New HC hoop coach Dave Paulsen 'has had a big influence on me on and off the court,' says former WA coach Mo Cassara
During Dave Paulsen’s introductory news conference last week, the new Holy Cross men’s basketball coach not only emphasized winning championships, he stressed his commitment to building deep and lasting relationships with his HC players.
“We’re going to be about business when we get on the court,” Paulsen said. “We are going to push them, we are going to demand excellence, but to me, the ability to have lifelong relationships with the student-athletes I coach, to jump into their lives with two feet, not just about what’s going on (on the court), but in every aspect of their life, that’s what we’re about.”
Mo Cassara’s relationship with Paulsen, who was his coach at St. Lawrence, has been going strong for almost 30 years.
Cassara, who starred at Worcester Academy and later coached the Hilltoppers, played for Paulsen from 1994-97, and the pair went to two NCAA Division 3 Tournaments together with the Saints.
After Cassara graduated, Paulsen helped Cassara launch his coaching career, which began as an assistant at Washington & Lee.
“Dave has had a big influence on me on and off the court,” Cassara said.
Cassara and Paulsen coached against each other when Cassara was at Clark and Paulsen at Williams, and again during a scrimmage when Cassara was at Hofstra and Paulsen at Bucknell.
When Hofstra fired Cassara after the 2013 season and Cassara was out of coaching, Paulsen put in a good word for him, Cassara said, with Rich Wanninger, the Patriot League’s senior associate commissioner for external relations who oversees the league’s television and digital packages.
Cassara joined CBS Sports Network as an analyst for Patriot League games in 2015-16.
“Eight years later,” Cassara said. “I’m deeply immersed in league, and I love the league.”
St. Lawrence was Paulsen’s first head coaching position. From there, he went on to Le Moyne, Williams, his alma mater where he guided the Ephs to an NCAA Division 3 national championship, Bucknell, which he took to two NCAA tourneys, and George Mason.
At Holy Cross, Paulsen will be looking to revive a program that has not had a winning season in nine years.
“I think he’s a tremendous hire,” Cassara said, “because he will connect to the players, he will connect to the former players, and he will connect to the community, and because he’s a winner. He’s won everywhere he’s been. He has a formula for winning.”
Cougars prevail in Rett Memorial
Over the last few inclement weeks, Clark’s varsity 8 rowers didn’t have much practice time on Lake Quinsigamond ahead of the San Diego Crew Classic, the country’s premier spring regatta, in its 50th year, but that hardly hindered the Cougars.
Clark’s varsity 8 boat of senior Apple Gould-Schultz, graduate student Madison Hincher, graduate student Cate Brown, senior Josephine Fitzgerald of Paxton and Wachusett Regional, senior Charlotte Bedford, senior Rose Delogu, senior Emma McLellan, junior Mia Franks and sophomore Anna Tinklenberg, competing in the Division 2/3/club division, won the Grace Rett Memorial collegiate varsity final. The Cougars defeated Trinity’s “A” and “B” boats, Purdue, UC Santa Barbara and UC Davis.
“It’s an older group and an experienced group,” Clark coach Mike McDonald said, “and they went out there with a mission in mind. They took the race wire to wire against some really good competition, and I couldn’t be prouder of them.”
The race honors the memory of Grace Rett, the former Holy Cross rower from Uxbridge, who died tragically in a motor vehicle crash on Jan. 15, 2020, while traveling with the HC rowing team on a training trip in Vero Beach, Florida. She was 20.
Some of Clark’s graduate students and seniors knew Rett and rowed against her.
“The rowing community in Worcester is pretty tight,” McDonald said. “We’ve received a lot of support from local rowing programs and the local rowing community. We hope we did them proud bringing that cup back.”
The San Diego Crew Classic has been regarded by many as the premier spring rowing regatta in the United States.
Crusader up for Ashe award
Holy Cross men’s soccer senior defender Taj Salawu is one of 10 semifinalists for the 2023 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar of the Year, presented by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education magazine.
Inspired by Ashe’s commitment to education and excellence on the tennis court, the magazine invites every higher education institution in the country annually to nominate outstanding minority sports scholars. In addition to athletic ability, nominees must exhibit academic excellence and community activism.
Salawu, who hails from London, was a key part of the Holy Cross back line for four years, and was a two-year captain. As a senior, he helped the Crusaders post three shutouts and he recorded three assists.
Salawu has a 3.72 GPA in his computer science major and he is a four-time Patriot League Academic Honor Roll selection. He is a member of HC’s Men of Color Athletes and a volunteer with Working for Worcester.
“Balancing athletics and academics was one of the deciding factors for me going to college in the United States,” Salawu said. “I thoroughly enjoy doing both, and I am glad to get some recognition for my academic efforts, which often go overlooked.
Head of the Class
∎ Boston University freshman pitcher Kasey Ricard of Littleton threw her first career no-hitter, and had two wins while helping the Terriers to a three-game sweep of Patriot League foe Holy Cross. In Game 1 of Sunday’s doubleheader, Ricard struck out two in an inning of relief in the Terriers' 11-1 win. In Game 2, Ricard struck out 17 in a one-hit, complete-game shutout. On Monday, she needed just 78 pitches to record the 28th no-hitter in BU history. Ricard struck out 10 in the 9-0 victory.
∎ Franklin Pierce junior infielder Haley Bigwood of Athol had 12 hits, including three home runs and a double, and 17 RBIs in the Ravens’ seven-game week.
∎ Maryland junior shortstop Matt Shaw of Brimfield and Worcester Academy went 8 for 15 with two home runs and 10 RBIs to help the Terrapins to a 3-1 week.
∎ Assumption senior outfielder Cole Durkan of Worcester batted .308 with three home runs and 10 RBIs over four games.
∎ Roger Williams freshman Ryan Carroll of Holden, earned points at No. 2 singles and No. 2 doubles in a Commonwealth Coast Conference victory over Gordon.
—Contact Jennifer Toland at jennifer.toland@telegram.com. Follow her on Twitter @JenTolandTG.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Holy Cross' Dave Paulsen provided Mo Cassara valuable help along way
