[Baltimore Sun] Dave Cottle to step down as Navy men’s lacrosse offensive coordinator after one season
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When Dave Cottle was hired as Navy men’s lacrosse offensive coordinator, it was assumed he was a stopgap for one season.
Cottle said as much, telling The Capital in January, “I’ve agreed to give [Navy lacrosse] six months of my life.” However, Navy coach Joe Amplo never ruled out the possibility Cottle’s tenure in Annapolis could last beyond the 2024 campaign.
It turns out that Cottle was indeed one and done.
On Wednesday, Amplo confirmed to The Capital that Cottle will depart the program at the end of this month and that Navy is seeking its next offensive coordinator.
“I’m very appreciative of Coach Cottle stepping in and doing an outstanding job this season,” Amplo said. “From a personal standpoint, it was very rewarding to watch one of the all-time great coaches in the history of our sport do it in an old-school way.”
Amplo was put in a bind when he lost offensive coordinator Michael Phipps to Maryland less than one month before preseason practice began. The fifth-year coach was reluctant to poach an assistant away from another program at such a late juncture and found a surprising solution to that dilemma when Cottle offered to fill the vacancy for this season.
It was an unexpected hire since the 68-year-old Cottle was retired and living in Boca Raton, Florida. He had been out of the college game for 14 years since resigning as Maryland’s coach after the 2010 season.
Additionally, Cottle was recovering from a spinal fusion back surgery that slowed him somewhat physically. For most of this season, simply walking was uncomfortable (and often painful), so standing on the practice field for two hours or more each day was a challenge.
However, Cottle was all-in from the outset and religiously worked from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. throughout the season.
“I tell you what, Dave handled the daily grind better than I thought he would, although he probably didn’t let on about how much he was hurting physically,” Amplo said.
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Cottle acknowledged Wednesday that an entire season of college lacrosse at his age is grueling, not just physically. A mental toll comes with the responsibility of overseeing an offense good enough to win games.
Navy finished with a 9-7 record, and most of those games were tense affairs. The Midshipmen had seven games that were decided by two goals or less.
“Quite honestly, I thought it would be a lot easier than it was. That’s not the reason I’m not coming back, but it’s hard. It was a stressful season,” Cottle said. “Honestly, it’s a young man’s job. I was a good stopgap for this season, but Joe needs to get a young guy in there going forward.”
When contemplating whether to remain with the Navy program for another season, Cottle had to consider the recruiting aspect of being an assistant. College lacrosse coaches are expected to attend club tournaments and camps throughout the summer and fall to scout players and build relationships with coaches.
“Do I really want to spend hours and hours on a hot field on a 90-degree day in the summer? Probably not,” Cottle said. “I like recruiting. I’ve never been afraid of recruiting. It’s just that at this point in my life, I’d prefer to spend my time doing other things.”
This story might be updated.
Karl Merton Ferron / Baltimore Sun
Navy offensive coordinator Dave Cottle speaks to Henry Tolker before a game against Colgate on March 30. (Paul W. Gillespie/Staff)
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