The Denisonian

Issue date: 1/26/10 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Courtesy of denison.edu/athletics At Denison, Mike Caravana is an impressive 159-68.

In sports, terms like "coaching carousel" get thrown around way too loosely. Maybe more than any other profession, coaches change, sometimes for the better, sometimes for worse. With each change comes an opportunity for someone new, and history has proven that stability and integrity breed success.

For 16 out of the past 19 seasons Mike Caravana has been the head coach of the Denison men's lacrosse team. Those 16 seasons have been peppered with championships, nail biting victories and annual trips to the NCAA Division III Tournament. When so much success surrounds a program it's easy for things like relationships, teamwork and tradition to get glossed over.

In those 16 seasons in Granville, Caravana has not stood alone on the sidelines. There have been many assistants who have played vital roles in helping Denison University become one of the top programs in all of Division III, just as there were many coaches before Caravana who helped carve DU into the college lacrosse landscape.

Since his arrival in 1991 Caravana has had a number of assistant coaches come and go, and his lineage can be spotted all over Division I lacrosse.

"In my quest to find top-notch assistant coaches, I have always looked for the following things; love of the game, high lacrosse IQ, strong work ethic, professional mannerisms and a understanding that as a college coach, you must value the whole experience that your players are experiencing, both in the classroom, on the field and socially," said Caravana.

"I have been fortunate to have had many outstanding young assistants come through the program who have the characteristics and believe in this philosophy. I think this philosophy transcends all divisions in college lacrosse and provides a fundamental framework for my assistants to be successful in the future."

The "Caravana Connection" starts with the Dartmouth duo of head coach Andrew Towers and assistant Jon Torpey who both jump-started their coaching careers in Granville. In addition, current D-I assistants Mike Murphy (US Military Academy), Anthony Gilardi (US Naval Academy), and Anthony Kelly (Ohio State) all trace their coaching roots back to Denison. To add even more top names to the impressive coaching-tree, former Division I assistants Dennis Stewart (Ohio State) and Jay Stalfort (Ohio State) both cut their teeth with the Big Red.

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