WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. - Monmouth University head men's lacrosse coach Brian Fisher has announced the addition of Andrew Geison as an assistant coach for the Hawks' first-year program. Geison, who was named the first-ever head men's lacrosse coach at Elmhurst College in Illinois last June, has nine years of collegiate coaching experience.
"I am thrilled to have Andrew Geison join our staff here at Monmouth," stated Fisher, who took the reigns of the program on July 10. "Andrew has a great work ethic and a wide range of experience as a Division I assistant and as a Head coach at the Division III level. He knows first-hand the challenges a new program faces having spent the last year preparing for the inaugural season at Elmhurst College in Chicago. His knowledge of, and passion for the game will have a positive impact on our recruits, student-athletes and the local lacrosse community."
"This was a very compelling opportunity from the first conversation," Geison commented. "Looking at the big picture, it just feels right. I have the chance to work for one of the best young coaches in our game. I have the chance to work at a school which values a personal approach to education, and has a beautiful campus in an ideal location. I am honored to be chosen to help lead this program, and I am really looking forward to reaching out to prospects and letting them know about Monmouth University."
Prior to being named the first-ever head men's lacrosse coach at Elmhurst, where he was charged with starting a Division III program, set to embark on its first season in the Spring of 2013, Geison spent four seasons as the head coach of DeSales University, and guided the Bulldogs to their first-ever Middle Atlantic Conference Playoff appearance in just his second season with the team. In four seasons, Geison's players garnered seven all-conference and two-all region awards, while his teams hold five single-season DeSales records and Geison owns the best winning percentage of any head coach in DeSales' history.
Before taking the reins at DeSales, Geison spent two years as an assistant coach at Lafayette College, where he was the defensive coordinator. Prior to his arrival at Lafayette, he worked as a volunteer assistant coach at Rutgers University, helping to lead the team to an NCAA Playoff berth in 2004.
Geison began his coaching career in 2000 at Marin Catholic High School in Kenfield, California, where he took over a second-year varsity program and led the team to three consecutive winning seasons and a conference championship in 2003.
The idea of being a part of starting a new program at Monmouth, Geison added, "We have a big task in front of us. This is one of the most exciting creative endeavors you can be a part of in our profession. We are going to be able to recruit the right student-athletes, to form traditions and reinforce certain values. We are going to create the culture here. That is an enormous responsibility and is going to take a lot of hard work. I'm on board."
Geison earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Maryland in 1999, and added a master's degree in counseling psychology from Rutgers in 2005.
The Hawks will compete in the Northeast Conference (NEC) in their inaugural 2014 season, under Fisher and Geison. With the addition of Monmouth, the NEC is comprised of seven NCAA Division I schools - Bryant, Mount St. Mary's, Quinnipiac, Sacred Heart, Robert Morris and Wagner.