GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Tusculum College Director of Lacrosse Richard Carrington was introduced to the College community Wednesday afternoon on the Greeneville campus. The press conference was attended by representatives from the local media and members of the campus and Greene County communities. Watch the press conference on YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmvQlQt5nRU&feature=youtu.be
Director of Athletics Frankie DeBusk introduced Carrington, who becomes the first-ever lacrosse coach in the 219-year history of Tennessee's oldest college.
Men's lacrosse becomes the College's 15th intercollegiate sport
beginning in the 2013-2014 academic year with competition being
starting in 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, which Tusculum has been a member of since 1998
and currently competes in the sports of baseball, basketball (m/w),
cross country (m/w), football, golf (m/w), soccer (m/w), softball,
tennis (m/w) and women's volleyball. Tusculum plans to introduce
women's lacrosse as well, but not at this immediate time.
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.
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.
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.
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.
- TC -
