Spring Break
Bates will be tough to replace
Mike Mazzeo
Issue date: 7/3/09 Section: Sports
Chris Bates brought 110 percent to the lacrosse field everyday.
I never questioned that; I didn't have to.
I could see it in his facial expression or his body language any time one of his players made a careless pass in his own end or took a foolish penalty which led to a man-advantage goal for the opposition. And at the same time I could see it after a strong defensive stand or a well-executed offensive set which led to a timely goal for his team - the Drexel Dragons.
However, next season when you glance toward the Drexel sideline, Bates' presence will be noticeably absent. The fire, the intensity and the passion will have to come from some other source.
Bates, who brought the men's lacrosse program prestige and prominence during his 10-year stint at the helm, will be taking over the reins at Princeton University.
I can't blame Bates for resigning from Drexel and moving on to take over as the Tigers' head coach.
It was an easy decision, like upgrading from a Honda to a Porsche.
Princeton has a storied program history and tradition - not to mention six NCAA titles since 1992. Drexel, unfortunately, just can't compete.
But our program is on the rise, thanks to Bates, a two-time Colonial Athletic Association Coach of the Year.
Before his tenure began in 2000, the program had reached double figures in wins a paltry three times in 60 years.
However, after he got there and withstood a pair of abysmal seasons in the early going, Bates slowly but surely turned the program around, winning 11 games in 2007 and then topping that with 13 wins in 2008.
In fact, his 2008 team was less than 90 seconds away from winning the university's first conference championship in any sport before Drexel fell in heartbreaking fashion to Hofstra, 10-9, in overtime in the CAA title game.
Overall, he may have left the program with a losing 70-71 record, but he was 31-17 over the last three years.
Those three years saw the Dragons upset No. 1 ranked Virginia and form a regular home-and-home rivalry with one of the premiere teams in the nation, become a regular in the top 25 rankings and of course be able to compete with the top-tier teams in the rising CAA conference, which recently added UMass and Penn State into the mix for the upcoming 2010 season.
But now that the foundation has been built, it's time to take the next step and continue to build on the respect that Bates brought to the program.
The Athletic Department will certainly be under a lot of pressure to fill the huge void left by Bates' resignation.
Several candidates will be interviewed, as Drexel will certainly be an attractive job for young coaches like Bates was who have aspirations of one day leading a top-tier program.
Yes, maybe Drexel has become the Virginia Commonwealth men's basketball program of CAA men's lacrosse, and there's nothing wrong with that.
And that's exactly why we need to thank Bates for what he's done, what he's accomplished.
Bates always talked about wanting his team to "peak at the right time."
The Drexel men's lacrosse program looks like it's about to peak.
And that's exactly why we need to find a replacement that can put into the program what Bates did: 110 percent.
I never questioned that; I didn't have to.
I could see it in his facial expression or his body language any time one of his players made a careless pass in his own end or took a foolish penalty which led to a man-advantage goal for the opposition. And at the same time I could see it after a strong defensive stand or a well-executed offensive set which led to a timely goal for his team - the Drexel Dragons.
However, next season when you glance toward the Drexel sideline, Bates' presence will be noticeably absent. The fire, the intensity and the passion will have to come from some other source.
Bates, who brought the men's lacrosse program prestige and prominence during his 10-year stint at the helm, will be taking over the reins at Princeton University.
I can't blame Bates for resigning from Drexel and moving on to take over as the Tigers' head coach.
It was an easy decision, like upgrading from a Honda to a Porsche.
Princeton has a storied program history and tradition - not to mention six NCAA titles since 1992. Drexel, unfortunately, just can't compete.
But our program is on the rise, thanks to Bates, a two-time Colonial Athletic Association Coach of the Year.
Before his tenure began in 2000, the program had reached double figures in wins a paltry three times in 60 years.
However, after he got there and withstood a pair of abysmal seasons in the early going, Bates slowly but surely turned the program around, winning 11 games in 2007 and then topping that with 13 wins in 2008.
In fact, his 2008 team was less than 90 seconds away from winning the university's first conference championship in any sport before Drexel fell in heartbreaking fashion to Hofstra, 10-9, in overtime in the CAA title game.
Overall, he may have left the program with a losing 70-71 record, but he was 31-17 over the last three years.
Those three years saw the Dragons upset No. 1 ranked Virginia and form a regular home-and-home rivalry with one of the premiere teams in the nation, become a regular in the top 25 rankings and of course be able to compete with the top-tier teams in the rising CAA conference, which recently added UMass and Penn State into the mix for the upcoming 2010 season.
But now that the foundation has been built, it's time to take the next step and continue to build on the respect that Bates brought to the program.
The Athletic Department will certainly be under a lot of pressure to fill the huge void left by Bates' resignation.
Several candidates will be interviewed, as Drexel will certainly be an attractive job for young coaches like Bates was who have aspirations of one day leading a top-tier program.
Yes, maybe Drexel has become the Virginia Commonwealth men's basketball program of CAA men's lacrosse, and there's nothing wrong with that.
And that's exactly why we need to thank Bates for what he's done, what he's accomplished.
Bates always talked about wanting his team to "peak at the right time."
The Drexel men's lacrosse program looks like it's about to peak.
And that's exactly why we need to find a replacement that can put into the program what Bates did: 110 percent.
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