Former Duke Coach Speaks to Owl Men's Lacrosse Players
KEENE, N.H., 1/22/07 - Mike Pressler, former head men’s lacrosse coach at Duke University and current coach at Bryant College, spoke to members of the KSC men’s lacrosse team in the Mountain View Room at the Lloyd P. Young Student Center on Sunday.
Pressler was invited to the campus by KSC men’s lacrosse coach Mark Theriault. “Because of the pending litigation, Mike wasn’t able to talk about the Duke case,” said Theriault. “He did say that the close lacrosse fraternity has been very supportive, and he’s received more than 10,000 letters from professional players, coaches, and politicians.”
“I thought it was a very inspirational talk,” said Keene State junior captain Ryan Hazelton. “He talked about his background and his philosophy. You could tell he’s a great guy, who really cares about his players.”
When asked about his former Duke players, Hazleton said that Pressler emphasized that he was doing all that he could for them.
According to Theriault, Pressler also talked about his life experiences and encouraged Keene State players to take pride in being on the team and that it takes hard work and dedication to be successful. He told them: “You have four incredible years to make an impact.”
Pressler said that he was very proud of his accomplishments at Duke and his ability to build the program into a national contender. A three-time Atlantic Coast Conference coach of the year, Pressler compiled a record 153-82 during his 16 seasons at Duke. His teams earned 10 NCAA tournament berths and made an appearance in the 2005 Division I men’s lacrosse championship. During his tenure at Duke University, the program posted a 100 percent graduation rate.
Hazelton said the timing of the talk was perfect. “We’re just getting ready to go outside and start practice for the season, so his appearance served as motivation. He told us how nice it was to practice in 70 degree temperatures down in North Carolina, and it’s going to take some time before he adjusts to 30 degrees when he starts at Bryant,” said Hazelton.
