Brian Anken has been named the new head coach of VMI lacrosse.
“We are excited to move forward in our lacrosse program with the hiring of Brian Anken,” athletics director Donny White said. “He has proven himself to be a winner at both Mars Hill and Lycoming. We desire to compete for a conference championship and I feel Coach Anken will put our program in a position to do that.”
“It’s a tremendous honor to become a part of the VMI family,” Anken said. “VMI is a special place that expects excellence both on and off the field, and offers one of the most unique lacrosse experiences in the country. I’m excited for the opportunity and look forward to helping the VMI lacrosse program achieve a new level of success.”
Hired by Lycoming in July of 2006, Anken implemented all offensive and defensive strategies for the team. He also supervised the assistant staff, and was responsible for a large amount of fundraising, which helped subsidize the team’s travel and equipment expenses. After posting a 4-10 record in his first year at the school, Anken’s team went 10-6 in 2008, earning him his second conference Coach of the Year honor (Mars Hill ’04). The team then went on to post records of 11-5 and 11-6 in his final two years, including a share of the conference regular season title in 2009, giving them a 32-17 mark over Anken’s final three seasons in Williamsport, Pa.
Prior to working at Lycoming, Anken had been the head man at Mars Hill College in North Carolina, where he helped the team post a five and a half game improvement in the standings during his final year, 2006. He earned conference Coach of the Year honors in 2004. He was also the founder and director of the Lions Lacrosse Camp, and handled game and event management as well.
Anken broke into the coaching ranks with Pfeiffer in 2001, where he was the program’s top assistant. There, he was responsible for the defensive side of the ball, along with goalies. He also handled recruiting in Maryland, New York and New Jersey before leaving in 2001 to join the Rochester Institute of Technology, where again, he handled the defense and goalies. During his three years in Rochester, Anken was also an assistant to the school’s Athletic Association Director of Development.
In his career, Anken has coached a pair of NCAA Division III statistical champions. He has also mentored two conference Freshman of the Year and one Player of the Year, and in seven seasons as a head coach, he has had 21 all-conference players and a single All-American. Anken is a member of the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association’s (USILA) Rankings and All-American Committees, as well as being a part of the NCAA Regional Advisory Committee.
Edited by Chris Graham. Chris can be reached at [email protected].
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