Bryant University Men's Lacrosse head coach, Mike Pressler, has seen incredible success in his 32 seasons as a college head coach. Including a career record of 340-164, Coach Pressler ranks seventh all-time in career wins among all active coaches across all three NCAA divisions and eighth all-time in NCAA history.
Pressler has made 18 NCAA tournament appearances in his career and has seen nine players drafted into the professional level. Before coaching at Bryant, Pressler previously was the head coach at Duke University for 16 years, Ohio Wesleyan University for five years, and was an assistant at Army and Virginia Military Institute.
Pressler has been named the ACC Coach of the Year three times and earned the nation's top coaching honor in 2005 by being named the F. Morris Touchstone National Coach of the Year.
Along with this, he was appointed head coach of the 2010 U.S. Men's National Team, USILA Division III Coach of the Year and the North Coast Athletic Conference's Coach of the Year three times.
What is the most important quality you look for in a recruit?
Athleticism, versatility, work ethic.
What is the best way for a recruit to get on your radar?
Play at the best events during the summer and fall and perform at a high level.
When should an athlete contact you, what is the best way? (age, grade, time of year, email, phone, or other)
An email at any point during their high school career with their tournament schedule.
What are your expectations for incoming players in the classroom, in the weight room, and on the field?
We want student-athletes that are self-motivating in all areas. The less time we have to spend monitoring and pushing each individual the more time we have to develop the team as a whole.
What are the do's and don'ts of being recruited?
Do: Improve your grades and athleticism.
Don't: Get into trouble and get complacent.
What is the best advice you can offer a recruit?
Continue to improve yourself as a player, athlete, and student. You can always be better.
What jumps out to you when reviewing a recruit's highlight tape?
The player's athleticism is important, but we take a close look at whether or not the player hustles between the lines (effort plays). A two-handed player will always have a big edge on a player that is one-handed.
What are the main do's and don'ts for a recruit's highlight tape?
Do: Update each season. Start the tape with one of your best highlights. Include email addresses, position, school, club team, and GPA.
Don't: Repeat each play in slow-motion.
When do you recommend recruits put together and share their highlight reels? Is it best to make their highlight reel during offseason, in the middle of the season, or after each game?
It would be best to have a highlight film after each ‘season' (Spring ball, Summer ball, and Fall ball).
What advice do you have for recruits who get turned down by their dream schools? What are their options if they don't gain the recruiting attention they desire?
My advice would be to keep working. Pat Spencer and Loyola Attackman are great examples of late bloomers that have become one of the best in the game today.
How big a factor is social media when recruiting players? What advice do you have for athletes regarding social media?
Social media plays a very small role in our recruiting process. We will not commit to a player without seeing them play live first.
* Originally published on April 17, 2017, by LRT Staff
