No landing spot for TD Ierlan yet; St. Bonaventure to join the MAAC; Assistant coaching news

The TD Ierlan transfer saga has taken another turn.

Despite numerous reports that Ierlan would be going to the Cornell Big Red, including some from me, the former Albany Great Danes FOGO is looking at another Ivy League school.

Could a transfer to the defending national champion Yale Bulldogs be in the mix? Despite an earlier tweet that stated he was going to go to Yale pending admission, Ierlan has not made up his mind in a text to Inside Lacrosse’s Ty Xanders. One source mentioned he hasn’t even completed the full application yet for the university. However, interest in the school is “heating up.”

Cornell and Yale look like the two schools in the lead to get Ierlan. Syracuse, a school previously mentioned, did take a look at Ierlan. However, a source said he’s not interested in the ACC university any more.

St. Bonaventure to join MAAC

One of the two new Division I teams in college lacrosse has a conference home for 2019.

The St. Bonaventure Bonnies were accepted as an associate member of the MAAC, beginning in their inaugural 2019 season. They’ll be the eighth team in the MAAC lacrosse conference.

The Bonnies were voted unanimously by the MAAC Council of Presidents and will be immediately eligible to play in the MAAC Tournament next year. It’s a perfect fit for St. Bonaventure and where they are along with the rest of the conference geographically.

Head coach Randy Mearns, who used to coach at Canisius, the defending MAAC champion, is excited about returning to the conference:

”Being involved in the conference previously for 19 years, I can attest to the phenomenal coaches and athletes that make up MAAC lacrosse,” Mearns emphasized. “The talent level is just incredible. Being officially a member now, we will have our work cut out for us. It’s an amazing opportunity and challenge, but we are grateful to have a home and a chance to evolve into an automatic qualifier conference that will give us an opportunity to compete for a spot in the NCAA Tournament.”

The Bonnies will field a team of about 35 student-athletes in time for next season.

Tom Compitello returns to Lehigh

Head coach Kevin Cassese announced the return of assistant coach Tom Compitello, who comes by way of the national champion Yale Bulldogs. Compitello got his coaching start as a volunteer assistant with the Lehigh Mountain Hawks in 2012 and 2013 after graduating from Stony Brook. He also made stops at Sacred Heart and Bryant.

In his role at Yale, he coordinated the extra-man unit and helped out with the offense and goalies. Compitello will be the team’s offensive coordinator and also serve as the team’s goalie coach. He replaces Errol Wilson, who resigned at the end of the season to pursue other career options.

Cassese and Compitello are happy a reunion happened:

“I am thrilled to welcome back Tom Compitello to the Lehigh Lacrosse family,” said Cassese. ”Tom is, and always has been, a winner. He has gained valuable coaching experience with four different Division I lacrosse programs over the last seven years. It is an absolute positive that he is familiar with Lehigh University, the athletics department and the student-athletes, but I also see incredible value in the fact that he has worked with three other head coaches and a variety of assistant coaches in his last five years in the profession. Tom was with us for some of the most memorable experiences in Lehigh Lacrosse history, and I am excited to get back to work with him, the rest of the coaching staff and the players to make more memories and more history next year and in the years to come.”

“I am extremely excited to be joining the Lehigh men’s lacrosse staff,” said Compitello. “When the opportunity came about to possibly come back and work alongside Coach Cassese, someone I consider a mentor and friend, I knew it was something that I could not pass up. Coach Cassese gave me my first opportunity in the coaching profession and for that, I am extremely grateful. To think that I am coming back to the place where I began my coaching career seven years ago is surreal. I am looking forward to meeting the guys on the roster and getting to work.”

UNC’s Martin to coach at Division III Skidmore

Former North Carolina Tar Heels defensive coordinator Joe Martin left the university to pursue a head coaching opportunity with the Division III Skidmore Thoroughbreds. Marisa Ingemi and Inside Lacrosse reported the move.

Martin originally started as the team’s director of operations beginning in 2013 before getting promoted to a full-time assistant role in the August of 2016, taking over for Chris Feifs who departed to become the head coach at Vermont.

Skidmore has yet to announce a new head coach. Last year, Marcel Godino and Donald Shea were co-head coaches.

Craig Gibson’s status at Stony Brook uncertain

A Marisa Ingemi report that Stony Brook Seawolves associate head coach Craig Gibson is out at Stony Brook is being disputed.

Multiple sources have told College Crosse Gibson is still employed by Stony Brook, while others have told Ingemi the opposite. We’ll see how this unfolds.

Update on Brown assistants

On Saturday, I reported Brown Browns assistants Matt Callahan and Chris Schoenhut would not return to the program. IL reports both of them are pursuing other possibilities outside of college coaching.

Callahan will reportedly coach and teach at a high school near Boston, while Schoenhut will reportedly join his family business.