By NICK JORDAN

Matt Schneck has been named as BYU’s new lacrosse head coach, as announced on Thursday by Lee Gibbons, director of Extramural Sports.

Schneck will replace 14-year coach Jason Lamb, who had carried various BYU lacrosse teams to three National Championships. Lamb’s coaching record to date is 195-65. Schneck spent eight years as an assistant coach under Lamb.

No reasons were given in the news release for the change in staffing for BYU lacrosse and both Scheck and Lamb were unavailable for comment on Thursday.

Players reacted well to the news and are optimistic for their future with Schneck as head coach.

“Obviously we are going to miss coach Lamb,” said senior captain Elliot Grow, a two-time All-American middie, in a prior news release. “But going forward, the choice was clear very early that coach Schneck was the right person to not only maintain the proud tradition of BYU lacrosse, but to help us advance the program.”

Britt Cone, senior captain and two-time All-American, is saddened to see Lamb leave but is “excited to see what adjustments he (Schneck) can make with the program to bring some positive change to the program.”

Grow and Cone both said the team’s focus is on winning another National Championship this upcoming season, with Schneck as the key to doing so.            

In a news release, it was said that the Cougars are returning five starting defensemen, a starting goalie, and three starting defensive midfielders from last year’s team, which should help them in their quest for that National Championship.

Schneck’s coaching staff will consist of Jordan Harris (defense), Josh Austin (offense) and Justin McClure (strength and conditioning).  Harris, Austin and McClure are all well versed with BYU lacrosse and the programs that have created winning teams in the past.

“Much of the success that I have experienced in my life has come from identifying and building successful teams and that is what we have done with this coaching staff,” Schneck said in a news release.