegiate, high school, and professional ranks. We look forward to his leadership in building upon and promoting the many fine traditions of men's lacrosse at The College of Wooster."
Kavanagh never had a losing season and won over 50 games (54-41) as head coach at SUNY Plattsburgh and the University of Mount Union, and now replaces Carl Festa, who left recently to pursue a new career in law enforcement, at Wooster.
"First of all, (Wooster) is an outstanding educational institution, and the facilities are out of this world. The conference is terrific, very competitive. Those factors led me to jump at (this position)," said Kavanagh. "The talent at Wooster is really appealing and exciting. The great job the coaches have done there already, I'm pretty comfortable that we'll hit the ground running when I get to campus."
Kavanagh moved to northeast Ohio in 2011 to take on the challenge of building a varsity lacrosse program from the ground up at Mount Union. He brought in two recruiting classes that eventually led to a 7-7 record during the Purple Raiders' inaugural season, then decided to step away from college coaching.
"It's been great to recharge my batteries a little bit. I feel very fortunate to have stepped away and now get to coach at a terrific academic institution with a lacrosse program that has a rich history," explained Kavanagh.
Kavanagh spent a significant coaching stint at Plattsburgh State, located in upstate New York, first serving as an assistant for two seasons (2005-06) and then as head coach for five (2007-11). He compiled a school-record 47 victories (47-34), highlighted by 11-6 and 10-6 marks his last two years, respectively. Notable, the Cardinals reached the 2011 State University of New York Athletic Conference Tournament championship game, and they received votes in the USILA coaches' top-20 poll in three different seasons.
With Plattsburgh State, he coached one All-American, two who played in the USILA Senior North-South All-Star Game, and more than a dozen all-SUNYAC honorees, and away from the field, his teams logged over 1,400 service hours and raised $14,000 for a charity among other community projects.
Prior to his time at Plattsburgh State, Kavanagh gained 10 years of coaching experience at New England prep schools and he was an assistant one year with the MLL's Bridgeport Barrage (2001). More recently, he returned to the MLL, serving as the assistant coach/defensive coordinator for the Ohio Machine (2011-13).
As an undergrad, Kavanagh started at goalie two seasons for NCAA Div. I Colgate University and long-stick midfielder one. He earned a bachelor of arts degree while majoring in geology in 1993.
Originally from Syracuse, N.Y., Kavanagh now lives in North Canton, Ohio, with his wife Elizabeth and their three sons – Sean (9), Aidan (7), and Ryan (6).