NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Andrew Baxter, a collegiate men’s lacrosse coach for the last 12 years, is Yale’s new defensive coordinator. He joins the Bulldog staff after four seasons as defensive coordinator and the top assistant at Ohio State.
As a Buckeye, Baxter handled all aspects of recruiting while leading a defense that ranked fourth in 2012 and 10th in 2011 for scoring defense among Division I schools. He coached All-America players each season at Columbus.
Baxter, both an offensive (2004-05) and defensive coordinator (2006-08) in five seasons at Drexel University, helped the Dragons rank seventh nationally in scoring defense in both 2007 and 2008. They also recorded the nation's fifth highest face-off win percentage in 2008 en route to winning the Colonial Athletic Association regular season championship.
Before heading to Philadelphia, Baxter spent two seasons (2002-03) on the sidelines at Colgate.
Baxter, who replaced Ryan Polley (new head coach at Boston University) on Yale’s staff, earned his bachelor's degree in movement and sport studies from Springfield College in 2001, where he played two seasons with Ohio State head coach Nick Myers and helped lead the team to two Division III NCAA Tournaments.
A native of Rochester, N.Y., Baxter graduated from Brighton High School. He and his wife, the former Marika Hartog, also a Springfield College graduate, have a daughter, Rae, born in 2010.