Introducing Husky Lacrosse's New Head Coach Stew Kerns

The Huskies have a new coach this year, after their best performance in four years last year.  UW lost to the PNCLL champions, nationally ranked SFU, and ended a rebuilding process of three years with a success story.  Fred Wilmot stepped down as coach over the summer, ushering in a new coach for the program in Stewart Kerns.  Stew isn't THAT new to Seattle, he has coached at Mercer Island and currently coaches Starz.  He brings a wealth of playing experience to a challenging role, so we caught up with Stew to get some insight into his strategy:

Walax: What are some of the potential challenges you see as a new coach?
Some of the challenges as a new coach are understanding the team mentality, gaining trust, and creating the right expectations.

Walax: What things you are looking forward to as new coach?
Getting to know a great group of players and the challenge of success

Walax: What is different about coaching college club versus High school or Club?
The different responsibilities that college student athletes must manage, foremost being academics.

Walax: What challenges do you see for the program?
Creating a successful change management system for the team creating a lacrosse culture at the University of Washington.

Walax: What does the alumni help look like for the program?
I hope attendance at home games-

Walax: Tell us about the new recruits for this year...
There is some great young talent with a lot of potential to help the program immediately. I look forward to working with those guys.

Walax: What are your three top priorities as a coach for the Huskies this year?

1) Players enjoy the season
2) Marked development within each player
3) Further advancement of lacrosse presence on campus

Walax: Where did you play Lacrosse in college?
Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio

Walax: What position did you play in college, and why?
Defense, because it came easier having played defense in hockey too.

Walax: Where did you grow up?
Pittsburgh, PA

Walax: You played with Luke Larson in college, right?  Tell us about some of your on-field
work...
It was mainly watching Larson stick upper 90’s. It helped having him on the team-

Walax: Why did you get involved in coaching?
Once you step on the field you get lost in the lacrosse world and it is great to know you are helping someone learn something new.

Walax: What is your favorite way to digest another team's abilities as a coach?
Watching tape is the best way to get all the angles.

For those of you interested in following the Huskies Lacrosse program this Spring, here is the schedule: