North Carolina lacrosse coach Joe Breschi got the perfect gift last Father's Day. On the bottom of a card from his wife, Julie, were these words: "I'm in."
The next day Breschi informed the Tar Heels about his intentions, and shortly afterward, he was announced as the 12th head coach in the team's history.
"I had been at Ohio State for 11 years and probably was going to stay there forever," said Breschi, 40, a 1990 Carolina graduate. "But if there was one place I would leave Ohio State for, it had to be a place that I had a passion about, a place where I had an extraordinary experience as a student-athlete."
Yes, Breschi is back home, and Carolina will eventually be alongside the Big Three - Johns Hopkins, Syracuse and Virginia - of college lacrosse. It might take two or three years, but Breschi is putting life and excitement into the program.
He has two outstanding recruiting classes coming, including oral commitments from five of the top 15-rated junior players in the country. Breschi is not just bumping heads, but winning.
"Joe has jumped onboard big-time and may, in fact, be taking it to a whole new level," Boys' Latin coach Bobby Shriver said. "He is trying to get some designated sophomores around the country interested and is having success doing it. Joe is a very good guy who works at one of the great schools with an awesome lacrosse tradition, especially from about 1978 until 1992."
What is there to not like about North Carolina?
It's generally regarded as one of the best academic colleges in the country, right up there with some Ivy League schools. The Raleigh-Durham area has good weather, and the campus has big-time football and basketball. Breschi's two predecessors, Dave Klarmann and John Haus, had problems recruiting players because they had dry and rigid personalities.
Breschi is different.
"Joe will exploit all that, something John wasn't great at because he wasn't a warm and fuzzy guy," Shriver said.
Breschi knew that, and he knows the local scene. He played high school lacrosse at Loyola. Even when he was at Ohio State, Breschi built strong relationships in the Baltimore area. The recruiting for blue-chip players will be a lot fiercer.
"Joe will do a great job at Carolina. He is a genuine, personable guy with deep roots in Chapel Hill. He does not need me saying nice things about him making his job easier," Virginia coach Dom Starsia said. "It will be nice to have someone else to blame for all this early recruiting. He has certainly gotten the attention of recruits and his peers with his aggressive start."
