GREENEVILLE, Tenn. — Tusculum College has named Richard Carrington as the first Director of Lacrosse in the 218-year history of Tennessee’s oldest college announced Tusculum Director of Athletics Frankie DeBusk. Carrington will be introduced to the college community at 1 p.m. on Wednesday (Dec. 12) at a press conference to be held at the Pioneer Perk, located in the Niswonger Student Commons on the Greeneville campus.
Men’s lacrosse will start as the College’s 15th intercollegiate sport during 2013-2014 academic year with competition being held in the spring of 2014. Tusculum will compete in men’s lacrosse at the NCAA Division II level and as a member of the South Atlantic Conference.
“Lacrosse is a very exciting sport and one which we are pleased to provide as a new opportunity for student-athletes to participate in,” said DeBusk. “Lacrosse has long been associated with colleges and universities in the Northeast and is beginning to find a foothold in the South. This is a timely addition with a sport that will start to gather more notoriety in our area as time goes on. Lacrosse will bring another exciting, athletic atmosphere to Pioneer Field and we look forward to the community and our great supporters joining us there for the 2014 season.”
Carrington brings a tremendous level of experience, knowledge and energy to Tusculum and has been heavily involved in the building process of successful programs at all levels during his career.
Carrington comes to Tusculum after serving the 2011-12 campaign on the coaching staff at NCAA Division I Virginia Military Institute. While at the Lexington, Va. school, Carrington helped to institute a revamped Keydet defense that allowed the fewest goals in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) play since 2009. The defense was crucial in several contests in holding opponents under 10 goals in three of the last four games, and helping VMI win those three games. One of his defense’s shining moments of 2012 came in a 6-2 setback against 16th-ranked Lehigh, which went on to a No. 7 ranking and a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
“I am honored and extremely excited to be Tusculum’s first Director of Lacrosse. I am so grateful to President (Nancy) Moody and Coach DeBusk for this opportunity,” said Carrington. “Upon meeting them and touring the campus, all of the positive feedback I received about Tusculum was confirmed. Tusculum is truly a special place, and I think we will offer an amazing and unique opportunity to student-athletes interested in lacrosse. Tusculum’s setting, personal attention, and block schedule are just a few of the attributes that appealed to me and I know they will be appealing to our high school and junior college prospects.”
The Charlottesville, Va. native also directed VMI’s man-down unit, which killed off 70.8 percent of the Keydets’ penalties and finished the season ranked 19th in the country. The leap to 70.8 percent on the man-down was a 20-point jump from 2011, where VMI finished last in the country in that category.
“I would also like to thank Coach Brian Anken and the Virginia Military Institute,” Carrington added. “I had an extraordinary experience while coaching at VMI and learned so much from Coach Anken. Under his leadership, I have no doubt that the Keydets will have a successful 2013 campaign. It will be odd not preparing for games this spring, but I cannot wait to start recruiting and bringing quality student-athletes to Tusculum’s campus. Tusculum has a long history of being pioneers in education, and I am looking for student-athletes who are driven to be successful people and excited to be the Pioneers of Tusculum Lacrosse.”
Prior to VMI, Carrington served as the head men’s lacrosse coach at NCAA Division III Alvernia University in Reading, Pa. While at Alvernia, he led the Crusaders to their lowest goals-against-average in program history in 2011.
Prior to his arrival at Alvernia, Carrington founded the men’s lacrosse program at Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia, Pa. As the program’s first head coach, Carrington was responsible for recruiting the 37-member inaugural class representing 10 different states and Canadian provinces.
“Richard really elevated himself to the top of our list on his interview,” DeBusk said. “I knew a little about him but his energy, enthusiasm and knowledge of lacrosse really became evident when I first met him on our campus. He was so personable and confident and he impressed us immediately. Dr. Moody and I felt he was an ideal person to lead our institution into this journey of starting a lacrosse program. He will be a great fit to our department and be a great ambassador for Tusculum and our community.”
Carrington has also had assistant coaching stints at his alma mater Mars Hill College and Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio. In 2008, Carrington helped Mars Hill to the program’s first Deep South Conference Championship. To his credit, Carrington coached a much-improved defensive unit that allowed 10.29 goals per game in 2008, down from 11.21 in the previous season. That defensive unit produced three All-Conference selections and a participant in the prestigious North-South All-Star Game.
Carrington earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Mars Hill in 2003. As an undergraduate he competed as a four-year defensive starter for the Lions and graduated as Mars Hill’s career ground ball leader (268).
Carrington also spent two seasons as the head boys’ varsity lacrosse coach at Cape Henry Collegiate School in Virginia Beach. During that time his team reached the 2007 Division I State Quarterfinals, where he mentored one All-American, two all-state selections and seven all-conference student-athletes during his tenure there.
Tusculum College, located in Greeneville, Tenn., is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church, USA and is a NCAA Division II member of the South Atlantic Conference.
