Hopkins’ Big Ten Lacrosse Announcement
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Nick Myers, who recently completed his fifth year at the helm of the Ohio State men’s lacrosse program, has accepted a five-year contract extension with the term running through 2018, Gene Smith, associate vice president and director of athletics at Ohio State, announced Friday.
Myers led the 2013 Buckeye squad to one of the best seasons in program history, as the team won the ECAC Tournament, earned the No. 3 seed and a first-round home game in the NCAA tournament and became just the second Buckeye squad to reach the NCAA quarterfinals. The team ended the year 13-4, the most wins for the program since 1978.
“Coach Myers and his staff have the lacrosse program on the right path and we look for the squad to continue to improve upon that success moving forward,” Smith said. “He is the right coach to lead our program into a new era as lacrosse joins the Big Ten Conference in 2015.”
In his first five years as the Buckeyes’ head coach, Myers has posted a 44-35 ledger overall and an 18-13 conference record, with the squad earning a berth each year a conference tournament was held. Under the tutelage of Myers, members of the men’s lacrosse program have gathered nine USILA All-America honors, 21 all-conference nods and five conference player of the year accolades.
“I am thrilled Gene Smith and Heather Lyke believe in what we are building as a program and that we share the same vision for the future of Buckeye lacrosse,” Myers, who spent three years as the top assistant for Ohio State before being named head coach in July 2008, said. “I would like to thank our coaching staff, alumni, friends and the men who have dedicated themselves to make this program what it is today. It is an exciting time to be a Buckeye and a part of The Ohio State University as we enter the Big Ten Conference and take on the new challenges that lie ahead.”
Under Myers, Ohio State players have earned 87 Academic All-Big Ten accolades, 124 Ohio State Scholar-Athlete nods and 27 Academic All-ECAC honors, along with the first five USILA Scholar All-American selections in program history. The team’s community service numbers rise each year, with the program volunteering more than 700 hours in the community each of the last two seasons. The squad maintains a team cumulative grade-point average above a 3.0.
