Stevenson Fired as Head Coach, Ryder To Take Over

Nick Salen; Public Relations, CU Lacrosse

The University of Colorado made a surprising move early Monday morning, as head coach Pete Stevenson was relieved of coaching duty.  Stevenson previously held the offensive coordinator position at BYU.  Kristopher Schoech, the director of CU Club Sports, released the initial statement about the move:

“Today the University of Colorado Collegiate Sports Club Program made a coaching change for the CU Men’s lacrosse Team. CU Men’s Lacrosse coach Pete Stevenson was terminated and Assistant Coach Michael Ryder was hired as the new head CU Men’s Lacrosse Coach. Assistant Coach Taylor Short will remain on staff with expanded coaching duties. The teams’ current 2-4 record was not the main reason why Coach Stevenson was terminated but the department and the student athletes felt it was time to go in a more positive direction. We wish Coach Stevenson the best for the future.”

Schoech would also like to make clear that the rumors of former head coach John Galvin are false.  Galvin has only spoken to Ryder and nothing more.

Mike Ryder was brought in at the same time as Stevenson when the Buffs were searching to replace long time coach John Galvin.  He was hired initially as a defensive coach due to his college career.  Ryder is a Salisbury alum, serving two years under coach Jim Berkman before becoming a player/ defensive coach for the Club team after finishing playing.  More recently however, he has been a member of the Colorado Sabertooths indoor lacrosse team, who placed second to Team USA in the 2009 Freedom Cup back in August.  Now Ryder has been given the responsibility of handling a team that demands nothing less than what they finished last year.

“I am extremely honored to be named CU's head coach. While the circumstances may not be the most ideal to become a head coach I am confident in the abilities of this team and the direction we are going to take for the rest of the season. “

Although Stevenson has a great mind of coaching, in the end it was not the best fit for Colorado.  CU currently stands No. 13 overall in the Prodigy polls, but hold a 2-4 record and sit at the bottom of the RMLC Conference.  However, Ryder would go on to say that the team’s record was not the reason for the change.

“First of all the decision has nothing to do with wins and losses. During a long lacrosse season all teams have highs and lows. Our record while not what we thought it would be at this point is the least important factor in a decision like this. It was a decision made by the Club Sports offices as well as the team as a whole. Every single person directly involved with this program was a part of this decision. For many of these players it will be one of the toughest decisions they will ever have to make in their lives.”

 The players were asked not to comment at this time.  The team recently returned from California with disappointing losses to Loyola Marymount and Chapman, and are also preparing for the Rocky Mountain Showdown against rival Colorado State, who currently hold the No. 3 ranking in the MCLA.

If you have any further questions about coach Ryder or Kristopher, please email Nick Salen at Nicholas.Salen@colorado.edu