Navy hired Stony Brook’s Rick Sowell as its new lacrosse coach on Thursday.
Sowell replaces Richie Meade, who was ousted May 9 after 17 seasons at the academy. Meade was 142-97 with the Midshipmen, including seven NCAA tournament appearances —- including six straight between 2004 and 2009.
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Sowell is 86-81 in 12 seasons as a Division I coach. He led Dartmouth to its only NCAA tournament berth (2003), was hired to restart the program at St. John’s and later moved to Stony Brook. He is one of 16 coaches in Division I history to take multiple schools to the postseason.
Sowell received a contract extension through 2015 after taking the Seawolves to the NCAA quarterfinals in 2010 on a run spurred by Canadian stars Kevin Crowley and Jordan McBride.
With substantial expectations this spring, Stony Brook lost early marquee games to Virginia and Cornell and finished 10-4 and out of the tournament after falling to Hartford in the America East title game.
Sowell, a graduate of Washington College on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, possesses extensive area ties. He was the head coach at St. Alban’s High School, and also worked as an assistant to Dave Urick at Georgetown from 1990 to 1998.
—- Patrick Stevens
