Warne is Making Georgetown Work

When Georgetown hired Kevin Warne from Maryland to fill its head coaching vacancy after Dave Urick's retirement, it felt like a game-changer for the Hoyas. Warne, long thought of as an up-and-coming coach in various lacrosse circles, seemed to embody all that Georgetown needed to get its program back on track: An intensity and commitment to excellence that seemed to underly all aspects of his approach to the game.

Coming to Maryland from Harvard with John Tillman, Warne helped resuscitate a Terrapins program that had stagnated a bit and was somewhat adrift after a failed marriage with Dave Cottle. Everything just seemed right with the Hoyas' hiring of Warne -- in terms of what Georgetown needed to once again move toward the national elite and what Warne could provide to get them there -- and Warne's ability to bring along former Cornell offensive coordinator Matt Rewkowski to The Hilltop helped increase the notion that things were going to rapidly change for the Blue and Grey.

As it turns out, those feelings were more than intangible. Inside Lacrosse's Matt Kinnear knocked around the joint yesterday to see how things were going for the first-year head coach and his program. The 140-character review couldn't be much better:

Practice very intense and physical at Georgetown. Drastic change in mentality with this program.

— Matt Kinnear (@mattkinnear) October 11, 2012

This is not only good for Georgetown but also the Big East as a whole. With the departures of Syracuse and Notre Dame looming on the horizon, the league is desperate to generate some programs with national cache and performance. With Villanova (and possibly St. John's, depending on that program's development arc), Georgetown has the ability to serve as the league's flag-bearer; under Warne, a dedication to toughness and daily execution could really set the Hoyas apart. Georgetown is uniquely positioned to do some damage on the national lacrosse scene, situated right in the middle of a lacrosse hotbed and carrying institutional reputation among elite high schools and preparatory schools in which Warne can draw from. The Hoyas may not see an immediate impact in this culture change this spring in terms of wins, losses, and overall play, but a foundation built on hustle and doing work is going to pay dividends down the line.

Warne is the key here, and it looks like things are starting to come together.

Again, what this means for Georgetown come springtime is a little unclear. Fall ball is much different than the pressures and play of spring competition, but with a solid foundation laid in the fall in terms of how Georgetown wants to go about its business, the Hoyas could surprise a little bit in 2013. Throw in this fact from Washington Times guru Patrick Stevens . . .

Worth noting about Georgetown lacrosse's short-term future --- starts by class in 2012: Seniors 42, Juniors 88, Sophomores 0, Freshmen 0

— Patrick Stevens (@D1scourse) July 13, 2012

. . . and Georgetown could be more than a niche player next season. That's good for Georgetown and even better for the Big East.