COACHING STAFF COACHING STAFF

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1 COACHING STAFF 37

2 HEAD COACH RICHIE MEADE BACK TO NATIONAL PROMINENCE Fresh off an appearance in the National Championship, National Coach of the Year Richie Meade enters his 15th year as a collegiate head coach and 11th at the Naval Academy with a bitter taste in his mouth. Though playing in the National Championship guided Navy back to the prominence it once stood for, the Mids fell two goals short of claiming their first NCAA lacrosse title. The shortcoming has left a void for Meade and the Mids, but the 2005 National Championship is up for grabs and there is little doubt the Midshipmen will fight to fill that void. A SEASON TO REMEMBER The year 2004 will be one for the record books. Most considered Navy s season a Cinderella story. Those closest to the program bocked at that statement, understanding the blood, sweat and tears it took for Navy to earn its first National Championship appearance since Over the course of the season, several milestones were achieved. Meade has led the Mids to eight or more wins in four of the last-five seasons, including last season in which Navy produced a schoolrecord 15 wins. In addition to recording the most wins in Academy history, Navy also earned its highest ranking No. 2 for five-consecutive weeks. Its 9-6 win over Maryland was the program s first win over a top-ranked program and one-of-six Navy wins over top-10 ranked teams. The Academy also attracted better than 18,500 fans to Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium to witness No. 1 Johns Hopkins battle No. 2 Navy in a 10-9 overtime Blue Jay decision. Along the way, Meade helped orchestrate Navy s seventh-consecutive Star Game victory against arch rival Army. After sweeping through the Patriot League with a 7-0 record in its first season as a member of the league, Navy conquered Colgate and Hobart in the league s postseason tourney to earn the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Hobart win came with an added bonus, marking Meade s 100th-career victory. By virtue of its Patriot League Tournament win, Navy earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, making its first appearance since The Midshipmen went on to gain the nation s support as they fought their way through the NCAA Tournament. First defeating Penn handily, 11-5, at home and then surviving a battle against seventh-seeded Cornell on the Big Red s home turf. Navy made it to the coveted Final Four and beat eighth-ranked Princeton, 8-7, before succumbing to Syracuse by a goal in the finale with better than 40,000 fans looking on. By year s end, seven Midshipmen garnered All-America kudos, including sophomore keeper Matt Russell who was named a First- Team All-American and was the winner of the Ens. C. Marklund Kelly Award as the nation s top goalkeeper. Meade was the recipient of the Morris Touchstone Memorial Award, given to the National Coach of the Year. He is just the fourth Naval Academy coach to earn the Touchstone Award. Previous Navy winners include the legendary Willis Bilderback (1960), Dick Szlasa (1975) and Bryan Matthews (1986). All said, Meade did a remarkable job of assembling a team which was young and inexperienced, yet solid at every position. Navy graduated Honorable Mention All-Americans Greg Conklin (midfield) and Chris Stebbings (close defense), but gained spectacular play by Tewaaraton Award finalist Ian Dingman (attack), as well as All-Americans Matt Russell and Mitch Hendler (defense). NAVY MAINSTAY In 1995, Meade became Navy s seventh head coach in its 96- year history of the sport at the Naval Academy. It was a homecoming of sorts, as he served as an assistant coach for the Mids for five years under then-head coach Bryan Matthews from Meade has spent the past nine years renewing the tradition of Navy lacrosse and instilling an aggressive style of play that has been the program s trademark. Since coming to the Academy, there has been at least one Midshipman who has earned All-America honors, including three-time honorees midfielder Andy Ross and defenseman Chad Donnelly. Meanwhile, two-time First-Team All-America Mickey Jarboe was named the Kelly Award winner in 1999 and

3 In his first season at Navy, the Mids posted a 6-6 mark, as both coach and team adjusted to a new system. The Mids hoped to improve on that record in '96, but a mere four points kept Navy from celebrating a 7-5 record, and the team finished 4-8 overall. In 1997, Navy After working in the recreation field and as an assistant coach at Duke, he was named an assistant at North Carolina in 1978.A year later, he earned his first head coaching job at the University of Baltimore, where he had a four-year record of The school dropped its athletic program in He then came to Navy for five years ( ) as an assistant lacrosse coach and Assistant Professor of Physical Education. During that period, he served as defensive coordinator for the lacrosse program. From , he was an assistant at North Carolina, serving as offensive coordinator and attack and midfield coach. Meade moved on to Army in 1991 as offensive coordinator and attack position coach. Meade is the director of the Navy Lacrosse Camp and is a tenured Associate Professor in the Naval Academy Physical Education Department. He was the head coach for the South Team in the '95 North-South Lacrosse All-Star Game. Meade and his wife, Sue, were married in the fall of 1998 and have three daughters, Jillian, Shannon Grace and Cassidy. MEADE S COACHING CAREER Tenure School, Record Univ. of Baltimore, Navy, Career Record (.563), 14 Yrs. NAVY OVERALL RECORD Year W L Pct Career COACHING jumped out to a 4-0 record and a No. 4 national ranking, only to lose its final four games and finish at an even 6-6. In 1998, Meade s squad posted its first.500-plus season since his arrival, thanks in part to returning six of the top seven scorers from 97. The year 1999 saw the Mids return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since The Mids earned an at-large bid after producing a 7-7 record with impressive wins over North Carolina and Georgetown. The Mids have claimed eight-plus wins in three of the last-four years, including 2000, when Navy produced a 9-4 mark. It marked the first year the Mids associated themselves with a conference the ECAC. Meade s squad finished tied for first with Georgetown, however, the Hoyas posted a win over the Mids in Washington, D.C. to win the head-to-head tie breaker. In 2001 and 2002, the Mids recorded identical 8-5 records and both years they finished third in the league. THE MEADE TIMELINE Duke Assistant Coach 1978 No. Carolina Assistant Coach Univ. of Baltimore Head Coach Navy Assistant Coach No. Carolina Assistant Coach Army Assistant Coach 1995-present Navy Head Coach UP CLOSE WITH MEADE Hometown Williston Park, N.Y. Education B.A., North Carolina 76; M.S., North Carolina 79 Wife Sue Children Jillian, Shannon Grace and Cassidy THE JOURNEY TO NAVY A native of Long Island, Meade played at Nassau Community College before becoming a Tar Heel. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from North Carolina in 1976 and his Master of Science from UNC in

4 JOHN TILLMAN Navy s offense flourished in 2004 and the mastermind behind that offensive explosion is 10th-year Navy assistant coach John Tillman. Now in his fifth season as Navy s offensive coordinator,tillman s focus encompasses Navy s entire offensive game plan. One of the offense s biggest accomplishments during the 2004 season was its improvement in the extra-man game. In 2003, Navy scored just five man-up goals and scored on just 14.3 percent of its opportunitites. In Navy s 2004 opener at Lafayette, the Mids produced five extra-man goals against the Leopards. By year s end, the Mids produced 23 extra-man goals and finished ninth in the country in extra-man efficiency, winning 40.4 percent of the EMOs. ASSISTANT COACH 10TH SEASON OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR FOURTH SEASON THE TILLMAN TIMELINE Ithaca College Assistant Coach 1996-present Navy Assistant Coach 2001-present Navy Off. Coordinator UP CLOSE WITH TILLMAN Hometown Corning, N.Y. Education B.A., Cornell 91; M.S., Ithaca College 95 The Mids also finished the 2004 campaign ranked No. 3 nationally in scoring and topped the country in scoring marging, outscoring his foes by 5.22 per game. Under his tutelage,tillman has helped develop several All- Americans, including Adam Borcz ( 01) and Greg Conklin ( 03). In 2004, four offensive players earned All-America status, including attacks Ian Dingman and Joe Bossi. Dingman was a Tewaaraton Trophy finalist and one of the top scorers in the country, while Bossi nearly tripled his point production in his senior campaign. Tillman also serves as Navy s recruiting and scouting coordinator, and is the assistant director of the Navy lacrosse camps. Tillman was previously commissioned into the U.S. Navy as a fleet support officer and was awarded the Navy Achievement Medal. He is currently a member of the Physical Education Department at the Academy. A 1991 graduate of Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration,Tillman was a member of the school's Dean's list. He had the opportunity to play for legendary coach Richie Moran and was a member of the 1989 squad that earned a berth in the NCAA Tournament. An overachieving and unselfish player,tillman began his career as a goalie, but by the end of his college days, had played every position except attack for the Big Red.The experience provided Tillman with a better understanding of every position on the field and extensive knowledge of the game. Following graduation,tillman spent four years as an assistant coach at Ithaca College, working with former Navy standout Jeff Long. During that time, the program experienced strong growth and success, including EAA and ECAC Championships and an appearance in the 1992 Division III National Semifinals. During his five-year stay in Ithaca, Tillman also pursued his Master of Science degree as a graduate student at Ithaca. A native of Corning, N.Y.,Tillman played professionally for three years for the Baltimore Thunder of the National Lacrosse League and played one year for the Washington Power.While the 1997 Thunder squad won just two games, the next-two years Baltimore reached the NLL championship and semifinals. During that time,tillman established himself as a team leader, playing in 38-of-39 contests and was one of the league leaders in loose balls. Currently,Tillman plays for the Toyota Lacrosse Club, a USCLA powerhouse.the team has won five-consecutive Southern Division Championships and made four appearances in the finals, including a world championship in

5 LT. J.G. MARK GOERS, USN ASSISTANT COACH FOURTH SEASON What John Tillman is to the offense, Lt. j.g. Mark Goers, USN, is to Navy s defense. Now in his fourth season at the Naval Academy, Goers has elevated a traditionally strong Navy defense into one of the top-two defensive units in the country. The Mids gave up just 7.06 goals per game in 2004, the second-lowest average in the nation behind Binghamton (6.94). In addition to directing Navy s defense, Goers has also molded the Mids into one of the premier face-off squads in the country, as well. Senior Chris Pieczonka was ranked No. 2 nationally in face-offs, winning 67.6 percent (173 of 256) of his draws and led Navy as a team to a tie for No. 2 in the national rankings, winning 65.5 percent (268 of 409). By virtue of his ability to face-off, Pieczonka was ranked 10th nationally in ground balls, scooping up 5.81 per contest. Another player Goers is credited in refining is Honorable Mention All-American Steve Looney. The middle of three lacrosse playing Looney brothers, Steve is the workhorse of Navy lacrosse. He is multifaceted as a face-off specialist, a wing player on face-offs, a defensive midfielder and an offensive midfielder. The 2004 Patriot League Tournament MVP, Looney surfaced with the ball in 2004 in nearly every ground ball opportunity. Additionally, he serves as the head coach and administrator of the Midshipmen junior varsity program.the JV schedule is traditionally competitive and the program has had a strong impact on the development of several current varsity players. The newest member of the Navy coaching staff, Goers was commissioned into the U.S. Navy as a fleet support officer Jan. 4, 2002, and is a member of the Physical Education Department at the Academy. Goers came to the Naval Academy in November after a threeyear stint at Ohio State, where he oversaw the Buckeyes offense and face-off strategy. A 1995 graduate of Towson, Goers is regarded as one of the premier players in Tiger history. A 1994 Third-Team All-America, he held Towson records in face-offs won in a game (21 vs.villanova in 94), ground balls in a season (127 in 94) and ground balls in a career (274, ) until last year when Justin Berry edged out Goers in those categories. Meanwhile, his 78.8 face-off winning percentage is the best single-season winning percentage in NCAA history. Upon graduation, he began his coaching career in 1996 as an assistant at his alma mater where he helped lead the Tigers to the quarterfinals of the 96 NCAA Tournament. In 1998, he returned home and assisted his former high school coach Earl Brewer at Langely High School in his home state Virginia, and helped to direct the prep team to the state regional finals. Just a year later, he joined the Ohio State program that was beginning to flourish. In 2000, Goers helped develop face-off specialist Anthony Kelly to a.540 percentage the nation s 27th-best mark. The Fairfax,Va., native has competed for the Columbus Landsharks of the NLL and was an all-club team member for Team Toyota. THE GOERS TIMELINE Ithaca College Assistant Coach 1996 Towson Assistant Coach 1998 Langely HS (Va.) Head Coach Ohio State Assistant Coach 2002-present Navy Assistant Coach UP CLOSE WITH GOERS Hometown Fairfax,Va. Education B.A.,Towson 95 Wife Jessica Goers comes from an athletic family. His mother, a graduate of Ohio Wesleyan, holds multiple indoor track records, his father played basketball at Wittenberg and his brother, Matt, played lacrosse at Ohio State and was the team captain his senior campaign. Mark and his wife, the former Jessica Anna Christina duhoffmann, were married Dec. 7, 2001, and reside in Grasonville. COACHING STAFF 41

6 RAY FINNEGAN ASSISTANT COACH 15TH SEASON Ray Finnegan is no stranger to the Navy lacrosse program. Finnegan, a 1975 Naval Academy graduate who experienced a celebrated lacrosse career, is in his 15th year as an assistant coach working with Navy s corps of goalies. Finnegan also served as an assistant for five years ( ) under former Navy coach Bryan Matthews. Under his guidance, Finnegan has helped produced multiple standout goalkeepers at the Academy. Kevin Farrington garnered Second-Team All-America recognition in 1992, while Finnegan helped groom Mickey Jarboe into the best goalkeeper in America in 1999 and Ironically, en route to becoming Navy s alltime saves leader, Jarboe erased his mentor from the top-10 saves list at the Academy. Finnegan s 274-career saves rank 11th on Navy s alltime saves leader board. Jon Higdon toted the nation s second-best goals-against average during his junior campaign and garnered All- America kudos following his senior campaign. The newest beneficiary of Finnegan s golden touch is junior keeper Matt Russell who emerged as a First-Team All-American in 2004 after starting the season as Seth DiNola s backup. Russell, who was the recipient of the Kelly Award, finished his sophomore season ranked No. 2 in the nation in GAA, giving up 6.69 per contest. He also helped the Mids to a No. 2 national ranking in scoring defense. The epitome of a Navy keeper, Russell played over a quarter with a broken collarbone against Syracuse in the National Championship. THE FINNEGAN TIMELINE Navy Assistant Coach 1994-present Navy Assistant Coach UP CLOSE WITH FINNEGAN Hometown Baltimore, Md. Education B.A., Naval Academy 75 Wife Grace Children Twins, Kathleen and Colin While at Navy, Finnegan earned Second-Team All-America recognition in 1974 as the Mids goalkeeper. His 152 saves during that season rank as the 18th-most saves in a single season at Navy. He started in the '74 North-South Game and the College/Club All-Star Classic. Finnegan was a two-time winner of the Stuart Oxnard Memorial Lacrosse Cup, awarded to the player who contributed most to the success of the lacrosse team. After graduation, Finnegan served as a Navy pilot, earning his wings in 1977, and completed two cruises, one on the USS America and one on the USS Independence. Finnegan is currently a pilot for USAir and is based out of the Baltimore-Washington International Airport. Finnegan and his wife, Grace, were married in the fall of Finnegan is the father of twins, Kathleen and Colin. Kathleen is a sophomore at American University and was the starting goalkeeper for the Eagles last spring. She garnered Second-Team All-Patriot League recognition en route to leading American to the Patriot League Regular- Season and Tournament Championship, as well as an NCAA Tournament bid. After attending the Naval Academy Prep School in Newport, R.I., last year, Colin is a freshman at the Naval Academy and to no one s surprise, is among the Mids keeper corps. SUPPORT STAFF Capt. Mike Waters, USN Officer Representative Capt. Owen Thorp, USN Faculty Representative Carol Alton Secretary Joe English Athletic Trainer Chris Forman Assistant Sports Information Director Stacie Michaud Associate Sports Information Director Carl Tamulevich Associate AD/Scheduling & Team Support Greg Vannoy Director of Athletic Equipment Kris Whitacre Assistant Director of Marketing & Sales Kirk Woolfolk Strength and Conditioning 42