Matthew Creger
John Haus III always thought he would see his son playing college lacrosse in Carolina blue.
Instead, today his son and namesake, Terrapin men’s lacrosse freshman midfielder John Haus IV, will don red and white to play the No. 3 Tar Heels in the first round of the ACC Tournament.
Just a few years ago, the situation seemed unfathomable. But after the elder Haus was forced out as North Carolina head coach just a few months before his son’s senior year of high school, the Haus family’s carefully laid plans changed.
“I would be lying if I said it hasn’t been tough,” Haus III said. “But the last year and a half has been a hard-core learning experience for all of us that sometimes things don’t always go as you want.”
After winning two national championships as a defender for North Carolina from 1979-1983, the elder Haus worked his way up the coaching ranks. In 2000, he received his dream job: the chance to coach for his alma mater. Within years, Haus had helped bring the struggling program back to the national stage, leading the Tar Heels to the NCAA Tournament in 2004 after an 11-year drought.
While his father coached at North Carolina, the younger Haus emerged as a top lacrosse prospect at Chapel Hill High School, helping lead the school to two 4A state titles. Of course, at that point, his college choice was a foregone conclusion: He would play for the Tar Heels. Other schools need not apply.
But in 2008, following an 8-6 season and a first-round exit in NCAA Tournament, North Carolina dismissed the elder Haus. After early success, the coach had struggled in conference and postseason play, going winless in the ACC for four straight seasons.
Suddenly, his son had to rethink his college choice.
“The plan for John was to play for me at North Carolina,” Haus III said. “But after the decision was made, we had to regroup in so many ways.”
Soon after, Terp coach Dave Cottle received a call. He and Haus were friends from their early coaching days, and he’d kept track of his old colleague’s talented progeny.
The younger Haus considered a few other schools, but in the end his ties to the Terps and to the area won out. Both his parents grew up in the Baltimore area, and his mother, Lisa Haus, graduated from this university.
He also lived in Maryland until age 10. For the first four years of his life, his father was an assistant coach at Johns Hopkins. The elder Haus also spent four seasons as the head coach at Washington College in Chestertown and two more seasons at the helm for the Blue Jays before moving on to Chapel Hill.
“He is in the perfect place at Maryland,” Haus said.
After a near-decade of forgettable performances against the Terps — the elder Haus went just 1-8 against the team as North Carolina coach — the Tar Heel alumnus finds himself in the unfamiliar position of rooting for his old adversary.
And after an adjustment in allegiances, he now takes every chance he can to express his newfound loyalty. He said his wife Lisa told him he looks great in red.
Leftovers from the Haus era still dot the Tar Heels’ (11-1, 2-1 ACC) roster. Seven of this year’s starters played under the former coach, including junior attackman and Tewaaraton Trophy candidate Billy Bitter. But though the elder Haus says he follows their progress under coach Joe Breschi, his heart lies with the Terps.
“I recruited a great group of kids at North Carolina, and coach Breschi has them playing very well,” Haus said. “But family always comes first. I will be in red cheering John and the Terps on.”
Haus, now the director of lacrosse operations and men’s lacrosse coach at Division III Lebanon Valley College in Annville, Pa., has been busy resurrecting both the men’s and women’s programs in their first seasons since they folded in 1985.
But he’s made time to see his son several times this season. The freshman has delivered beyond expectations, notching six goals and one assist for the No. 4 Terps (8-2) so far. His first career goal was the game-winner against Georgetown, and he scored one goal against both ACC rivals Virginia and Duke.
“You can step on John’s foot and he wouldn’t say ‘ouch,'” Cottle said. “You can tell he’s a coach’s son. He’s one of these kids, you tell him something once and he’ll do it.”
Before the Terps’ first game against the Tar Heels this season, Haus said his time watching his dad prepared him for top-level collegiate play.
“I witnessed it week in and week out at North Carolina with my dad being there, so I got the feel of everything,” said Haus, who was unavailable to the media this week.
Quiet and careful with his wording, he said the game would only be “interesting.” But after a 9-7 loss, the Terps’ first of the season, Cottle admitted it was difficult for the freshman.
“He lived there, he thought he was going there — it had to be a strange feeling going in to play against them,” Cottle said. “But I think the more we play them, the easier it will get for him.”
It’s getting easier for the elder Haus as well. Though he missed the regular season battle between the Terps and Tar Heels to coach his own team, Haus is trying to work out a way to attend today’s 7:30 p.m. semifinal at Byrd Stadium.
“What was disappointing at the time has brought our family closer, and Lisa and I are extremely proud of the way our boys have endured,” 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.”
kyanchulis@umdbk.com
