Wakely named USILA Man of the Year

BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Former Lehigh men’s lacrosse head coach Chris Wakely was recently recognized by the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) as the 2007 Howdy Myers Man of the Year. The award, which has been given out annually since 1944, was named after Howdy Myers, who coached 17 championship teams at St. Paul’s, Johns Hopkins and Hofstra and was elected to the Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1971. Wakely, who received the award from the President of the USILA on December 15 at an awards luncheon in Philadelphia, was chosen as this year’s recipient for his contributions to the game of lacrosse in a capacity over and above the normal efforts and in so doing he showed unselfish and untiring devotion to the game.

“Howdy Myers was a coach of distinction and a man of unquestionable character, so to receive an award in his honor and to be in the company of impressive individuals that have received this award prior to myself is very humbling,” Wakely said.

Wakely was the head men’s lacrosse coach at Lehigh from 2001-2007. During his tenure, he led the Mountain Hawks to two appearances in the Patriot League Tournament, including the 2006 season when Lehigh won its most games since 1997. The graduation rate of Wakely’s recruited student-athletes was 100 percent and he mentored 15 All-Patriot League selections, three Academic All-Americans, three North-South All-Star Classic selections, two Patriot League Scholar Athletes of the Year, the nation’s top goal scorer in 2003 and the 2006 Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year.

Wakely’s coaching career came to an abrupt halt on June 30, 2007 when he stepped down as the head coach at Lehigh. Wakely has been battling Multiple Sclerosis for the past four years and determined that the requirements of a head coaching position were too significant to also effectively manage the health challenges associated with the illness.

“My wife and I along with Lehigh Dean of Athletics Joe Sterrett, have been evaluating my capacity to manage my symptoms in the context of my role as Lehigh’s Head Men’s Lacrosse Coach. My wife (Danielle) and I have concluded, and Joe Sterrett is supportive, that it is time to step away from coaching and pursue a different life path,” Wakely said at the time of his decision. Since then, Wakely has stepped into an administrative role within the Lehigh Athletics Department.

Before coming to Lehigh, Wakely was the head coach at Elizabethtown College from 2000-01 where he founded the first-ever men’s lacrosse program in school history. From 1994-2000 Wakely was the head men’s lacrosse coach at Widener University where the team won five straight MAC Conference Championships and earned a bid to the 2000 NCAA Division III National Tournament. Wakely began his coaching career as an assistant coach at Villanova in 1992.

A 1990 graduate of the University of Virginia, Wakely was a four-year starter at midfield for the Cavaliers. He participated in the 1988 and 1990 Division I Men’s Lacrosse Tournament, including the 1988 Final Four, and the 1989 ACC Championship. His 53 games played were a school record and he was among the school and ACC leaders in assists and overall points.

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