Lehigh University Athletics
Teaching the next generation
11/1/2003 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
A coach, in its simplest terms, is a person who trains or directs athletes or athletic teams. It’s someone that can teach a particular sport or talent, but at the same time, serve as a mentor, a counselor and in many cases, a friend. Over the years, Lehigh University has given its students the best resources and educational opportunities, to become successful coaches and educators. From the outstanding instructors on the field to the knowledgeable professors in the classroom, Lehigh provides future educators with everything they need to be prepared for life on the sideline.
Just being a student-athlete for four years helps to teach you the team concept,” current Lehigh head baseball coach Sean Leary explains. “My two years as a grad assistant and taking classes in the College of Education proved to be the perfect compliment for what I learned from my coaches as far as the coaching profession is concerned.”
College of Education professor Raymond Bell explains, Lehigh does not train coaches or workers per say, but rather, they train leaders.
“When someone enters the school of education, we train them as a professional, whether that is a teacher, a counselor, or an administrator. The students must learn how to manage their time, which athletes already know how to do so well, so we can help to perfect it.” Bell continues, “Lehigh student-athletes must balance their academics and athletics, and for the most part, they do a great job of it. So, when they come out of school, they are prepared to balance their coaching responsibilities and whatever other duties that may occupy their time.”
Bell, who used to coach rugby at Lehigh back in the 1970’s and currently serves as the associate dean of the college of education, says that the interaction with the Lehigh students is easily the most rewarding part of his job, and something that has kept him on South Mountain for over four decades. Bell explains, “The students here at Lehigh are bright, motivated, they are fun to be with and they are multi-faceted. For example, we have an engineering student that is in the orchestra; we have a student like (former basketball standout) Matt Logie, who excels on the court, but at the same time is very bright and creative, and just a joy to be around in the classroom. The Lehigh student is skilled in so many backgrounds, and that is what makes them ready for life after college, and ultimately successful in whatever it is they decide to do.”
Being a coach is very demanding, especially for someone who’s just out of college. It takes great patience, a strong knowledge of the sport and tremendous determination. At Lehigh, many potential future coaches ease their way into it, as they choose to become a graduate assistant first, which is a part-time coaching, part-time student position. It gives students the best of both worlds, as they are able to continue their education, and also get their “feet wet” as a coach.
“As an undergraduate I was enrolled in the College of Business,” current wrestling assistant coach Chris Ayres says. “After wrestling at Lehigh for four years I thought I might want to get into coaching and as I went through graduate school here it became a passion for me. That I am fortunate enough to be coaching at the Division I level is such an exciting experience for me.”
There are many student-athletes presently at Lehigh that have seen firsthand many Lehigh alumni go onto coaching careers, and this intrigues them to want to do the same. One of those current student-athletes is senior football captain Tom McGeoy, whose journey towards becoming a top-notch coach has already begun, as he serves as the liaison between the coaches and players, both on and off the field. This allows McGeoy to understand both sides of pupil and educator. McGeoy explains, “I didn’t really know much about Lehigh when I came here. But then we enjoyed tremendous success my first two years (winning two Patriot League championships) and I learned a lot about having a winning attitude and how hard you must work to stay on top.” McGeoy adds, “Coupled with the outstanding education I’ve received here at Lehigh, I feel as though I am very prepared for a successful teaching and coaching career.”
Whether its becoming a middle school tennis instructor, or a college football coach, Lehigh has prepared countless student-athletes to enter the wonderful profession of coaching. The great thing is that the education process is not limited to just the classroom, or only on the playing field. These two means of education work hand in hand to produce insightful, driven professionals, who understand what it takes to improve on a day-to-day basis. This is a testament to the outstanding professors and coaches that are currently at Lehigh, and are sure to remain in Bethlehem for many years to come.
Lehigh Coaches: Past, Present and Future
Baseball
Craig Anderson ‘60*
Dave Cerminaro ‘02*
Mike Coryell ‘84
Sean Leary ‘93*
Jeremy Mack ‘03*
Men’s Basketball
Dan Handerhan ‘99 Matt Logie ‘03* Sandy Hume ‘91 Allison Sims ‘99 Stacy Viotto ‘91 Cross Country and Track Justina Barone ‘03* Chris Bryce ‘00* Todd Etters ‘03* Steve Gourley ‘00 Paul Koob ‘03 * Bridget O’Connell ‘95* Dave Welsh ‘99* Joseph Alleva ‘75* Larry Arico ‘92 Gerald Berger ‘71 Lee Blum ‘89 Marcus Borden ‘77 Deron Braswell ‘98* Dave Cecchini ‘94* Adam Ciperski '93 Kevin Costello '91* Edward Iobst ‘86 Thaddeus Jamula ‘71 Kurt Karcich '93 Glen Kempa ‘92 Walt King ‘63 Lester Kish ‘69 Richard Laubach ‘69 Sam Lawler '95 Donald Mancosh ‘79 Brian Murphy '92* Bob Romeo ‘81 Jim Rovito ‘86 RJ Ryan ‘99 Matt Salvaterra ‘03 Pete Sczerbinski '92 Anthony Semler ‘84 Scott Semptimphelter ‘93 Josh Snyder ‘02 Chuck Sonon ‘76* Phil Stambaugh ‘00 Joe Sterrett ‘76* Neil Stover ‘74 Todd Thompson ‘87 Mike Yadush ‘93 Ice Hockey James Schwanda '79* Women’s Lacrosse Jill Altshuler ‘96 Christina Brill ‘96 Elizabeth Brodbeck ‘98 Sara Ecker ‘93 Stacey McCue ‘96* Kristen McGrath ‘02* Liz Brode Ota ‘95 Lora Rice ‘98 Dorothy Super ‘01* Anne Weitzman ‘89 Michael Benn ’96* Nick DiCello ’98 Kevin Jackson ‘00 Colin Marshall ‘02 Andrew Mittendorf ’99 Will Orben ‘’96 Travis Smith ’02 Stephanie Howell ‘02* Kim Miller ‘96* Amanda Wessner ‘97* Swimming and Diving Tanya Barone ‘99* Taryn Gall ‘99* Susie Hummers ‘81* Sue Stoup McDonald '80* Chris Marshall ‘88* Chris Ayres ‘99* Steve Bastianelli '80 Cory Brechbill '96 Mike Caruso '67 Steve Cassidy ‘95 Joe Gratto '58 Pete Gratto '62* Fritz Hartman '62 Dave Icenhower '71 Mike Newbern '80 Tom Toggas '87 Thad Turner '61* *Denotes past or present coaches at Lehigh This list is only what we have been able to compile after speaking with current coaches and faculty at Lehigh. To inquire about a person on the list or to provide additional names of Lehigh alumni that have gone into the coaching profession, please contact the sports information office at 610-758-6631. Women’s Basketball
Mike Graziano ‘00
Charlie Tier ‘99
Football
George “Fritz” Halfacre ‘50*Men’s Lacrosse
Scott Carpenter ‘03*
Mark Duncan ‘98Todd Schreiner ‘01
Mark Wilson ‘94
Men’s Soccer
Evan Bruno ‘03
Ryan Grzeszczak ‘03*
Hector Morales ‘96
Mario Monfardini ‘98
Mike O’Connell ‘93*Softball
Jim Ryan ‘01*
Wrestling
