SARATOGA SPRINGS—Skidmore College has appointed Dartmouth assistant Tucker Kear as head men's lacrosse coach.
Kear comes to Saratoga after a year as the offensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator for the Big Green.
Prior to Dartmouth, he spent two years as the head coach at Bard College. He was the second head coach in Raptor history and first since the revival of the team after it lost varsity status in 2011. He guided Bard to its first-ever win in the opening game of the 2014 season and finished with six victories with a squad that included only three upperclassmen and 14 freshmen.
"We are excited to have Tucker Kear join our staff and we look forward to watching our team thrive under his leadership," said Gail Cummings-Danson, Skidmore athletics director."The young men in our lacrosse program will be served well by Coach Kear's knowledge, passion and enthusiasm for the sport of lacrosse. He has a proven record of recruiting young men who are successful in the classroom and on the field."
Kear served as the assistant coach at Union College from 2007-11, until he was named the associate head coach and recruiting coordinator. He helped lead the Dutchmen to their first Liberty League championship and NCAA Division III playoff bid in program history. He was part of the 2008 Liberty League Coaching Staff of the Year and was named the 2011 NCAA Division III Assistant Coach of the Year.
Kear received a degree in English literature from The University at Albany in 2006. He played Division I lacrosse at UMASS Amherst and Butler University.
"I would first like to thank Gail Cummings-Danson as well as the search committee for the opportunity to become the next head coach here at Skidmore College," Kear said.
"I eagerly look forward to building upon the exemplary job that Coach (Patrick) Hart did here over the past two years and to get started with the young men who are a part of this program. I believe this team is ready to take a big step forward and I am confident that the guys know what it takes to win in the Liberty League and are ready to get to work.
"I've had the great fortune of working for some terrific leaders and coaches in my career and would like to thank both Coach (Brendan) Callahan and the whole Dartmouth Athletic community for the year I spent up in Hanover helping to build a championship culture around the lacrosse program.
"I look forward to seeing what we are capable of as a squad on the field this year as well as to building a program that is capable of competing for Liberty League championships year in and year out. This is a truly great place to learn and compete and it is my intention to build a solid foundation around those two concepts and to help the student athletes who are involved in our program to become great in whatever ventures they aspire toward."
