Former Lacrosse Star Breschi Named Heels' New Coach

Posted on June 26, 2008

Joe Breschi ’90, first-team All-America defenseman and former assistant coach for the Tar Heels, has been named the 12th head men’s lacrosse coach in Carolina history.

Breschi comes to Chapel Hill from Ohio State University, where he has served as the head coach for the past 11 seasons. Breschi was an assistant coach at UNC and Brown University for seven seasons prior to his stint in Columbus and has 18 seasons of collegiate coaching experience overall.

“Joe has done an outstanding job of building a fine program at Ohio State,” Athletics Director Dick Baddour ’66 said in a statement. “Joe had a tremendous playing career in Chapel Hill, and it will be great to have him back as part of our athletic family.”

Breschi was one of the best players in the history of the ACC. He also was a member of two U.S. National Teams. After graduating from Carolina in 1990, Breschi coached at his alma mater for two seasons before going to Brown as the head assistant coach (1993-97). Breschi was the chief assistant at UNC under Dave Klarmann in 1991 and 1992 and was part of a staff that captured ACC titles in 1991 and 1992 and UNC’s fourth NCAA title in 1991. The Tar Heels compiled a 28-3 record during Breschi’s assistant coaching stint.

“I made a commitment to be a Tar Heel 22 years ago to Hall of Fame Coach Willie Scroggs, and now I have a chance to give back to the University, alumni and Carolina lacrosse family that had an extraordinary impact on my life,” Breschi said. “My family is thrilled for the new challenge that lies ahead, and we can’t wait to hit the ground running in Chapel Hill.”

A native of Baltimore and a 1986 alumnus of the Loyola-Blakefield School, Breschi compiled a 92-63 overall record in his 11 years at OSU along with a 34-18 regular season Great Western Lacrosse League mark. The Buckeyes shared the Great Western Lacrosse League’s regular season titles in 1999, 2003 and 2008 and won the conference championship outright in 2004. The Buckeyes have had seven winning seasons in their past eight years and have made NCAA Tournament appearances in 2003, 2004 and 2008. Under Breschi, Ohio State had three double-figure winning seasons, going 10-3 in 1999, 12-4 in 2004 and 11-6 this past season.

In Breschi’s 11th season at OSU in 2008, the Buckeyes enjoyed their most successful campaign in school history. Ohio State finished 11-6 overall and won its first NCAA Tournament game in history by defeating No. 8-seeded Cornell 15-7 in the NCAA first round on Cornell’s home field. The Buckeyes shared the Great Western Lacrosse League’s regular season title with Notre Dame and Denver and reached the finals of the first-ever Great Western Lacrosse League Tournament. Among the Buckeyes 11 wins in 2008 was a 14-11 triumph over Carolina on April 12. It was Ohio State’s first win in 14 tries versus the Tar Heels.

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Related coverage is available online:

• Haus Out of Lacrosse Job
  May 2008 GAA Alumni Publications news report
• John Haus Comes Home to Revive a Lacrosse Legacy
  From the May/June 2001 issue of the Carolina Alumni Review, available online to Carolina Alumni members.

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