Brian Kelly Takes Helm for Poets, Leads Alma Mater

Brian Kelly, MLL pro player, Whittier Alumni and High School teacher, is taking the helm after being an assistant at Whittier for the past two years.  Often, a change in leadership during the season may adversely affect the morale of a team.  After catching up with Coach Kelly, Whittier looks ro return to its 2003 form.  Here is what Coach Kelly had to say:

Walax: So were you a California kid who went to Whittier, or were you
an East Coast transplant?

Defintiely an east coast transplant.  Born and raised outside of Philadelphia, but haven't lived back east since my senior year of high school.  I like it too much out west.  However, I still carry a great deal of Philadelphia pride, and really enjoy getting back there a few times each year.

Walax: Are you still teaching, and playing professional Lacrosse?

I'm still teaching, and have been playing professional lacrosse for the past 5 years.  I'm not sure what lies ahead in either profession, though.  I could potentially find myself at a career crossroad after the interim period is up.

Walax: You played four years at Whittier, made a tourney semi-final run as a Captain.  How does it feel to be piloting the helm?

It's a great honor.  I really enjoyed my experience at Whittier, and I couldn't think of a better way to give back to the program.  I'm really loving the position, and my goal is to make Whittier relevant in the lacrosse world again.  I want kids to look back at their time here and feel as though they contibuted to something special.

Walax: What is it about the Poets, most high School kids don’t know that you want prospective recruits to know?

Being a lacrosse player at Whittier is a truly unique experience.  On one hand you are in an incredibly populated metropolitan area, but at the same time we are in isolation from the NCAA lacrosse world.  I think that isolation can really be a breeding ground for comraderie.
We may have the most diverse roster in college lacrosse---we represent 4 countries and 11 different states, and will be adding to the list next year.  College is all about growing and learning, and I think Whittier can offer a broader perspective than most NCAA lacrosse experiences.

Walax: Since L.A. and San Fran have disbanded, are you going to play  this season?

Not sure.  I doubt it.  I was looking forward to the addition of the LSM, but I'm not interested in playing away from home.  It's too much of a hassel.  Plus, I'd really like to invest the majority of my summer time to the Whittier lacrosse program.  It's much more important to me.

Walax: Can you tell us what the number one thing you want out of your recruits?

We look for good, honest, hard working kids.  Since taking over the program I've placed a premium on being a respectful, accountable, and high character student athlete.  I believe getting a group of kids to buy into these qualities is the foundation of building something significant and meaningful.  We want kids who are looking for a unique college lacrosse experience, and who are willing to buy into our team first concept.

Walax: What do you see as the biggest challenge for you as a new head coach at Whittier?

My biggest challenge is changing the culture.  None of our players have experienced Whittier lacrosse the way I did.  I took a great deal of pride in being part of something special, and I hope to pass that experience on to our currrent group.  The program has taken some lumps over the past five years, but hopefully I can provide the much needed stability and direction to get Whittier back to being an annual contentder.

Walax: Who are your difference makers on your team, on the field, in the locker room?

We have a great bunch of guys.  I couldn't be prouder of the way they've responded to the coaching change.  A lot of kids might have let the adversity drag them down, but our senior leadership has been instrumental during our efforts to move forward.  I think our kids are
mentally in a good place now.   As for difference makers, I think we have a great mix of returning players, promising freshmen, and impact transfers.  I'll leave it at that.

Walax: There seems to be struggle for recruits with the DII programs in California, how do you feel about that?

I'm not really feeling to much competition for recruits.  I think people assume that we all are recruiting the same kids, but it's just not true.  I've made a commitment to re-creating the traditional Whittier mix of Canadian box players and American field talent.  I think it promotes an exciting brand of lacrosse.  We have some California kids in the mix, but are really putting together a diverse recruiting class.  We have a significant amount of Canadians in the mix, a handful of kids from all over the US, and we've also developed a strong relationship with England U-19 lacrosse (we currently have two of their players, including Sam Russell, the second leading midfield scorer at the world championships, and their starting goalie).  I can honestly say that none of our prospective student athletes are looking to play at any of the DII or club schools in California, so I'm not feeling the percieved recruiting struggle that many people assume is taking place.

Walax:  When are you going to get some Washington or Oregon kids at Whittier?

As soon as you send some my way!  I think that the Pacific Northwest is producing some serious talent, and I'd love to get a few of those kids down here.  Again, I really value having kids from all over, as I think it helps our kids deal with leaving home and coming all the way to LA.  The kids can learn alot from each other, and while they may have differrent experiences coming into Whittier, they are all in a common disposition when they get here.  I really think this is a special aspect of our program.