WOOSTER, Ohio – Eric Seideman (SIDE-min), who possesses nearly two decades of coaching experience at the NCAA Div. III level, including 11 years as head coach at Mount Saint Mary College (New York), has been selected as The College of Wooster's men's lacrosse head coach following a national search. Seideman's start date is July 1.
"On behalf of our department and the student-athletes, I'm excited to welcome Coach Seideman to Wooster," director of athletics and physical education Amy Heasley Williams said. "His vast experience as a coach and educator will provide strong leadership for our team, within our department, on campus, and in the community. During the search process, team members were drawn to Coach Seideman's coaching philosophy and vision for Wooster lacrosse, as well as his thoughtfulness and understanding on their holistic development as student leaders. Our department shares that enthusiasm, and we look forward to the times ahead."
"Coach Seideman demonstrated a great ability to develop a culture of excellence with a commitment to a holistic student-athlete experience," added men's soccer head coach Andy Zidron, who chaired the search committee. "He is committed to the development of the individual and committed to making positive impacts across campus. It was evident that he made a great connection with the group, and we are looking forward to watching these relationships flourish."
"I would like to thank Amy Heasley Williams, Andy Zidron, and the rest of the search committee for giving me this opportunity to be the head men's lacrosse coach at The College of Wooster," Seideman said. "Wooster is clearly a special place, and my wife, Melissa, and I are thrilled to join the vibrant campus community. Throughout this process, I was so impressed with the engagement of the men's lacrosse student-athletes. I cannot wait to get started working with them to build a program that will compete for the NCAC championship and on a national level."
Seideman arrived in Newburgh, New York, in 2011 to build up a relatively new Mount Saint Mary program, and his efforts were immediately evident with a program record seven wins in 2012. Seideman's program reached new heights in 2018, winning a record 12 games and advancing to the Skyline Conference Tournament championship game for the first time. Under Seideman's guidance, two Knights earned All-America honors, marking the only two All-America selections for Mount Saint Mary in any sport in a 15-year stretch. He mentored Dylan De Meo, who finished as the 15th-leading scorer in Div. III history at 334 points.
Developing positive and inclusive team culture and emphasizing values like "care for others, growth mindset, leadership, and service in development of the whole person" are hallmarks of Seideman's coaching philosophy. Under his watch, Mount Saint Mary's men's lacrosse program positively impacted the community with over 30 student-athlete-led community service projects, plus collaboration with organizations such as Team Impact and the One Love Foundation. Through these partnerships, Seideman helped incorporate One Love Foundation "Escalation" workshops into Mount Saint Mary first-year experience, athletics, and student club programming.
Seideman's impact extends beyond his team, as the veteran coach is highly active within the NCAA and coaching organizations. He is the current chair of the Div. III All-America committee, and previously served as a top-20 poll voter, a regional advisory committee representative, and a NCAA Div. III Championships site representative. While at Mount Saint Mary, Seideman oversaw compliance for the entire athletic department, worked to create a new policy for academic standards for athletics that was later adopted for the entire student body, and was an adjunct professor of English.
No stranger to success at a high level, Seideman was the offensive coordinator of State University of New York Cortland's national championship team in 2006 as an assistant, and the program returned to the national title game the following year with him on the sideline. He then was an assistant at Ithaca College, helping the program to the national semifinals in 2008, then spent two seasons at Gettysburg College, with the program making the NCAA Div. III Championships both years. In all, Seideman has coached 27 All-Americans in his career.
As a midfielder, Seideman was a four-year starter at Haverford College outside of Philadelphia. There, he earned two All-Centennial Conference honors and was selected as the team's most valuable player three times. He graduated as the program's all-time leader in midfield scoring.
Seideman graduated from Haverford in 2004 with a bachelor's in English and furthered his education with a master's in education at Cornell University. Seideman, and his wife, Melissa, have two sons, Benjamin and Finn.
What they are saying about head coach Eric Seideman
"Eric Seideman is a terrific choice as the next head men's lacrosse coach at Wooster. Eric is a tireless worker and a true student of the game. He built a winner at Mount Saint Mary and he knows what it takes to compete at the highest level with his NCAA tournament experience at Gettysburg and Ithaca along with his NCAA championship season at SUNY Cortland. Eric is a leader and a mentor, and he will develop the young men in his program athletically, academically, and personally. I believe he will elevate that program and provide the student-athletes there with a top-flight experience."
--Mike Murphy, Head Coach at the University of Pennsylvania
*Seideman played for Murphy at Haverford College
"The Fighting Scots are getting a great coach, person, and leader in Coach Seideman. Eric's commitment to culture, player development, and preparation makes him an excellent mentor to the young men he coaches. The College of Wooster lacrosse program is in excellent hands."
--Rich Barnes, Former Head Coach at SUNY Cortland
*Seideman served on Barnes' staff as an assistant coach
"The College of Wooster has made an outstanding hire. Coach Seideman is one of the best player development coaches I have seen. He builds players and great team cultures. He will engage players in all facets of development both on the field and off. The College will be proud of the team that he builds."
--Dan Lawrence, Head Coach at SUNY Purchase / Former Head Coach at SUNY Maritime
*Seideman coached against Lawrence in the 2018 Skyline Conference semifinals