Former Terrapin men’s lacrosse coach Dave Cottle has joined the MLL’s Chesapeake Bayhawks as a consultant, the team announced Sunday.

Cottle, who resigned from his post on May 23 after nine seasons at the helm, led the Terps to eight straight NCAA Tournament appearances and won 99 games during his tenure. He was replaced by John Tillman, a renowned recruiter who previously coached at Harvard.

The Bayhawks are in a state of disarray after dropping four straight games and recently accepted the resignation of coach John Tucker. Owner/President Brendan Kelly took over as head coach last week.

After starting the season 4-1, the Bayhawks (4-5) are in a three-way tie for third place. In the MLL, the top four teams make the postseason.

“I like the Kelly family and I live right here in the Annapolis area, so I was willing and able to help them in any way I could,” Cottle said. “Hopefully, we can find some things that will help this team win a championship.”

Cottle will now join the Annapolis-based pro-lacrosse franchise strictly as an advisor with no intention of taking over the head coaching job. As a consultant, Cottle will help evaluate players, scout other teams and create game plans.

The ex-coach also said he plans on taking a year break from marching up and down the sideline.

“Brendan Kelly is the head coach while John Lamon and Jamie McNealey are the assistants. If any of those guys ask my opinion about something, I’ll be happy to give it to them,” Cottle said. “That being said, they have the final decision on all matters. The coaching is going to be to Brendan and his staff. I’m just here to assist them in any area that might be helpful.”

Former Terp and current Bayhawks midfielder Jeff Reynolds was excited at the possibility of reuniting with his old coach.

“He has a tremendous understanding of the game and should be able to provide the type of insight that will be very useful to helping this team win,” Reynolds said.

Jakob Engelke is a staff writer for The Diamondback. He can be reached at engelke@umdbk.com. You can follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Jakob_Engelke.

The Terrapin men’s lacrosse team today announced John Tillman as their new head coach. But though the Terps’ search is over, their newly appointed coach must grapple with his own staff decisions.

While Tillman will have the option of retaining defensive coordinator Dave Slafkosky and assistant coach Ryan Moran, leftovers from former coach Dave Cottle’s staff, the former Harvard head coach may be bringing his own assistants, defensive specialist Kevin Warne and offensive specialist Bobby Cross, from his time at the helm with the Crimson.

Tillman said he plans to discuss the options with Warne and Cross first before making the trip down to College Park.

“Whatever is best for them I’m going to support,” Tillman said. “Obviously, I have a lot of loyalty to them and feel very strong feelings towards them, but I also feel like there are some great assistants down at Maryland.”

Still, during an interview today the coach at times seemed to consider him and his assistants a package deal, saying, “I feel like we have a good idea of what we need to be successful.”

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Last year, renovations to Byrd Stadium left the Terrapin men’s lacrosse team without a true home. So now the Terps are relishing the opportunity to make up for lost time.

“All of us felt real bad for the seniors last year with what they had to go through, not really being able to play any big games in Byrd,” midfielder Dan Burns said. “So we’ve realized how important it is to play here and really appreciate the big stage.”

As hosts of the ACC Tournament this weekend, the No. 4 Terps came out energized by the friendly crowd and confines in their first bonus home game. They dominated their first round opponent, No. 3 North Carolina, 13-5, setting up Sunday’s title game against Virginia, another chance to play on their traditional home field – not Ludwig Field, which served as the 2009 substitute.

And not only did the Terps have no games at Byrd Stadium last year, but they have not hosted a conference championship there since 2001. They gave up their last spot in the rotation of ACC venues so the event could be held at M&T Bank Stadium.

But despite the prime location, the conditions are far from ideal.

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The No. 4 Terps have maintained their three-goal lead over the No. 3 Tar Heels, trading goals since their rivals scored their first goal of the game halfway through the second quarter. The Terps had scored the first three, but since midfielder Jimmy Dunster’s goal, the North Carolina offense has started to show signs of life.

But the Terps have been able to fend them off. Grant Catalino scored his second goal of the game with 3:38 remaining in the half to put the Terps back up by three. Though Tar Heels’ attackman Thomas Wood scored just 46 seconds later in his first game back from an injury, the Terps refused to let North Carolina gain any ground.

Just more than a minute after Wood’s score, freshman midfielder John Haus, who nearly played for North Carolina, tore down the center of the field. After receiving a pass from short stick midfielder Dean Hart, he fired the ball into the cage past North Carolina goalie Chris Madalon to put the Terps back up by three with the last goal in the half.

Follow up-to-the-minute action with Jakob Engelke at www.twitter.com/DBKSports.

Kate Yanchulis is the Terrapin men’s lacrosse team beat writer for The Diamondback. She can be reached at kyanchulisdbk@gmail.com.

The No. 3 Tar Heels finally scored on the No. 4 Terps almost 22 minutes into the ACC Tournament first round meeting between the two teams, but only after the Terps notched the first three goals of the game.

Midfielder Jimmy Dunster put the Tar Heels on the board with 8:16 remaining in the second quarter to make the score 3-1. Up to that point, the Terps had contained the Tar Heels, controlling their home turf at Byrd Stadium.

Though the defense had never faced North Carolina’s star attackman, Billy Bitter, before — he was injured when the two teams met four weeks ago — they have controlled the Tewaaraton Trophy nominee so far. And Terp defenders have done well on the offensive end as well; long pole Brian Farrell scored the team’s third goal of the game on a breakway about two minutes before Dunster’s goal to put the Tar Heels on the board.

Follow up-to-the-minute action with Jakob Engelke at www.twitter.com/DBKSports.

Kate Yanchulis is the Terrapin men’s lacrosse team beat writer for The Diamondback. She can be reached at kyanchulisdbk@gmail.com.

After North Carolina alum John Haus III was forced out of his position as men’s lacrosse head coach in 2008, his son, then a senior in high school, suddenly needed to find a different college. In the end, John Haus IV ended up with the Terps, the ACC rivals of the team he grew up rooting for. You can find the whole story here.

The switch ended up swinging the whole family’s allegiance. The elder Haus said, ”Coach  Cottle, staff, players and families have made the Haus family feel so much a part of the Terrapin lacrosse program that I wouldn’t root for any other team.”

But he might have to.

Apparently, the decision of the freshman midfielder to come to this university didn’t sway his brother Will, now a junior in high school, to the Terps. He did, however, stick with the ACC theme: Will verbally committed to Duke.

I don’t think there’s any other team that could rile both Maryland and North Carolina fans as much as Duke. But the Blue Devils, rivals of both the Tar Heels and Maryland, will welcome the second Haus in their 2011 recruiting class. It’s not unprecedented; current Terp attackman Grant Catalino chose the Terps after his brother went to Duke. But still, you’d think the choice would cause some tension in the Haus household.

“Dinners will become more interesting and possibly competitive, but isn’t it always like that with four boys around the table?” Haus said, referring to John, Will, and their two younger brothers, Luke and Grant. “I look forward to the day when I have the chance to sit in the stands with my wife while two of our sons take the field for two of the best Division I lacrosse programs in the country.”

No word yet on the younger brothers’ college choices — Luke’s only 14 years old, so he’s got some time. Maybe the Virginia Cavaliers will be interested… 

Kate Yanchulis is the Terrapin men’s lacrosse team beat writer for The Diamondback. She can be reached at kyanchulisdbk@gmail.com.

With college sports fans looking to fill the void left by March Madness, lacrosse prognosticators have readily swooped in to try their hand at bracketology.

The Terps readily admits to postseason aspirations that include a trip to M&T Bank Stadium in May. But they, like many teams, have taken up the “one game at a time” mantra, trying to stay focused on the present.

That doesn’t stop others from looking ahead, though – even if the start of the NCAA Tournament is still five weeks away.

Patrick Stevens, a former college sports reporter for the Washington Times who now writes the blog D1scourse about Washington-area college sports, just posted his first stab at the inexact science yesterday. While he calls the effort “utter guesswork,” there is a method to the madness – it’s no surprise that No. 1 Virginia and No. 2 North Carolina are also one-two in his seeding.

Fans of the No. 5 Terps should be happy to see them with a No. 4 seed, hopping over Princeton, No. 4 in the media poll, though that may not be a shock in the local-leaning blog. At the sixth slot in Stevens’ bracket, Duke is the lowest ACC squad. The Terps’ strong conference competition could counteract the fact that none of their other opponents are in this predicted tournament field.

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When the No. 4 Terps play No. 1 Virginia under the lights at Byrd Stadium tonight, fans will notice a new look for the starting line.

Following the team’s first loss at North Carolin Coach Dave Cottle decided to switch things up before facing yet another unbeaten ACC opponent.

The target of his changes? The offense. Will Yeatman, who had been playing with the first midfield line, is back on attack with the junior trio of Grant Catalino, Ryan Young and Travis Reed. He switched spots with Joe Cummings, who also saw time on midfield last year.

Dan Burns is also new to the first midfield line, replacing Adam Sear. After starting the season injured, Burns returned as a short stick defensive midfielder against Duke on March 6, and Cottle has been impressed with his impact – enough, apparently, to earn him a starting spot. Sear himself joins the new third midfield unit, alongside Scott LaRue and Landon Carr. The Terps started the year with three rotating midfields; the former third midfield is now listed as the fourth.

Why all the offensive shuffling? The Terps had averaged more than 12 goals a game going into last week’s 9-7 loss to the Tar Heels. But they struggled to get past North Carolina’s tough press. Cottle said he expected to see the same type of defense from the Cavaliers this weekend, which could have spurred the changes. To win, the Terps will need to find a way to get by the punishing pressure in the midfield.

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The Terrapin men’s lacrosse team could not find an answer to the physical North Carolina defense in the second half.

Despite a second quarter comeback to tie the score at halftime, the No. 4 Terps (6-1) were shut out in the third quarter by the No. 4 Tar Heels (9-0), giving their ACC rivals to take a three-goal lead and an insurmountable momentum swing through the end of the game. The 9-7 win puts the Tar Heels at first place in the conference and allows them to continue their undefeated season.

Though North Carolina clearly dominated the second half, many of the statistics seem to tell a different story. The Terps had nine more shots and nine more ground balls than the Tar Heels, and even won one more face off after struggling in the first 30 minutes of the game. But North Carolina’s physical advantage, especially on long pole defense, turned the tide in the contest.

Check back on diamondbackonline.com later for more.

Kate Yanchulis is the Terrapin men’s lacrosse team beat writer for The Diamondback . She can be reached at kyanchulisdbk@gmail.com.