Gettysburg men's lacrosse head coach Hank Janczyk recently wrapped up his 22nd year at the helm by leading his Bullets to the NCAA Division III championship game. Along the way, his team overcame a tough start by tying a school record with 14 straight wins, winning the Centennial Conference championship, and defeating a pair of No. 1-ranked teams on the road. He recently sat down to reflect on his team's outstanding season.
1. To what do you credit your team's turnaround this season?
When we were 2-3, and we had lost three games badly, it was really humbling. I called up some coaches that I have a lot of respect for, and I talked to our administrators here at Gettysburg to get their thoughts. And I talked to our [coaching] staff for about three hours one day, and we brought our seniors in. We decided a couple of things – one, that expectations kill. We decided we didn't want to talk about expectations anymore. The second thing was, we knew we had to make some significant changes, but we didn't want to point any fingers. We wanted everybody to take responsibility and accountability, and it had to start with me. And the third thing we wanted to do was not take for granted anything we did. How we cleaned our locker room, how we took care of the field, how we dressed, how we conducted ourselves, the kind of attitude we had on the field. We wanted to go back to fundamentals. We wanted to slowly but surely improve. We didn't want to point any fingers, and we wanted to enjoy each other's company and have fun being together.
2. What were your team's biggest strengths this year?
When we really started to play well, I'd say balance was our biggest strength. We had a good goalie, we played really good defense, our short-stick middies started to play well. We respected the ball on offense better. We made less errors and made better choices. I thought our balance was probably key to the whole thing.
3. What did it mean for your team to beat Salisbury (an 11-10 win at Salisbury on March 28), a team that the Bullets had not defeated since 2002 and had won 55 games in a row?
At the time, we started to win a few games, and I think we went in there with nothing to lose. The whole idea going in was to play better. It was a really good time of the season, because we were starting to really get it. I think that game told our guys, wow, this stuff is working, and maybe it made them believers. It certainly did for me!
4. How do you prepare your team to play in a major venue such as Gillette Stadium in the national championship game after playing in smaller stadiums throughout the season?
I had actually called [Salisbury head coach] Jim Berkman, and one of things that he suggested that I thought really helped us was taped crowd noise. We used it in practice twice before the game. And we started using [hand] signals, and I thought that helped too.
I think we tried to not make it a big deal. My whole thing was just extending our season. I just asked our players, “Guys, just give me a few more days with you,” and they did. And then when we finally got to [the national championship game], we were going to try to win, and were going to play hard, but we were trying to low-key the whole atmosphere. And I would do that again. Even though we didn't win, I thought we played hard. I think without a mistake here and there, we could have won that game.
5. How does your 2009 team compare to the previous two teams [in 2001 and 2002] that reached the national championship game?
I'm not too sure we had the stars that some of those teams had, but we certainly had the commitment that they had. I think this team made it special not because of their talent, but by the way they overcame and by the way they got better. I think they got the most out of what they had. I think that this team – maybe more than any team I've ever coached – got the most out of what they had.
6. What did it mean for the program to receive its first-ever Division III Player of the Year in Tommy Kehoe?
I was on the [all-America] committee, and when the committee voted for Tommy to be the player of the year, it was because of the respect that he had from all of the voters in the country. And I think that's what probably made me feel the best about it. He was a first team all-American by far, and because people thought so much of him in that regard, it made him player of the year. It's a good thing, but at the same time, it's not that big of a deal. I'm happy for Tommy, but if it wasn't for everybody else on the team and what they were doing, if it wasn't for [defensive coordinator]
Justin Domingos, he's not the player of the year. It's more of a team award that we were able to get somebody to that level.
7. Tommy Pearce was named the head coach at Frostburg State, which will reinstate its lacrosse program that was discontinued in 1978. That makes seven former assistants or players of yours who are currently head coaches in the college ranks. How proud does it make you to see your former pupils succeed as coaches?
I'm happy for them to get in a career that they love and find a job that they feel great about. I've had assistant coaches here that were Gettysburg people through and through, and there's something really special about that. They understand what it means to get in the wheelbarrow. And because of the kind of people they were and the love they had for the school, they've become really great coaches. If there's anything I've done that was smart, it was to give them responsibility. They've been able to make their mistakes, take accountability, work harder, and get better. That's the thing that I probably feel best about. Now they're all trying to kick my tail!
8. What are some of the traits you look for in a potential student-athlete?
Every kid has dreams of becoming a Division I player. So you have to convince them that they're coming into a program that you think is special, where they're going to be able to come in and grow and develop. You've got to convince them that this is the place where you can help them become the best lacrosse player they can be. At the same time, I'm looking for somebody who really wants to be here. I'll never forget Steve Koudelka '93, who had like 50 schools recruiting him. When he saw me on campus, he just said, “Coach, I'm coming here.” He just knew it. That's exciting. He was a two-time all-American and is already in our Hall of Athletic Honor, but he was great because he just wanted to be here.
Gettysburg is a challenging academic school. I'm looking for a man who can't even think of going to college without playing great lacrosse, but in the same breath, can't imagine playing great lacrosse without doing great in school. We insist on that, because it doesn't work any other way. If I get someone who says, “Coach, I'll come play for you, and I'll do OK in school,” we're not interested in him. We really want someone who wants to be great on both fronts.
9. How has the game of lacrosse changed through the years?
The biggest thing is, because the game has grown tremendously, we're getting so much better players. Maybe 15-18 years ago, some of the top teams were getting the best players. But now there are so many good players out there. Maybe a top team picks eight or nine guys. But the next eight or nine are almost as good. Maybe they're an inch shorter or five pounds less, but they're right there. So you get the Albany's, the Delaware's, and the UMBC's, and all of these teams that are really playing good lacrosse because they're recruiting kids that are really good players. You don't just go to the hotbeds anymore – upstate New York, Long Island, and Baltimore. New Jersey has good lacrosse. Pennsylvania has good lacrosse. And now I'm talking to players from places like California, Florida, or Texas.
10. As the second-winningest coach in NCAA men's lacrosse history (all divisions), what keeps you fresh and at the top of your game year after year?
I love coaching. I like lacrosse a lot, but I love coaching. Working with young men really keeps you young. You've got to stay energetic, you've got to stay focused. Also, what really helps me are our assistant coaches and being able to bring in guys that you know, you've coached, and have a great relationship with. It really keeps things fresh and exciting, and to be open in discussions and not be afraid to say anything. The other thing I would say is, I don't want to change to change, but I think change is good. If you're able to make changes – not to change just to do it – but when you need to change, and when you're always looking at different things, that's exciting.
