:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/33530767/holy_cross.0.png)
This was a mere footnote to Championship Weekend, but Holy Cross is no longer hanging a "Vacancy" sign over the door to their lacrosse offices. As of Saturday, Judd Lattimore -- late of Pennsylvania -- has assumed control of the Crusaders' lacrosse concern:
Judd Lattimore has been named the new head coach of the men's lacrosse program at the College of the Holy Cross, director of athletics Nathan Pine announced. Lattimore joins the Crusaders after spending the last two seasons as the top assistant coach at the University of Pennsylvania. Over the course of his coaching career, he has helped lead four different schools to NCAA Tournament appearances at the Division I level, in addition to coaching in two NCAA Division II championship games.
Prior to moving to Worcester, Lattimore spent two years at Pennsylvania as the Quakers' offensive coordinator. Before making the scoreboard blink at Franklin Field, Lattimore served time at Michigan (2012), Bucknell (2009-2011), North Carolina (2007-2008), Pennsylvania (apparently Lattimore treats Philadelphia as a hostel), Delaware (2005), Limestone (2003-2004), and Geneseo (2002). Lattimore has been in the coaching ranks since his graduation from Chapel Hill in 2001, working with well-regarded programs while building his personal resume. That resume, though, will be tested at Holy Cross.
Lattimore inherits a program that made strides under former head coach Jim Morrissey but is just 22-53 over the last five seasons and is a woeful 5-27 in Patriot League play in the same span. The program hasn't had a non-losing season since 1988 (8-7) and no coach has finished his tenure at Holy Cross with a winning coaching record since Bob Lindsay stepped aside in 1989 (his winning percentage was 56.9 percent). Lattimore won't need to simply replace tires and tighten lug nuts to make the Crusaders go. Rather, he needs to run a full engine diagnostic, weld cracks in the chassis, refurbish the body, and generally make the car race-ready before even thinking about collecting checkered flags.