8
Friday, February 23, 2001
Rebuildinga
Tradition
It was Saturday, April 5,1983 when the largest crowd for a lacrosse game <si
in the history of the state packed into North Carolina’s Fetzer Field.
The game pitted North Carolina against Johns Hopkins, a regular .:/gg|
season rematch of the past two NCAA championships, both won
by the Tar Heels.
A ticket distribution for UNC students had been held the
Wednesday before the game at 8:30 a.m. at the ticket office in
Carmichael Auditorium.
“Tickets will also be available on the day of the game at Fetzer
Field,” an article in the Daily Tar Heel had warned that Tuesday, “but at
that point the 4,500 seats at the field may be taken and standing-room-only
tickets will be distributed.”
Eight thousand people showed up at the game.
These were glory days for the Tar Heel lacrosse
program. And John Haus was there.
He was a four-year starter on close defense for
the Tar Heels from 1980 to ’B3. Now he’s been
handed the responsibility of rekindling the fire that
once burned so brightly within the program.
“There was a lot of excitement, and we were very
successful,” Haus said. “And, obviously, the key to
having people come out and watch you is if you’re
successfiil and you win games. And we were. At that
time, I felt we were the best program in the country.”
Haus was named head coach in June, replacing
Dave Klarmann, who resigned after 10 seasons. The
Ruxton, Md., native came to UNC from Johns
Hopkins, the most successful and storied college team
in the sport, after leading the Bluejays to consecutive
NCAA final four appearances in his two seasons.
“I never personally envisioned where I thought
I would end up being,” Haus said. “I just tried to
work hard and do the best job I could, and I felt if
I did that then I’d be at a university or a college that
was going to be best for me.”
He holds the reins of a program that has been in
a downward spiral since its fourth and most recent
NCAA championship in 1991. UNC finished 8-6 last
season, missing the NCAA tournament for the third
time in four seasons. The Tar Heels are 1-11 in ACC
play since 1996 - the last time they won the confer
ence championship -with a 26-29 record overall.
It is a program that has also been marred by
tragedy. Three players have died during the past six
years, enveloping the program in an eerie somber
ness.
By James Giza • Assistant Sports Editor
The team needed something to kick it out of its
doldrums. It thinks it has found it in John Haus.
“Coach Haus is such an intense guy, and it just
seems to mb off on everyone around the program,”
UNC senior defenseman Hunter Sims said. “Not
taking anything away from Coach Klarmann - I
think he’s a good coach too. It’s just a different feel
this year, and I think it’s going to pay off, not only
this year, but in the long run, tod.”
Willie Scroggs is counting on it
A UNC senior associate athletics director,
Scroggs coached the Tar Heels from 1979 to ’9O,
capturing three NCAA championships. Scroggs
reemited Haus out of Loyola-Blakefield School and
was instrumental in bringing him back as coach.
“This is not an exaggeration. John Haus was the
most intense player that we’ve ever had here, that
I’ve ever coached and that I’ve ever seen since I’ve
stopped coaching,” Scroggs said.
“I can remember when he was a freshman in the
weight room with the weight staff. I said to all the
coaches, ‘Look at this kid. Look at how he’s work
ing. He’s going to be an All-American.’ This was
when he was a freshman, and he hadn’t even
played a moment for us.
“He played every practice as hard as he possibly
could. And we had players that were better play
ers than John, that were better athletes, but we
never had anybody that worked at the same level
every day that he did.”
Haus was named a first-team All-American his
junior season and second-team as a senior.
In the spring of 1988, Haus was hired as defen-
Spring Sports 2001
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sive coordinator at Johns Hopkins. During his
tenure, he coached nine All-American defensemen
and goalies, and the Bluejays went to three final
fours, including the national championship in 1989.
Tony Seaman, who took over as coach at Johns
Hopkins in 1991, said Haus’ discipline, deep knowl
edge of the game, focus and intensity made him an
effective coach. Seaman also involved Haus in
recruiting and quickly learned that the boyish hand
someness of the young coach was a valuable weapon.
“I always made sure he knocked on the door first
and talked to the mom first because usually they fell
in love right away,” Seaman said. “When you’re
recruiting players, you’re also recruiting the moms,
and he always made a good impression.”
But it hasn’t been looks alone that have made
UNC men's lacrosse
coach
John Haus
Hausa persuasive recruiter.
“I think he’s real sincere,” Scroggs said. “I think
people can sense that. He’s a no-nonsense guy.
Some people can kind of tell when people are kind
of phony and glad-handers. John’s quiet, but I think
that people can sense that he’s got an inner
strength, an inner confidence.”
That recruiting touch served him well when he
was lured to Washington College, a Division 111
schpol in Maryland, in August of 1994. Without any
athletic scholarships to offer, Haus brought in 24
recruits after finishing the 1995 season 6-8.
In 1996, the Shoremen advanced to the national
final, falling in overtime to Nazareth.
After the game, Haus gathered his team together.
“Unfortunately, you won’t play for another nation
al championship,” Haus said to his seniors.
Men's lacrosse
Feb. 24 at Bucknell \ p. m .
March 3 at Navy i p . m .
March 10 at Delaware 7:30 p.m.
March 17 Butler i pm .
March 21 Duke 7:30 p.m.
April 7 at Virginia 3 p . m .
April 20-22 ACC Tournament at Orlando, Fla. TBA
April 26 Pfeiffer 4pm
May 12-13 NCAA First Round at various sites TBA
May 19-20 NCAA Quarterfinals at various sites TBA
May 26 NCAA Final Four at New Brunswick, N. J. noon, 3 p.m.
May 28 NCAA Championship at New Brunswick, NJ. 10:55 a.m.
He stopped and looked at the rest of his players,
Satiy alar Urri