Stony Brook, N.Y. - Stony Brook head men's lacrosse coach Jim Nagle announced the hiring of Craig Gibson and Andrew Watkins as assistant coaches on Friday."I'm really happy that Craig and Andrew made the decision to follow me to Stony Brook," Nagle said. "I have a great relationship with these two guys. They are two of the best young coaches I've been around, which I think will create a smooth transition for the 2012 Seawolves."
Gibson, who served under Nagle for five seasons at Colgate, will work closely with the Seawolves offense. Under Gibson's watch, the Raiders scored upset wins against No. 9 Army and No. 5 Maryland in 2011. The South Salem, N.Y. native tutored Brandon Corp, one of the most prolific scorers in Colgate history.
Colgate won at least 11 games in three of Gibson's five seasons, finishing with a No. 12 ranking in 2009. Along the way, Corp earned Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year honors three times and was named a first-team All-American, Colgate's first in 79 years.
Gibson started his coaching career at Western New England College. He mentored Adam Cherry, the 2006 Pilgrim League Player of the Year who led the conference in goals (49) and points (69). He also worked in the Golden Bears' athletic office, working in the compliance department.
A four-year starter at Springfield College, Gibson led the Pride to three NCAA Tournaments. He graduated in 2004 as the school's all-time leader among midfielders in goals (122), assists (66) and points (188).
Watkins, a two-time team captain for Colgate under Nagle, broke into coaching in 2011, working with the defense. The Raiders allowed only 8.13 goals last year, which ranked 13th nationally.
Watkins, a Baltimore County native who started his final 31 games at close defense, was instrumental in leading Colgate to the Patriot League title and an NCAA Tournament berth. He led all defensemen with 33 ground balls and was the leader of a unit that allowed 8.74 goals and just eight man-up goals.
