Time for the LB coaching staff to be sent on their way after two embarrassing years. There is nowhere to go but up with as low as the coaches plummeted their school ranking in the MIAA. What an abysmal and embarrassing Spring for the Dons. Tons of talent on defense, but an amazingly poor offense that thinks highly of themselves but didn’t get it done all season. So you beat MSJ, JC, and StP…wow…(insert slow and pathetic golfer’s clap here). Maybe a local public school JV team is about the right level of competition moving forward if they plan to keep those coaches and starting lineup.
If you know the guys on staff, they are knowledgeable and they are good coaches, and there's all the excuses in the world for the last few years' performance but it is pretty likely that they're gone. The gamble of putting "good" coaching in a "great" league is that you can get it done. Yesterday's loss was key in the new AD's decision process, and I'm sure the coaches know that.
Game yesterday was vs an extremely beatable CHC but LB was not ready. Lost faceoffs 2:1, a few key defensive breakdowns (and the first time I've seen those poles arguing with each other on the field), multiple passes thrown out of bounds, and more than anything, being unable to keep up with CHC's 10% better physicality without commiting a ton of penalties including multiple penalties (2 man down) on one play. CHC was very well coached and played with a high level of self control and discipline and knowing exactly what they were trying to do at all times. Aside from CHC's studs, LB may have the more talented roster........and that is a problem, given the outcome. As others have said, "doing less with more."
"Aside from CHC's studs, LB may have the more talented roster"..... Really? Loyola has two elite poles, one of whom is more offensive than defensive (see the BL game film for a quick primer) at the elite levels. Aside from those two players, LB doesn't have a unit (attack, midfield, rope, keeper, fogo, etc.) that's better than CHC. And yes, their coaching is also significantly less accomplished. What you have is a Program that's been in a steady decline since 2013 and an administration (athletic and academic) that's not smart enough to figure out how to fix it. Jack Crawford was an excellent tactician (both game planning and in game coach) but didn't do a great job at recruiting middle schoolers and/or working with college and club coaches to get all of his guys (not the elite players who are automatically fawned over by college coaches) recruited at the best possible school for them. Ben Rubeor was hired as the legacy coaching savior fresh off an MIAA championship at SM but that didn't work out for either party as his tenure was short. Fast forward to the current coaching staff. Most were life long educators on the Baltimore private school circuit and nice guys, In addition, the HC was close personal friends with the previous LB Principal. As lacrosse coaches, they had served as assistant coaches for two reputable A Conference programs, Boys Latin and McDonogh. In addition, most of the staff coached on the Summer club circuit: Crabs, Looney's, etc. The previous LB AD had hired Rubeor and when that didn't work out, he listened to his colleague in the Administration (the prior Principal) and hired the current staff. I would posit last years team was significantly better than this year talent wise. Better keeper, better offensively, better SSDMs. They clearly underperformed last year under a former coordinator who now had to be a high school HC for the first time. They didn't fix their FO issues (recruit a public school FOGO or develop an on campus athlete into one) and their game plans often didn't match up with their personnel. In addition, their in game adjustments were equally as challenged. Kids today are really smart. They can figure out in a couple of practices whether a staff is up to snuff. If they reach that conclusion, they often tune the staff out or at best endure them. Hoping the new AD has the lacrosse acumen (he's a football guy to the bone) or resources to figure out the optimal path for LB going forward but I'm wishing him the best.
