Photo courtesy of David Silverman
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Former Harvard
two-sport captain Chris Wojcik '96 has been named the Frisbie
Family Head Coach for Harvard Men's Lacrosse, Bob Scalise,
the Nichols Family Director of Athletics, announced
Monday.
Wojcik, an All-American in lacrosse and All-Ivy League selection
in both lacrosse and soccer with the Crimson, as well as a former
Harvard lacrosse assistant coach, returns to Cambridge after a
two-year stint as the top assistant coach at Penn. In
addition to serving as offensive coordinator with the Quakers,
Wojcik worked as the team's recruiting coordinator and was
able to recruit an outstanding class that includes two Under Armour
All-Americans to Penn next season.
“We are extremely delighted to welcome Chris as our new head
men's lacrosse coach,” Scalise said. “Chris
is a tremendous recruiter, a superb offensive strategist and his
familiarity with the Ivy League will help our program succeed, both
on a regional and a national level. As a Harvard alumnus and
former captain of our program, Chris is dedicated to continue
building a winning tradition here in Cambridge.”
"I am ecstatic to return to Harvard, an institution that stands
for excellence and opportunity,” Wojcik said. “I
want to thank Bob Scalise and the search committee for their
confidence in me and my vision for Harvard lacrosse. I am
grateful for their commitment and support of the program, and I
eagerly await the opportunity to coach and mentor the program's
talented players. To the Harvard players and their
families, the lacrosse alumni, and the entire Harvard community,
thank you for your support and I will always give my best to
Harvard and the lacrosse program.”
During the 2010 season, Wojcik helped Penn earn five All-Ivy
League selections, the most for the program since 2004. The
Quakers averaged 10.2 goals per game, the highest average at Penn
in 10 years, and the team's extra-man offense ranked first in
the Ivy League and third in the nation at 53 percent.
Prior to his stint at Penn, Wojcik was the offensive coordinator
at Bowdoin College in 2008, aiding in the Polar Bears' run to
their first NCAA tournament appearance, finishing the season ranked
No. 20 nationally and 12-7 overall. Bowdoin's offense
ranked first in the New England Small College Athletic Conference
that spring.
Previously, he spent five seasons as an assistant coach in
Cambridge under former head coach Scott Anderson. As the
program's offensive coordinator in 2006, Wojcik oversaw an
offense that helped the Crimson earn its first NCAA Championship
berth since 1996. Wojcik also spent three years as the
team's recruiting coordinator from 2005-07 and was the
offensive coordinator from 2006-07.
As a two-sport standout with the Crimson, Wojcik earned
lacrosse All-America honors in 1996, captaining Harvard to the NCAA
tournament. He led the Crimson to a 15-12 victory against
Hofstra in the first round of the tournament before the team fell
to Virginia in the national quarterfinals. He completed his
career with 134 career points on 89 goals and 45 assists, placing
him first among midfielders and 15th overall all-time on the
program's scoring list.
In addition to his honors on the lacrosse field, Wojcik served
as captain of the Harvard soccer team, earning two All-Ivy League
honors and leading the team to an Ivy League title and an NCAA
tournament appearance in the fall of 1994. Prior to
graduation, Wojcik was named the winner of Harvard's Bingham
Award, presented to the top male student-athlete in the senior
class.
In 2008, Wojcik was a featured speaker at the Intercollegiate
Men's Lacrosse Coaches Association convention in 2008 for
developing offensive personnel and in 2009 for shooting. A
member of the New Jersey Lacrosse Hall of Fame and the Westfield
(N.J.) High School Athletics Hall of Fame, Wojcik graduated from
Harvard with a bachelor's degree in economics. He also
earned a master's of education in secondary education/social
studies from Boston College in 2007.
