Boys lacrosse coaching staff changes look to shift culture

As the weather warms up and the snow begins to melt, the boys lacrosse program returns to the field for another season. However, multiple changes in the coaching staff this off season will give the program a new identity.

Former varsity head coach Murle Greer made the decision to withdraw from the program after his contract expired at the end of last season. Exiting with him is former junior varsity head coach Jeremy Holmes, who chose to leave the program in light of his wife’s pregnancy with their first child.

These departures left the Bucs with positions to fill. Former assistant coach Lee Ingalls, who has been involved in Grand Haven lacrosse for nine years, will take up the head coaching position after a long evaluation process this past July.

Ingalls became involved in the lacrosse program when his son was in middle school. He started his coaching career at the middle school level before advancing to varsity defensive coordinator for the past seven years.

Dalton Madsen is among the names added to this spring’s coaching roster. But after helping out at the varsity level last season, his face is a familiar one. Madsen will return as Ingalls’ offensive coordinator with high credentials as a high school All-American from Colorado and a collegiate lacrosse player at Trine University in Indiana. Ingalls is a big advocate for Madsen and expects him to preserve the offense from last year while emphasizing quick decision making and better reaction time.

“Coach Madsen is a secret weapon that no one knows about in our league,” Ingalls said.

Coaching changes branch all the way down to the junior varsity level where former junior varsity assistant coach Paul Pek will step into the role of head coach, while former Buccaneer baller Trent Hitsman will take over as assistant coach.

“I’m looking for Paul to take the incoming freshmen and sophomores and really just prepare them for the big leagues at any time,” Ingalls said.

One alteration Ingalls aspires to make with the help of the new staff is shifting the identity and stereotypes of Grand Haven lacrosse and their players.

“We want to change the culture of being known as a bunch of long haired lax bros to being fundamentally sound and business like,” Ingalls said. “It’s just going to be about going to work this season.”

Ingalls is determined to make lacrosse an athletic program Grand Haven can be proud of.

“Changing the culture is a top priority,” Ingalls said. “I want the guys to still have fun and be creative but we can go about it a different way.”

Ingalls also wants to focus on playing fundamentally sound lacrosse while showing class and respect. However, his main goal is to compete.

“We’ll fight for every ground ball, we’ll ferociously defend our house, we’ll push the ball in transition and we’ll cut and dodge relentlessly on the offensive end,” Ingalls said. “Teams are not going to want to play us.”

Senior Nick Mulcahy expects it to be more organized and more thought out this season.

“I think everything will go well as long as we trust (Coach Ingalls’) game plan and follow the plan,” Mulcahy said. “We have a lot of talented freshmen coming up and I think the guys from last year are really stepping up.”

Ingalls plans on starting three freshmen this spring, so young players will be an integral part of the team.

“I’m looking forward to the season,” Ingalls said. “We’re a young team and we have a brutal schedule. OK-Rainbow tier-1 is (one of the) top two toughest conferences in the state.”

Three of the teams in the O-K Rainbow finished in the top eight of the state last season, and two of those teams made it to the state semis or further. While the competition may be tough, and there are plenty of new faces Mulcahy does not expect the Bucs to lower their standards.

“My expectations are to make it as far as we did last year, which was the regional finals,” Mulcahy said.

With all of the anticipated changes, Madsen does not think anybody should be worried about the adjustments.

“Not too much will change,” Madsen said. “Lee has been coaching and helping with Grand Haven lacrosse for more than 10 years now, so the players and parents are not going to be caught off guard by any new changes in the way we operate.”