2006-07 Annual Report - Lehigh University Athletics

Staffing UpdatesATHLETICStions and will direct our Athletics Partnership program. Billwill also help Karen Adams and me to oversee and providesupport for our head coaching staff.8. Senior Associate Director Karen Adams will continue tolead the department in our day-to-day, week-to-week, monthto-month,and in our annual operations. Her distinctiveabilities to promote quality planning, evaluation, andaccountability have resulted in exceptional financial managementof available resources, and wise counsel for many of ourvarsity programs. Karen will continue to lead the internaloperations of the department; she will monitor our overalloperating effectiveness; and she will continue to provideoversight and support for a number of program managersand head coaches.I have work yet to do in all of these areas, but the “summerof 2007” has been one of significant progress and leaves uspoised to do some exciting things in the year ahead.Cassese NamedHead Coachof Men’s LacrosseprogramFollowing an extensive nationalsearch, Lehigh has named formerDuke assistant coach Kevin Casseseto the newly endowed Smith Family(Daniel E. Smith ‘71) Head Men’s Lacrosse Coach. Cassesereplaces Chris Wakely, who stepped down last month due toa medical concern. “I’m excited for this wonderful opportunityto be the head coach at Lehigh University,” Cassesesaid on Thursday. “Lehigh is an excellent school, one of thetop academic institutions in the country and I am lookingforward to being a part of the Mountain Hawk family.”Cassese continued, “There are terrific kids within thisprogram who received great direction under Chris Wakelyfor the past six years and I plan to continue the tradition thatCoach Wakely started and also build a tradition of excellencewith the intention of bringing the program to new heights.”“Kevin Cassese has all the qualities to be an exceptionalcollege head coach,” Lehigh Dean of Athletics Joe Sterrett explained.“He inspired everyone during his interview and hisreferences were even more impressive, both in terms of theindividuals who encouraged us to consider him, and in termsof the specific things they had to say about him. I believe ourathletes will find his enthusiasm and passion for lacrosse,his organization, his preparation, his attention to detail, hispersonal values and his self-confidence to be truly distinctivequalities.”One of the most decorated student athletes in Duke history,Cassese served as an assistant at his alma mater since 2005,helping lead the Blue Devils to an appearance in the 2007National Championship game. He also served as Duke’sinterim head coach for part of the summer of 2006. Prior toDuke, Cassese spent one season at Stony Brook as an assistantwhere he directed the nation’s top extra man offense andhelped the Seawolves to a 10-6 record in 2004.A two time captain and three time All-ACC selection whileat Duke, Cassese helped lead the Blue Devils to three NCAATournament appearances and a pair of ACC Championshipsduring his collegiate career. Cassese earned All-Americahonors on three separate occasions including First-Team accoladesin 2002 and 2003. Cassese, who scored 80 goals andhanded out 38 assists during his time at Duke, was a two timefinalist for the Tewaaraton Trophy and garnered ACC Playerof the Year honors in 2001. In 2002, Cassese was the recipientof the Lt. Donald MacLaughlin, Jr. Award as the nation’s topmidfielder.An accomplished player on the national level as well,Cassese helped the United States to the gold medal at the2002 International Lacrosse Federation world championshipsand he was also a member of the United States team thatplaced second at the 2006 ILF world championships inLondon, Ontario. Cassese was the number two overallelection in the Major League Lacrosse draft by the RochesterRattlers in 2003, where among his professional accomplishmentsare a pair of MLL Rookie of the Week honors and aspot on the 2005 All-Star team.Wakely offered his thoughts on his successor. I am excitedfor the entire Lehigh Lacrosse family as I am profoundlyconfident that Lehigh University has selected the rightindividual, at the right time, to lead the excellent young menof the men’s lacrosse program.”A native of Port Jefferson Station, New York and graduateof Comsewogue High School, Cassese earned his bachelorsdegree in sociology from Duke in 2003, garnering USILAScholar All-American and ACC Academic Honor Roll honorsas well as the ACC’s Weaver-James-Corrigan HonoraryAward for outstanding athletic and academic achievement.Cassese and his wife, the former Katie Granson whoattended nearby Freedom High School, were recently marriedin Bethlehem in December of 2006.