Varsity Boys lacrosse
Alumni go ‘back to their roots' to lead where they once played
Seven of 10 programs in elite MIAA A Conference are coached by graduates
One of Brian Farrell's most memorable days started with a visit from Boys' Latin headmaster Christopher Post in Hartford, Conn. A joy ride home to Baltimore soon followed.
“I'll never forget [Post] saying ‘Brian, I want you to be the next lacrosse coach at Boys' Latin,'?” said Farrell, a 2006 graduate of the school and a former standout player. “My heart dropped, that's for sure. It was a thrill — it really was. It's one of those moments I'll never forget. I can tell you what hotel we were in and what table we were sitting at.”
At the time, late November 2014, Farrell was an assistant lacrosse and football coach at Salisbury School, a prep school in Connecticut. (Legendary Boys' Latin coach Bob Shriver went on to serve his 36th and final season in 2015 before handing the program over to his former player this spring.)
After receiving word, Farrell jumped into his car and couldn't wait to spread the life-changing news.
“That drive home was really special — I was calling my parents and some of my friends,” he said. “Leaving Salisbury and telling them was tough, but it was so sweet at the same time knowing I was coming back to Baltimore, coming back to my family, coming back to my friends, and coming back to a school I'm truly passionate about.”
Similar stories abound in the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference, where seven of the league's 10 lacrosse programs are coached by alumni — four of them newcomers this season. In addition to Farrell, 2004 Loyola Blakefield graduate Ben Rubeor took over the Dons after guiding St. Mary's to last year's championship. Rubeor was replaced at St. Mary's by longtime assistant coach Victor Lilly, a 1988 alumnus. And 1987 Severn grad Jamie McNealey has started his second stint in charge of the Admirals.
They join Calvert Hall's Bryan Kelly (1987), Gilman's Brooks Matthews (1987) and Mount Saint Joseph's Stephen Berger (2000) as coaches running programs for which they once played.
“For me personally, it's been great coming back to Loyola,” said Rubeor, 30, who took over for successful longtime coach Jack Crawford. “I love coaching and I love this school, and when you combine those two things it's a really special opportunity I take very seriously.”
Shriver's departure makes Kelly, in his 21st season, the new dean of MIAA coaches.
After an All-American playing career at North Carolina, he returned to Calvert Hall and served as an assistant under former coach Mike Thomas for four seasons before taking over in 1996, when he was 26 years old.
Kelly considers what he now knows and didn't then. He was overwhelmed at the start and learning on the fly. Thomas was a stickler for the fundamentals, and Kelly has kept to that approach while carving out his own path. The Cardinals are a perennial power in the league, and Kelly is 229-103 over his career, with two league championships.
He has been where Farrell, Rubeor and the other newcomers are now and has advice to share.
“It's imperative that we all put our own stamp on our programs,” said Kelly. “You have to be who you are as a coach, and that's the biggest thing when you take over a program. You can't try to be the old coach. You can't be Bob Shriver, Jack Crawford or Mike Thomas. You've got to be Bryan Kelly, Brian Farrell and Ben Rubeor.”
What is it like coaching the team for which you once played?
All the coaches agreed it's unique, with specific advantages and added rewards. That there's a special bond with one's alma mater. They all feel a greater responsibility to give back to a school they say provided them with so much. They find greater support, with many alums being former classmates and teammates — making the desire to be successful that much greater. And because they have been in the players' shoes, they can directly relate.
“They know what it's like to walk the halls. They know what it's like in the locker room,” said Shriver, also a Boys' Latin grad. “Also, there's always a part of a person's heart that goes back to their roots. That's a constant, and I think it's very healthy and it's been very healthy for the respective programs for a long time.”
When asked what the difference has been between last year under Shriver and so far this season with Farrell, Boys' Latin senior captain Ryan Shaw joked that Farrell was younger and there was no more listening to Shriver's rants on the sidelines.
But he noted many more similarities.
“They both have high expectations for us, and they expect a lot from us at practice, and they push us as far as we can go,” he said. “Both of them, when you step on the field, they expect you to do your job and know what you're doing and support the team.”
“I think [Farrell] relates with us a lot. He knows who we are, what the pressure is and what we have to go through. Obviously, he was a phenomenal player when he played here, and he knows what we need to do and where we need to be. He just brings a lot of knowledge, and it's been helpful having him as our coach.”
McNealey has returned to a more polished program, previously under Brian Wood; the No. 6 Admirals are 11-1. The same could be said at No. 7 Mount Saint Joseph, which opens league play at 9-3 in Berger's second season.
In the coming weeks, every Tuesday and Friday will bring plenty of fierce play throughout the league. And while winning is a big goal, the coaches all say the same thing when it comes to their mission and their special opportunity.
“Once being in the same position as the student-athletes in terms of academically and athletically, you know exactly what their journey is going to entail and the hard work that comes with it,” McNealey said. “Being able to relate to them on a personal basis … I think that brings a lot of clarity and insights to have the trust factor they have in us as coaches. The ability to give back, especially for the coaches that provided us with opportunities, we're just trying to do the same and more.”
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