Grow the Game®

Share on facebook
Share on twitter
Share on linkedin
Share on reddit
Share on whatsapp

The Rundown On New Princeton Head Coach Chris Bates

The Rundown On New Princeton Head Coach Chris BatesPrinceton has made their selection for their next Head Men’s Lacrosse Coach and I must say they chose (drumroll please)… wisely. Chris Bates is the perfect fit for Princeton. Let me count the ways:

Ivy League graduate: Chris Bates played at Dartmouth as an attackman so he knows the Ivy League traditions and rivalries and he knows all about the lore of the Princeton team by proxy. Chris Bates understands the tough admissions guidelines and recruiting snafus coaches can encounter.

Coached at Drexel: He has recruited players in the Philly area as well as NJ. Although the caliber of player both on the field and in the classroom that he will be recruiting will improve drastically, he has no doubt made good connects with local coaches. The allure of a Princeton education will only help his recruiting game. Is Drexel a top program? No, but Chris Bates to the team to levels they had really never seen before and that is surely something. Don’t believe me? Just take alook at some of the wins Drexel has amassed over the past few years. Virginia is a good place to start!

Didn’t come from an Ivy: Ivy schools usually refrain from poaching each others coaches and Princeton kept true to that ethos. I liked the Tigers to go after Voelker of UPenn but Chris Bates is an excellent choice because he is a great coach and Princeton has maintained their integrity.

Young: He isn’t a Petro, Cottle, Starsia, Desko or Tierney but if you do your homework you will see Tierney wasn’t one of those guys either before he took over at Princeton. Chris Bates will grow and the team will grow with him. His first couple of seasons will be the hardest because expectations are really high in Princeton right now. After that Chris Bates will have made the team his own and then we can REALLY judge him. For now, a good choice with a ton of potential!

Photo credit: drexeldragons.com

Bates Brings Style to Princeton [Lacrosse Magazine ]

Bates takes experience to Princeton [InsideLacrosse]