"We're excited to welcome Coach Lindsey Munday to the Mount," said President Dr. Thomas Powell. "She brings a national presence along with great talent and experience and exemplifies the formation of character we try and instill in our athletes. I am confident this dynamic coach will take us to the next level and bring home a national championship."
My first reaction to this was, "A national championship at the Mount? Powell is one crazy son of a gun, and has no idea what he's talking about."
Then I thought, you know what? I have been complaining all this time about us setting our standards too low and hiring people for cheap. I don't know what we hired Lindsey Munday for, but damn, it has to be worth it.
So I have zero criticism for Powell's quote. Props to the president for dreaming big. Who cares if our only team national championship came in the 60's in basketball's "College Division"?
I can't complain about us thinking inside the box, then complain when we talk about a national championship. If Thomas H. Powell himself thinks we can win a national title at the Mount, I'm all for it. In fact, not only was I highly critical (Part I, Part II) of the Mount's recent hiring practices (which is temporarily, completely reversed by this hire), but I also said that lacrosse needs to become our staple program.
I'm not saying I'm the reason this all is happening, I'm just saying that I'm getting what I asked for, so I'm willing to sincerely give credit and a hell of a lot of praise to Powell, and especially Lynne Robinson. Gotta spend money to make money, baby.
(I never thought I would be this excited about women's lacrosse.)
Press release for Lindsey Munday's hire:
Mount St. Mary's University Names Lindsey Munday Women's Lacrosse Head Coach
EMMITSBURG, Md. - Mount St. Mary's University Director of Athletics Lynne P. Robinson has announced the hiring of five-time National Champion Lindsey Munday as the seventh women's lacrosse head coach in program history.
"We're excited to welcome Coach Lindsey Munday to the Mount," said President Dr. Thomas Powell. "She brings a national presence along with great talent and experience and exemplifies the formation of character we try and instill in our athletes. I am confident this dynamic coach will take us to the next level and bring home a national championship."
Munday comes to the Mount after spending the last eight years at Northwestern. She won two National Championships as a player and three as an assistant coach. For the last four years, Munday has been the top assistant on Kelly Amonte Hiller's staff, serving as recruiting coordinator, offensive coach and helping with scouting opponents. She helped Northwestern to an 85-4 record in her four seasons as an assistant coach, including a perfect 23-0 mark in 2009. The Wildcats won the National Championship in 2007, 2008 and 2009 while advancing to the NCAA championship game in 2010.
"We are thrilled to welcome Lindsey Munday to Mount St. Mary's University as our new head women's lacrosse coach," said Robinson. "Lindsey's experience as an elite player and successful Division I coach perfectly position her to guide our program. Lindsey is a proven winner and we are extremely fortunate to have her join the Mount community. Under Lindsey's leadership, the future of our women's lacrosse program is indeed very bright."
As a player, Munday left Evanston as one of the greatest players to wear the Wildcats uniform. A Tewaaraton Trophy semifinalist in 2005 and 2006, she finished her career as the program's all-time leader in assists (128), third in points (268) and fifth in goals (140) and also holds the single-season record for points (107) and assists (54) for the 2005 campaign. Northwestern posted a 64-12 record in her four-year playing career, including a 56-4 mark in her final three campaigns while winning the Wildcats first two National Championships in 2005 and 2006. A co-captain for 2006, Munday was named an IWLCA/US Lacrosse All-American in her final two seasons while also nabbing a spot on the All-American Lacrosse Conference first team in 2005 and 2006 after garnering second-team recognition in 2003 and 2004. She was also awarded the 2006 Big Ten Medal of Honor, which is given annually to one graduating male and female student-athlete of outstanding academic and athletic talent.
"I am extremely honored to be the next women's lacrosse coach at Mount St. Mary's University," said Munday. "I want to thank President Dr. Thomas Powell and Director of Athletics Lynne Robinson for giving me this opportunity. I would also like to thank Northwestern head coach Kelly Amonte Hiller for first teaching and mentoring me as a player and then as a coach to prepare me to become a head coach. The Mount has a rich tradition and I am really excited to be a part of the future of Mount women's lacrosse."
Munday remains active as a player in lacrosse after playing with the United States in the 2009 FIL Women's World Cup Championship team. She was named to All-World Cup team as an attacker after leading the United States with 17 goals and 20 assists for 37 points in seven games. Munday met Mount St. Mary's once on the playing field. She posted two goals and four assists in Northwestern's 16-3 win against the Mount in the NCAA Division I First Round matchup on May 12, 2005. She assisted four of the Wildcats' first six goals to stake Northwestern out to a 6-1 lead and then scored the final goal of the first half and first tally of the second half in the Mountaineers' last NCAA Tournament appearance.
"Lindsey is a tremendous coaching talent," said Amonte Hiller. "It is exciting to see her get an opportunity like this. Mount St. Mary's is a great school that is building an exciting lacrosse tradition. With Lindsey's experience, she will build on their current traditions while taking the program to a whole new level."
Munday inherits a team that went 8-9 overall and 6-3 in Northeast Conference play. Mount St. Mary's advanced to its eighth-straight NEC Tournament appearance and 12th in the last 13 years before falling to Sacred Heart in the semifinals.
Munday inherits a team that went 8-9 overall and 6-3 in Northeast Conference play. Mount St. Mary's advanced to its eighth-straight NEC Tournament appearance and 12th in the last 13 years before falling to Sacred Heart in the semifinals.
AP Transactions
Mount St. Mary's - Named Lindsey Munday women's lacrosse head coach.
Mount St. Mary's - Named Lindsey Munday women's lacrosse head coach.
2 comments:
Eight years ago, nobody ever gave Northwestern any chance at playing at a high-level in WLAX, much less becoming the dominant program. Let's all hope that Lindsey brings a new level to the sport at the Mount.
Good to know that if it does happen we'll have plenty of great pictures as proof!
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