hugoweaving: IMLCA: Loyola's Toomey Lands Coach of the Year, More Awards

Friday, December 7, 2012

IMLCA: Loyola's Toomey Lands Coach of the Year, More Awards

A highlight of the IMLCA Convention is the IMLCA/Nike Awards Luncheon, in which 200 or so coaches gather to honor their coaching peers ? led by the off-color humor and charm of former Towson coach Carl Runk.

This year, former Hobart and Georgetown coach Dave Urick was honored with the Nike Creator's Award as well as the Frenchy Julien Award for service.

?Try to put something back into the game,? was Urick's advice to the younger coaches when presented with the Creator's Award.

The Nike Creator's Award was presented by Nike executive Joe Taylor and Jeremy Thompson.

?History still lives in today's game,? Taylor said.

USILA Coach of the Year honors went to Loyola coach Charley Toomey (DI), Dowling coach Tim Boyle (DII) and Salisbury coach (Jim Berkman). SUNY Delhi's Bob Leary (NJCAA) and Garden City's Steve Finnell (NILCA) received their awards at the banquet.

?Its the thrill of a lifetime to be a coach and to see the look on your players' faces when you win that last game,? Finnell said.

?It's truly about the staff, truly about the locker room,? Toomey said.

Toomey's assistant at Loyola, Dan Chemotti, now the head coach at Richmond, won the DI Outstanding Assistant award. Other winners were Matt Madalon (DIII Stevens Tech) and Karl Hedstrom (DII NYIT).

The Doyle Smith Media Award was presented to ESPN's John Vassallo, a producer who is influential in how the game is presented on TV and also heavily involved in college football programming on ESPNU. Berkman also received the Howdy Myers Award for promoting physical fitness and a healthy lifestyle, especially in the light of his heart attack scare this season. ?Thank you to the game,? Berkman said when receiving it.

Brown coach Lars Tiffany was honored for his service efforts. ?We're all in this room very fortunate.. we can do so much for others,? he said.

Other special awards, presented by IMLCA president Richie Meade, included honors to Renzie Lamb , former coach of Williams College. Head of officials Warren Kimber was honored, with Meade pointing out Kimber's emphasis for the upcoming season to ?ban the 'F' word from college lacrosse.? Ernie Larossa, sports information director at Johns Hopkins, received the first IMLCA/Inside Lacrosse Sports Information Service Award.?

Dave Urick was honored at the IMCLA Convention. (Inside Lacrosse Photo: Zach Babo)

Dowling coach Tim Boyle and Suny Delhi coach Robert Leary, former high school teammates, both received coaching honors. (Inside Lacrosse Photo: Zach Babo)