As the university transitions to NCAA Division II athletics in the Mountain East Conference (MEC), Point Park plans to add a men’s and women’s lacrosse and wrestling team. The university opened head coach applications for several new athletic programs on its website last month.
The women’s wrestling, men’s wrestling and men’s lacrosse coaching positions were posted in late March. The women’s lacrosse head coach position was posted in mid-February.
The openings are full-time positions that will report to the vice president of athletics, who is now Scott Swain, per a school-wide announcement last week.
“We are very excited about the expansion of our sports department,” President Brussalis said in a meeting with The Globe two weeks ago. “Men’s and women’s lacrosse and wrestling is just the start… the NCAA is giving us so many new opportunities.”
The athletic department is hoping to conclude the head coach search process and hire the incoming staff in May.
Vice President of Athletics Scott Swain is on the hiring committee for all four decisions. The search process has begun and is planned to conclude between late April and the middle of May.
Director of Athletic Communication Kevin Taylor is on the hiring committee for the men’s and women’s wrestling head coach openings. He spoke of his excitement regarding the new athletic programs.
“I think what’s on the horizon for Point Park athletics is a lot of change, positive change, and part of that is adding sports,” Kevin Taylor said. “It goes towards the stature of the athletic department on the campus and what it brings to expand the opportunities of intercollegiate athletics for more sports.”
The lacrosse teams will primarily practice and play at Highmark Stadium. The Montour Sports Complex will be used as a backup location if the stadium is in use, similar to Point Park’s soccer teams. The wrestling teams will have a designated practice facility of their own as well.
“For wrestling, there has been a practice facility identified here in the student center that we’re going to redo,” Swain said. “It’s an unused space right now.”
The practice facility that will be redone is currently an unused locker room.
Point Park students shared their thoughts on expanding the athletic department.
“I think it’s really cool that Point Park is getting more sports,” freshman accounting major Ava Hubble said. Hubble is on the softball team as well. “I think this will allow more people to join athletics, and it’s a really cool opportunity.”
Once the head coaches are hired, they are responsible for identifying recruits and developing the new teams. These teams will not be taking on a complete schedule in their first year.
“There will be at least a year of recruiting,” Swain said. “But if the recruiting year goes really well, we might have competitions [in] our first year. So really, we just have to see how well recruiting goes.”
The transition to NCAA Division II is a three-year process. The MEC board votes in July on whether or not Point Park will be accepted into the conference.
