Together We Transform Thursday – March 28, 2019
 
Let's start with the big news of the week, which is the decision to name Geno Ford as our next head men's basketball coach.
 


If you haven't already read them, below are my quotes from the press release that went out on Tuesday to announce Geno's hiring. They truly sum up why he is the right person to lead our men's basketball program.
 
"My primary focus during this search was to identify the coach who can help us win an America East championship and reach the NCAA Tournament right now. I believe in the young men in our locker room, and it became crystal clear throughout this process that Geno was the right coach to lead them moving forward."

"Geno has enjoyed success as a head coach and he understands what it takes to win. While our program is poised to win in the short term, this decision was ultimately about the long term success that we are striving to achieve at Stony Brook. I have had the opportunity to work with Geno for the past three years and have witnessed his ability to connect with our players and bring out the very best in them. The trajectory of our program is limitless, and I am confident that Geno will help lead us to new heights."

A significant number of high quality coaches were interested in our job, and I needed to step back and assess who the right person was to lead our program forward. Ultimately, I realized that the right person was already here. As with any coaching hire, the results will ultimately speak for themselves.
 
As I said above, this is win today and a win tomorrow move. For all of the winning that we have done over the past several years, we only have one NCAA Tournament appearance to our name. We need to take that next step now, and I am confident that Geno will lead us there.
 
I am also excited that Bryan Weber will remain on staff as Associate Head Coach. Bryan is a tireless recruiter who also excels at individual player development. He has been instrumental in landing some of our top players over the last two years, and his relationships on Long Island and throughout the region will keep top talent coming to Stony Brook.
 
Please join us on Tuesday at 11 a.m. at Island Federal Arena as we officially welcome Geno, along with his wife, Traci, and sons Darin and David.
 
Softball Soaring…  

 

Our softball team has been making some news of its own. Winners of 10 out of their last 11 games, Megan Bryant's squad scorched St. John's yesterday by a score of 25-6. You read that right.
 
Several single-game school records were broken yesterday: 25 runs, five home runs, three grand slams, 18 walks plus the 14-run seventh inning were the most ever scored in a single inning. Reigning America East Player of the Year Melissa Rahrich had a monster day – not only did she hit one of the grand slams, but she also earned the complete-game win while registering eight strikeouts.
 
I can't wait to see what they do for an encore. We'll find out this weekend when America East play begins with a three-game series at Hartford. Keep crushing!
 
…Baseball Bashing
 
While softball was busy putting together a nine-game winning streak over the past few days, the baseball team was doing strong work as well. Baseball has won eight of its last nine, including a three-game sweep of UMBC in the first conference series two weeks ago.
 


Junior outfielder Michael Wilson currently ranks fourth in the nation with a .463 batting average while leading the team with five home runs and 24 runs batted in. On the mound, senior Bret Clarke is 3-0 and has allowed only two earned runs over his last 14.2 innings. 
 
The team will be in action at Joe Nathan Field this weekend against Maine with a doubleheader at 12 p.m. on Saturday and a single game on Sunday at 12 p.m.
 
Lacrosse at LaValle
 
Both lacrosse teams will be in action at home this weekend to continue America East play. The men will take on Binghamton on Friday at 7 p.m. while the women will battle UMass Lowell on Saturday at 1 p.m.
 
Get your tickets for both games now! (Men's tickets / Women's tickets)
 
Congratulations to Kylie!
 
Congratulations to our own Kylie Ohlmiller for having her number 17 retired at Islip High School. Kylie is currently serving as a volunteer assistant for our women's lacrosse team while working to grow the game – and her own brand – on the global stage.



It is certainly a special honor for Kylie and I could not be more proud of her. In fact, if you look at our roster you will notice that no one is wearing number 17 this year… or 18, for that matter.
 
This is crunch time. We currently lead Albany in the America East Commissioner's Cup standings heading into the stretch run for our spring sports. Let's get it!
 
Keep believing!
 
Warm regards,
 
Shawn