Westminster's Brown hired as Tiffin men's lacrosse coach

Jun. 9—Westminster College will be in the market for a new men's lacrosse coach. Travis Brown, how finished his fourth season with the Titans, was named the head coach of the Tiffin University men's lacrosse program.

The Tiffin athletic department announced Brown's hiring on Thursday.

The Titans made two Presidents' Athletic Conference Championship appearances under Brown in 2019 and 2021. He amassed a 31-23 record (13-7 PAC) with the Titans. Westminster qualified for the PAC Tournament every season under Brown, with the exception being the 2020 postseason, which was canceled due to COVID-19.

"This was a challenging, yet, rewarding experience to be able to take a program to new heights over the last five years," Brown said in a press release. "I believe we have created a solid foundation built around strong character and values that allows the next coach at Westminster to now take this great group to the next level: winning a conference championship. I thank former Director of Athletics Jim Dafler, Director of Athletics Jason Lener, and President Dr. Kathy Richardson for giving me my first opportunity to be a head coach and for believing in my vision for this program. I want to thank assistant coach Ryan Stow, who has been more than a trusted colleague and even better friend, for helping make our program what it is today. Most importantly I want to thank the student-athletes for everything they've done for this program and I hope they feel part of their success in life stems from having been a lacrosse player at Westminster."

The Titans (10-5, 5-2 PAC) tied the program record for overall wins and conference wins in a season. Their season finished with a 10-7 loss to St. Vincent in the conference semifinals.

In 2021, the Titans ranked second in the PAC in goals per game (16) and assists per game (9.5) while on their way to being named conference runner-ups.

Westminster got off to a slow start in 2020, dropping its first five games. But the Titans beat Marietta and Carroll (Wisconsin) before the season was canceled.

Brown and the Titans saw success in the former assistant coach's first year in charge. The Titans finished 10-8 overall and 5-2 in the PAC — which were school records. That season, Westminster fell to Grove City 13-4 in the inaugural PAC Championship, but advanced to its first Eastern College Athletic Conference Championship. The Titans fell to Frostburg State 10-8.

Brown came to Westminster in 2018 to assist then head coach Patrick Geiger, who was the program's first coach.

"Coach Brown has been a valued member of our coaching staff for many years and has our men's lacrosse program positioned for continued success in the future," athletic director Jason Lener said in a press release. "Westminster thanks him for his contributions and wishes him all the best in his new endeavor. We will begin a search for his replacement immediately."

SLIPPERY ROCK

SLIPPERY ROCK — A lot can be accomplished within a decade after graduating from SRU, and that's why the SRU Alumni Association continues to recognize young and recent alumni with the Rock Solid 10 Under 10, which will be presented at a ceremony Saturday at the Smith Student Center.

The award honors SRU alumni who graduated no more than 10 years ago and who have significant professional and personal accomplishments.

"We're proud and excited to recognize these 10 outstanding alumni," said Kelly Bailey, SRU director of alumni engagement. "They are fabulous representatives of the University and what people are able to accomplish in their lives by apply their Rock Solid education."

— Morgan Bonekovic (Brookfield High), a 2012 graduate with degrees in criminology and criminal justice and philosophy, who is an associate attorney for Pollock Begg.

— Amanda Howett, a 2018 graduate with a degree in sport management, who is the athletic director at Penn State Shenango.

The annual event, which last year coincided with Homecoming weekend, returns as part of SRU's Alumni Weekend today through Sunday. Alumni Weekend is back as an in-person event after a hiatus because of the pandemic. This year's weekend includes classes, tours and other special events for SRU alumni.