Lafayette hires former Penn assistant Patrick Myers as head coach

The Lafayette Leopards have hired former Penn Quakers associate head coach Patrick Myers as the program’s head coach, as the school confirmed this afternoon.

Myers takes over after Ed Williams assumed interim head coach responsibilities after former head coach Jim Rogalski left to take an assistant role with the Michigan Wolverines on Kevin Conry’s staff.

Under Williams, the Leopards went 3-12 this season, winning two of their first three games before losing eight straight. They lost three more after edging Monmouth in overtime. Lafayette has not had an over-.500 season since they went 8-6 in 2010 under Terry Mangan.

Myers is excited for his first collegiate head coaching gig, as stated in the press release:

“I couldn’t be more excited for this opportunity. I’d like to sincerely thank Sherryta Freeman, along with Kaity McKittrick and the entire search committee, for allowing me the privilege to lead this program,” Myers said. “I wouldn’t be in this position without the support of my family, friends, former coaches and colleagues. I’m beyond grateful and wish to thank them for helping prepare me for this moment.”

“Lafayette men’s lacrosse will be a program built on hard work, toughness and brotherhood,” Myers continued. “We will focus on improving daily and creating an environment in which we chase the best versions of ourselves with relentless effort. Lafayette lacrosse has an extremely bright future and I’m looking forward to getting started.”

Myers joined Mike Murphy’s staff prior to the 2015 season and was Penn’s offensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator for four seasons. He was also an assistant coach for the gold medal winning United States Under-19 team in 2016.

Before Penn, Myers spent time at North Carolina from 2009-2014 and served as the team’s offensive coordinator, recruiting coordinator, and Associate Head Coach during his time at Chapel Hill.

He also made full-time stops at Bucknell and Cornell, as well as a volunteer assistant role with the Ohio State Buckeyes as his first gig. Myers graduated from Ohio State in 2003 and played under his brother Nick Myers during his final two season in Columbus. The elder Myers is now the Buckeyes’ head coach.

This is the second official coaching hire of the offseason, joining Peter Milliman’s promotion from interim to permanent head coach. Penn will now need to look for a new offensive and recruiting coordinator.

It’s also the second overall coaching move. Late in May, Marisa Ingemi reported that former Harvard assistant Justin Turri would replace Conor Ford as the new offensive coordinator at Michigan:

Maybe we’ll see some Lafayette-Ohio State matchups in the future?