BERKELEY, C.A.- After a two month search, the University of California Berkeley named Dan Nourse as the new men's lacrosse head coach in an announcement on Sunday. Dan Nourse had previously served as the offensive coordinator, assistant head coach, and interim head coach for the golden bears. Previous to his stint at Cal, Dan served as the head coach at Las Lomas high school, assistant coach at Bucknell University, and president of the Northern California Junior Lacrosse Association. Nourse is a graduate of Bucknell University, where he was an all league performer and team captain. There he played under legendary coach Sid Jamieson.

"We are extremely pleased to announce Dan as the head coach for the 2008-09 season," said team president Shane Barclay. "We interviewed numerous qualified candidates, and it was an extremely competitive hiring process. Dan's coaching and administrative experience, as well as his extensive knowledge of the California lacrosse community, WCLL, and MCLA made him the ideal candidate. Dan brings 30 years of coaching experience to the table, along with a great knowledge of the university, its admissions requirements, etc. We could not be more pleased with the hire."

"I am thrilled to have been hired as the head coach for the University of California, Berkeley Men's Lacrosse team," said Nourse in a statement on Sunday. "I joined the staff two years ago to help elevate this team back to its previous level of national prominence. It has long been my goal to have Cal be a viable end destination for the best and brightest players California has to offer. Playing lacrosse at Cal places you in membership in three of the best networks in the country. First you are part of the California community. Second you are part of the Cal alumni network and third you are part of the lacrosse nation. I am excited for the future potential of this program, and look forward to working with these fine young men."

"Dan was the perfect candidate," said vice president Sam Harvey on Sunday. "It's great to have someone already familiar with the program and the university. I think whenever there is a coaching change, continuity is always a major concern. Dan has handled the attack and man up offense over the past few seasons. All of the returning players are familiar with Dan and his coaching style. He was also the point person for the majority of the recruiting of this years incoming class, so the new players should already be familiar with him. I think what really stood out about Dan was his passion for the game, and his vision for how this program should operate. Dan brings more than just the expectation of winning; he really values honoring the game, and giving back to the community. He is of the opinion, as that of the alumni and school administration, that Cal should be a top flight destination for student athletes that want to attend one of the premier universities in the world, and take part in a competitive and rewarding lacrosse experience. I am glad to see that Dan will be an ongoing part of the Cal lacrosse family."

Nourse compiled a regular season record of 19-16 while an assistant the previous two seasons. He will take command of a Cal team that went 10-6 in 2008 and failed to make the WCLL playoffs for the first time in three seasons. The 2009 squad will return a bevy of talented veterans. The attack trio of Dave Parker (85g, 36a, 116 career points), Andrew Whitney (57g, 55a, 112 career points), and Ricky Pentella (48g, 35a, 83 career points) all return for their senior seasons. They will share offensive responsibilities with returning midfielders Zach Todaro (26g, 17a, 43 career points, senior), Luke Langon (14g, 8a, 22 career points, junior), Connor Dibble (8g, 5a, 13 career points, senior) and Jared Brett (10g, 2a, 12 career points, sophomore). The other side of the ball features the return of starting close defensemen Dana Lee (senior), Shane Barclay (senior), and Sam Tobis (sophmore). Senior defenseman Tyler Fleetham will return to play in 09, and figures to play a significant role. In all, Cal returns seven of ten starters.

"We return most of our offense and a good portion of our defensive core," said Nourse. "We lost a very strong goalie and two large strong middies. We have the largest, most experienced and most accomplished incoming freshman class ever, whom I am eager to work with. I expect us to merge them into the Cal program and continue our upward growth."