It appears that the Mount women's lacrosse team will have its third coach in less than a year. Lindsey Munday, the former Northwestern first assistant who was certainly the biggest resume hire in school history (I don't care how young or inexperienced she is, she was a part of FIVE national championships), is going to USC, according to the LA Times.
I'll say this, Los Angeles sounds a lot sweeter than Emmitsburg, but how can you leave a program before you ever coach a season there? What will she tell the players she's spent the last four months with? Now there is the potential of a lost recruiting class and a scramble to find what will likely lead to a lame duck coach.
Even worse, every coach in the athletic department who was pissed that Munday was receiving a ton of money (compared to them when they started) will now be wondering if it was worth it. I met one of the recruits signed by Sonia LaMonica before she ditched the Mount for Towson (where she was an assistant before, plus she didn't leave until the offseason) and they were ecstatic to have the chance to play for Munday.
I'm not sure what Trojan Land could offer a woman's lacrosse coach, but I'm sure it's much more attractive than what the Mount signed on to pay.
"It is an incredibly special opportunity to begin a new program and I cannot wait to recruit student-athletes who are passionate about lacrosse and about joining this amazing time in USC women's lacrosse history," Munday said in a statement that was quoted on the LA Times' blog, The Fabulous Forum.
There is no indication on the Mount's site that Munday has left, and she is still listed as the head coach. Expect any record of her to be gone within days, if not hours, as the Mount did with Milan Brown and company.
If I were in Munday's shoes, would I do the same thing? Without hearing the financials, it's not – OK I'll stop posturing. You're damn right I would leave the Mount for USC. This is a business, not daycare.
The only peculiar part of the move is that it comes during winter break, meaning by the time she packs her belongings and moves out of town, she'll never have to face the players she barely got to know. Can we please schedule USC in 2013 – the first year it will have a varsity team? (That's right; she won't even coach a meaningful game for more than two years.)
My biased but logical recommendation is to hire my good friend Katelyn Catanese, who was one of the best players in Northeast Conference history, and coached St. John's at Prospect Hall last spring. She led the girls to an undefeated season and an IAAM "C" Conference championship. Better yet, she's finishing graduate school at the Mount and could probably use a full-time job.
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UPDATE: How could I forget this? (H/T to you know who.) Kind of puts a damper on the national championship hopes of our university president. This is what Powell said in August when Munday was hired:
"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."
As the next coaching search begins, hope springs eternal yet again!
6 comments:
"Expect any record of her to be gone within days, if not hours, as the Mount did with Milan Brown and company".
You are an irrelevant a-hole. Brown signed a long term contract extension with the Mount at an excellent salary. HE asked for (and was graciously granted) out because he got the opportunity he thought he wanted at HC.
The administration, starting with President Powell and continuing to Lynne Phelan were and are from a much finer breed than those like you who pretend to be reporting sports.
Which has absolutely nothing to do with what he said. Any mention of Milan was gone right away from the site. 100 percent fact that can't be argued.
Another anonymous douche bag spouting off. At no point did I insult Lynne (who I love) or Tom Powell in regard to Milan Brown. It's a statement of fact that you can't find anything about Brown or his staff on the site.
At no point do I blame anyone for anything in this post.
And don't get me started on Brown's excellent salary that was about 80 percent of his successor, and less than one-third of what he makes in Worcester. No one should blame him or Munday for leaving, and this has nothing to do with the administration.
And by your statements, you obviously don't understand how coaching changes work.
If you're an alum, you're an embarrassment.
And if I'm so irrelevant, why are you on my blog?
There is a standing order among the athletic administration at the Mount not to recognize nor celebrate the accomplishments of former employees as it, in their opinion, does not bring recognition to the present program. Names do immediately disappear.
On a positive note, what an absolutely great promotion. Nothing says Mount St. Mary's as a celebration of the landmark 76th birthday of Elvis Presley.
I don't even know what that last comment means, but as for this one:
"There is a standing order among the athletic administration at the Mount not to recognize nor celebrate the accomplishments of former employees."
Ever heard of Jim Phelan?
I see your point, and Phelan is a worthy exception, but they don't erase everyone from the records. When a guy like Milan Brown takes you to an NCAA tournament, you don't erase him from campus and the site as if he never existed. If Tom Gravante ever leaves the Mount, same thing. Courtney Martinez led women's lacrosse to the most dominant run by any Mount sport in the Division I era, she shouldn't be erased either.
Celebrate the past. We don't have to act like every new coach is a clean slate.
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