The Maryland men’s lacrosse team announced on Monday it was hiring former defenseman Jesse Bernhardt as its defensive coordinator. He’ll replace Kevin Conry as the program’s top defensive coach after Conry became Michigan’s head coach earlier in the summer.
Bernhardt made two All-American teams at Maryland and served as a volunteer assistant for the Terps in 2014. He went on to work on the staffs of Rutgers and Princeton primarily as a defensive coach.
In his lone season as the defensive coordinator at Princeton, Bernhardt coached first-team All-Ivy League goalkeeper Tyler Blaisdell and first-team All-Ivy League defenseman Bear Goldstein.
“We are thrilled to have Jesse return to the Maryland men’s lacrosse program,” coach John Tillman said in a release. “Jesse has had success in our system as both a player and a coach. He will be a valuable asset to our program as he remains one of the best players in the world at his position.”
Bernhardt’s younger brother is a rising sophomore on Tillman’s squad. After arriving in College Park as the No. 3 recruit in his class, Jared Bernhardt scored 20 goals and dished eight assists during a promising debut campaign.
Now, he can look to his older brother for coaching support as he aims to carve out a larger role in his second season.
“I cannot express how grateful I am for coach Tillman to give me an opportunity to come [back to Maryland],” Jesse Bernhardt said in a release. “I appreciate the trust he has shown in asking me to return to the University of Maryland. … As an ex-Terp player and coach, it is truly a dream come true and I can’t wait to begin the process.”
