Ted Georgalas, who founded Mahopac’s varsity program and is one of the men most instrumental in the growth of Section 1 lacrosse, has joined Army’s program as an assistant coach.
Georgalas, the former head coach of the New Jersey Pride and 2003 Major League Lacrosse coach of the year, served as Somers’ JV coach this past season and a full-time substitute teacher in the Somers District.
Army coach Joe Alberici had originally discussed the position with Georgalas last fall, but Georgalas had already committed to Somers. Two days after the Tuskers lost to Niskayuna in this year’s state quarterfinals, they discussed it again.
“Guys my age grew up going to West Point to watch lacrosse,” said Georgalas, a Yorktown graduate who will fill Army’s volunteer assistant position. “It’s a real special place and this is a special opportunity.”
Georgalas, who served as an assistant to former Lakeland coach Frank Vitolo at Pace University before joining the New Jersey Pride, was named Section 1 lacrosse man of the year in 2007 the year he retired from his teaching position at Mahopac.
Reach Joe Lombardi at joe@laxlessons.com.
Posted In: College lacrosse
Coach Georgalas was a great coach for the two years at Somers. Army is getting a great coach who will help there program a lot.
There is no one better than Mr. G. Good luck at West Point.
Iceman, I second that….Mr. G. is the best.
Here’s another quick college note, gang. North Carolina, which has quite a few players from the region, is losing its defensive coordinator, Greg Paradine.
Paradine is headed to nearby Lenoir-Rhyne, a Division II school that is launching both men’s and women’s lacrosse. He has been named director of lacrosse operations as well as coach of both teams. I imagine he will appoint a separate coach to handle the women’s team shortly.
Lenoir-Rhyne’s athletic department made the announcement this afternoon. Here’s the link:
http://www.lrbears.com/article.asp?articleID=113
This is HUGE news, noteworthy of a headline.
Hickory, N.C. Lenoir-Rhyne University Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Neill McGeachy has announced the hiring of Greg Paradine as the school’s first-ever director of lacrosse. Paradine will coach both the men’s and women’s lacrosse teams, which will start competing in the 2010-11 academic year. Paradine, who will begin on Aug. 1, will have 13 months to recruit both squads before the teams start playing intercollegiately.
“I am honored and humbled to be the named the first director of lacrosse at Lenoir-Rhyne University,” said Paradine. “Athletic Director Neill McGeachy, President Dr. Wayne Powell and I share the same vision for the lacrosse program at L-R: to strive for excellence in the classroom, integrity on the playing field and involvement in the community. The addition of both men’s and women’s teams at Lenoir-Rhyne is a huge boost for the game of lacrosse in the state of North Carolina.”
“This is one of the significant hires in the history of Lenoir-Rhyne University,” said McGeachy. “Greg (Paradine) was an exceptional intercollegiate lacrosse athlete and has proven himself to be an exceptional lacrosse coach.
“Coach (Paradine) represents all the parts we’re looking for in this inaugural coaching position skills as a coach, an evaluator, a recruiter and part P.T. Barnum.”
Paradine comes to Lenoir-Rhyne after serving as an assistant lacrosse coach the past seven years at his alma mater, the University of North Carolina.
Paradine oversaw many of the day-to-day operations of the Tar Heel Lacrosse Program in addition to serving as an offensive and a defensive coach.
Paradine also helped spearhead the Tar Heels’ recruiting efforts, including five consecutive Top 10 classes No. 6 in 2005, No. 4 in 2006, No. 7 in 2007 and 2008 and No. 6 in 2009.
Paradine also oversaw the development of Ronnie Staines into a first-team All-American defenseman in 2004. Staines became the first Tar Heel to cop first-team honors since 1993 when Paradine himself joined teammate Alex Martin on the No. 1 USILA All-American squad. In addition, Stephen McElduff was named a third-team All-American in 2005 under the tutelage of Paradine.
Paradine, who graduated from North Carolina in December of 1993 with a bachelor’s degree in geography, was a four-year letterwinner from 1990-93. He played on four Atlantic Coast Conference Championship Teams and four NCAA Tournament squads. In addition, Paradine was part of the 1991 NCAA National Championship squad, 1993 national finalists and 1990 and 1992 semifinalists.
Paradine was a first-team All-American in 1993 and an honorable mention All-American in 1992.
Before returning to North Carolina, Paradine served as head lacrosse coach at Chapel Hill High School from 1998 to 2002. He led the Tigers to three PAC-Six Conference Titles (2000-02) and was named the PAC-Six Coach Of The Year in 2001. The Tigers were the North Carolina High School Lacrosse Association runners-up in both 2001 and 2002. Paradine also coached three high school All- Americans at Chapel Hill.
Paradine, who received his teacher certification from North Carolina Central University in December of 1998, was employed three years as a teacher at Mary Scroggs Elementary in the Chapel Hill/Carrboro school system.
Paradine’s first coaching stint at North Carolina took place from August of 1995 to May of 1997 after he coached two years at Ohio State (January 1994 to May 1995). “The launching of intercollegiate men’s and women’s lacrosse is another tactic in L-R’s enrollment & opportunity strategy,” said McGeachy.
The addition of the two lacrosse teams will bring the total number of sports at Lenoir-Rhyne to 19. L-R fielded 12 teams prior to McGeachy’s arrival as AD in January of 2002.
any relation to cornells assistant?
Yes, absolutely. Cornell assistant coach Kyle Georgalas is Ted Georgalas’ son. Kyle was also a first-team all-Ivy League defenseman for Cornell.
Speaking of Kyle Georgalas, he is one of those named in an interesting and well-researched article by Quint Kessenich on InsideLacrosse.com exploring the next wave of Division I assistants ready to take head-coaching jobs.
Be sure to check it out. Here’s the link:
http://blogs.insidelacrosse.com/2009/07/28/quint-kessenich-the-next-wave-of-di-assistants/
Former Yale assistant coach Andrew Whitley, who will specialize in faceoffs, has joined the staff at Fairfield.
Here’s more:
http://www.fairfieldstags.com/sports/m-lacros/2009-10/news/20090819_WhitleyAnnouncement