Men’s lacrosse adds three new faces to coaching staff

As the Lehigh men’s lacrosse team welcomed three new coaches for the 2020 season, each coach is excited to share his respective expertise with the program. 

Jack Deragon and John Crawley were hired as assistant coaches, while 2019 graduate Eddie Bouhall rejoined the Mountain Hawks as director of lacrosse operations. 

Deragon spent two years coaching at Mount Saint Mary College, while Crawley spent a year coaching at both University of Notre Dame and Colgate University. 

Jack Deragon

Deragon, who developed a passion for lacrosse at 6 years old, was captain of the Ithaca men’s lacrosse team his senior year in college and was named to the USILA All-American Third Team as a goalkeeper. Despite being unsure of what he wanted to pursue after graduation, Deragon knew he still loved the sport.

Deragon searched for new opportunities this past summer and was connected to the Lehigh lacrosse team, where he was hired in August to be the goalie and assistant defensive coordinator.

Sophomore attacker Tommy Schelling noted Deragon’s ability to inspire and lead the team with passion and commitment.

“Coach Deragon has great insight on the opposing goalkeeper’s tendencies,” Schelling said. “He breaks down the goalie film better than any coach I have ever had and is a valuable resource for our team.”

In addition to coaching the players for their work on the field, Deragon also serves as the academic mentor for freshmen.

Deragon is involved with the team’s young core by being a supportive presence and ensuring that their college transitions have been positive.

“We have 12 freshmen, and I work with them every two weeks to discuss academics,” Deragon said. “I chat with them about their classroom etiquette, their organizational skills and their social lives.”

John Crawley

Crawley, the offensive coordinator for the Mountain Hawks, decided to pursue lacrosse professionally and appeared in 17 games for the Charlotte Hounds in Major League Lacrosse upon graduating college from Johns Hopkins University in 2017. He currently plays professionally in the Premier Lacrosse League for Atlas FC in addition to his coaching duties. 

Crawley was hired to be a volunteer assistant coach at Notre Dame for the 2018 season before running Colgate’s offense in 2019. Crawley assumes the same role at Lehigh. 

“When I worked under various high-level coaches, seeing their lifestyle made me fall in love with coaching right away,” Crawley said.

Crawley said he was looking forward to getting an opportunity at Lehigh when his name was called for an interview.

“After visiting the school, I fell in love with the campus, the coaching staff and the mission that they had,” Crawley said.

Schelling spoke about Crawley’s ability to help him improve his lacrosse skills as a feeder and a dodger, and he said Crawley has a solid understanding of the game. 

Crawley’s goal for his first season as a Lehigh coach is to ensure that the players are reaching their highest potential, both on and off the field.

“At the end of the day, I want to put the players in a position where they will be the most successful,” Crawley said. “I want to do whatever I can to teach them the right way to approach the sport. We all spoke earlier this year and concluded that the mission for our team is to win the Patriot League Championship.”

Crawley also aspires to be a mentor for the players and hopes to help them prosper as individuals. He said he wants to create a culture that encourages players to go out to shoot three to four times a week, get extra lifting and running in, and help to instill a winning mentality in each player as they develop.

Eddie Bouhall

Bouhall’s new position as the director of lacrosse operations is a homecoming of sorts after playing for the Mountain Hawks from 2016-2019.

Bouhall demonstrated major success in his lacrosse career prior to attending Lehigh. He was selected as one of 50 individuals to be named to the 2016 United States Men’s Under-19 Tryout Pool. 

As a junior in college, Bouhall was named to the All-League Second Team and, as a senior, he was named to the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll.

Schelling said Bouhall was one of the best defenders in Lehigh’s history and continues to help the team. 

“He helps me personally and helps us to give the offense a great look when scouting out opponents,” Schelling said. “He has really boosted my confidence as a player.”

All three new coaches will continue to lead the Mountain Hawks when they face Navy on Feb. 29 at 3 p.m. at Ulrich Sports Complex.