Dick Edell
Encyclopedia
Richard "Dick" Edell is an American former lacrosse
coach. He served as the head coach for the University of Maryland
, United States Military Academy
, and University of Baltimore
's men's lacrosse teams. Edell was inducted into the US Lacrosse
Hall of Fame in 2004, at which time he held the second-most NCAA tournament
appearances of any head coach.
where he played lacrosse and was named an honorable mention All-American
as a midfielder in 1967. He graduated in 1967 with a degree in physical education. Edell continued his education, earning a master's degree in education from Western Maryland
(now McDaniel) in 1970 and, later while coaching, a master's degree in science from the University of Baltimore
in 1976.
, where he served for two years. He then held the head coaching position at Calvert Hall High School for three years, and led his team to the 1971 and 1973 Maryland Scholastic Association (MSA) championships. The University of Baltimore
provided him his first collegiate head coaching opportunity, and, in four years, he led the team to three NCAA Division II tournaments. During that time, he also coached UB's soccer team, which he led to the 1975 NCAA Division II national championship
. In 1977, Edell took over as the Army head coach. During his seven-year tenure, he compiled a 66–24 record and led the Cadets to four NCAA tournament
appearances.
Edell took over as the Maryland
head coach starting with the 1984 season. During his 18-year tenure there, he led the Terrapins to three Atlantic Coast Conference
(ACC) titles and 13 NCAA tournament appearances, which included three appearances in the championship game. In his second year with the Terrapins, he led the team to a 2–1 conference record to secure the championship. The following season, Maryland finished with a 10–3 overall record and advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals before elimination. In 1987, Edell led Maryland to a perfect 3–0 mark for the conference title and led the team to the NCAA semifinals. From 1991 to 1998, the Terrapins secured an NCAA tournament berth each season. In 1995, 1997, and 1998, Maryland advanced to the tournament final before being eliminated. In 1998, the Terps again finished with a perfect conference mark, 3–0. In 2001, he retired from coaching due to a non-life threatening health issue, inclusion body myositis
. The 57-year old Edell said, "My mind and heart want to do this, but my body won't."
In 2011, first-year Maryland head coach John Tillman
led Maryland to the national championship game, and he contacted Edell for advice. Edell, whose teams lost their three championship game appearances, told The Washington Times
. He was also the second-winningest active head coach by wins, behind Jack Emmer
of Army with 289, and the winningest all-time ACC coach, with 171 wins, ahead of Jim Adams
of Virginia with 137. Edell had the second-most NCAA Division I tournament appearances, with 17, behind Roy Simmons, Jr. of Syracuse who had 18. He was the seventh head coach to reach the 400-game benchmark and the first ACC head coach to reach the 150-win benchmark.
The United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association
(USILA) twice named Edell the National Coach of the Year: in 1978 with Army and in 1995 with Maryland. The Atlantic Coast Conference named him the ACC Coach of the Year three times: in 1989, 1992, and 1998. In 2004, Edell was inducted into the US Lacrosse
Hall of Fame. He has also been inducted into the US Lacrosse Potomac Chapter Hall of Fame, the US Lacrosse Greater Baltimore Chapter Hall of Fame, the University of Maryland Athletic Hall of Fame
, the University of Baltimore Athletic Hall of Fame, and the Towson University Hall of Fame.
after a successful college lacrosse career. Their youngest daughter attended the University of Delaware
, where she also played lacrosse
.
College lacrosse
College lacrosse refers to lacrosse played by student athletes at colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. In both countries, men's field lacrosse and women's lacrosse are played in both the varsity and club levels...
coach. He served as the head coach for the University of Maryland
Maryland Terrapins lacrosse
The Maryland Terrapins men's lacrosse team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I lacrosse as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
, United States Military Academy
Army Black Knights
Army Black Knights is the name of the athletics teams of the United States Military Academy. They participate in NCAA Division I-A as a non-football member of the Patriot League, a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision independent school, and a member of Atlantic Hockey, the Collegiate Sprint...
, and University of Baltimore
University of Baltimore
The University of Baltimore , located in downtown Baltimore, Maryland in the Mt. Vernon neighborhood at 1420 N. Charles Street, is part of the University System of Maryland. Through the Freshman Initiative or Lower Division Initiative, UB has transformed from an upper division university to a...
's men's lacrosse teams. Edell was inducted into the US Lacrosse
US Lacrosse
US Lacrosse is the national governing body of men and women's lacrosse in the United States, primarily serving the youth game. It provides a leadership role in virtually every aspect of the game, boasts 63 chapters throughout the United States, and offers programs and services to inspire...
Hall of Fame in 2004, at which time he held the second-most NCAA tournament
NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship
The annual NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship tournament determines the top men's field lacrosse team in the NCAA Division I, Division II, and Division III....
appearances of any head coach.
Early life
Edell attended Towson UniversityTowson University
Towson University, often referred to as TU or simply Towson for short, is a public university located in Towson in Baltimore County, Maryland, U.S...
where he played lacrosse and was named an honorable mention All-American
USILA All-American Team
The USILA All-American Team is an honor given annually to the best American men's college lacrosse players at their respective positions by the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association. The term All-American is derived from the same practice in American college football, in which the...
as a midfielder in 1967. He graduated in 1967 with a degree in physical education. Edell continued his education, earning a master's degree in education from Western Maryland
McDaniel College
McDaniel College is a private four-year liberal arts college in Westminster, Maryland, located 30 miles northwest of Baltimore. The college also has a satellite campus located in Budapest, Hungary. Until July 2002, it was known as Western Maryland College...
(now McDaniel) in 1970 and, later while coaching, a master's degree in science from the University of Baltimore
University of Baltimore
The University of Baltimore , located in downtown Baltimore, Maryland in the Mt. Vernon neighborhood at 1420 N. Charles Street, is part of the University System of Maryland. Through the Freshman Initiative or Lower Division Initiative, UB has transformed from an upper division university to a...
in 1976.
Coaching career
Edell's first coaching position was as the freshman team coach at his alma mater, TowsonTowson Tigers
The Towson Tigers, formerly Towson College Knights, are the athletics teams of Towson University. All of the major athletic teams compete in the Colonial Athletic Association with 20 Division I athletic teams The Towson Tigers, formerly Towson College Knights, are the athletics teams of Towson...
, where he served for two years. He then held the head coaching position at Calvert Hall High School for three years, and led his team to the 1971 and 1973 Maryland Scholastic Association (MSA) championships. The University of Baltimore
University of Baltimore
The University of Baltimore , located in downtown Baltimore, Maryland in the Mt. Vernon neighborhood at 1420 N. Charles Street, is part of the University System of Maryland. Through the Freshman Initiative or Lower Division Initiative, UB has transformed from an upper division university to a...
provided him his first collegiate head coaching opportunity, and, in four years, he led the team to three NCAA Division II tournaments. During that time, he also coached UB's soccer team, which he led to the 1975 NCAA Division II national championship
NCAA Men's Division II Soccer Championship
The NCAA Division II Men's Soccer Championship has been played since 1972.The tournament is a 32-team, single-elimination tournament. The Division II tournament is structured around the eight NCAA regions . Four teams from each region are selected with no automatic qualifiers given...
. In 1977, Edell took over as the Army head coach. During his seven-year tenure, he compiled a 66–24 record and led the Cadets to four NCAA tournament
NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship
The annual NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship tournament determines the top men's field lacrosse team in the NCAA Division I, Division II, and Division III....
appearances.
Edell took over as the Maryland
Maryland Terrapins lacrosse
The Maryland Terrapins men's lacrosse team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I lacrosse as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
head coach starting with the 1984 season. During his 18-year tenure there, he led the Terrapins to three Atlantic Coast Conference
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
(ACC) titles and 13 NCAA tournament appearances, which included three appearances in the championship game. In his second year with the Terrapins, he led the team to a 2–1 conference record to secure the championship. The following season, Maryland finished with a 10–3 overall record and advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals before elimination. In 1987, Edell led Maryland to a perfect 3–0 mark for the conference title and led the team to the NCAA semifinals. From 1991 to 1998, the Terrapins secured an NCAA tournament berth each season. In 1995, 1997, and 1998, Maryland advanced to the tournament final before being eliminated. In 1998, the Terps again finished with a perfect conference mark, 3–0. In 2001, he retired from coaching due to a non-life threatening health issue, inclusion body myositis
Inclusion body myositis
Inclusion body myositis is an inflammatory muscle disease, characterized by slowly progressive weakness and wasting of both distal and proximal muscles, most apparent in the muscles of the arms and legs...
. The 57-year old Edell said, "My mind and heart want to do this, but my body won't."
In 2011, first-year Maryland head coach John Tillman
John Tillman (lacrosse)
John C. Tillman is an American lacrosse coach. He is currently the head coach for the University of Maryland Terrapins men's lacrosse team...
led Maryland to the national championship game, and he contacted Edell for advice. Edell, whose teams lost their three championship game appearances, told The Washington Times
The Washington Times
The Washington Times is a daily broadsheet newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. It was founded in 1982 by Unification Church founder Sun Myung Moon, and until 2010 was owned by News World Communications, an international media conglomerate associated with the...
"I said 'John, I tried practicing on Sunday. I tried not practicing on Sunday. I can't give you any help for Monday' ... We thought long and hard after the first one [a 13-9 loss to Syracuse]. I don't know if we made mistakes. I don't have the answer. Whatever he does on Monday, he's on his own.I will counsel people on the semifinals. I don't have a useful thing to say about the final."
Records and honors
At the time of his retirement, Edell, with 282 wins, was the fifth-winningest all-time head coach in terms of wins, and the sixth-winningest active head coach in terms of winning percentageWinning percentage
In sports, a winning percentage is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. It is defined as wins divided by wins plus losses . Ties count as a ½ loss and a ½ win...
. He was also the second-winningest active head coach by wins, behind Jack Emmer
Jack Emmer
John S. Emmer is a former American lacrosse coach. He retired in 2005 as the winningest lacrosse coach in NCAA history by number of wins with 326. This mark was surpassed in 2008 by Jim Berkman of Division III Salisbury University...
of Army with 289, and the winningest all-time ACC coach, with 171 wins, ahead of Jim Adams
Jim Adams (lacrosse)
James F. "Ace" Adams IV is an American former lacrosse coach. He served as the head coach at the United States Military Academy, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Virginia. He was inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1975.-Early life and college:Adams attended St...
of Virginia with 137. Edell had the second-most NCAA Division I tournament appearances, with 17, behind Roy Simmons, Jr. of Syracuse who had 18. He was the seventh head coach to reach the 400-game benchmark and the first ACC head coach to reach the 150-win benchmark.
The United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association
United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association
The United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association is an association of institutions with varsity college lacrosse programs in all three NCAA divisions, founded in 1885.-Awards:...
(USILA) twice named Edell the National Coach of the Year: in 1978 with Army and in 1995 with Maryland. The Atlantic Coast Conference named him the ACC Coach of the Year three times: in 1989, 1992, and 1998. In 2004, Edell was inducted into the US Lacrosse
US Lacrosse
US Lacrosse is the national governing body of men and women's lacrosse in the United States, primarily serving the youth game. It provides a leadership role in virtually every aspect of the game, boasts 63 chapters throughout the United States, and offers programs and services to inspire...
Hall of Fame. He has also been inducted into the US Lacrosse Potomac Chapter Hall of Fame, the US Lacrosse Greater Baltimore Chapter Hall of Fame, the University of Maryland Athletic Hall of Fame
University of Maryland Athletic Hall of Fame
The University of Maryland Athletic Hall of Fame was established in 1982 by the M Club Foundation to honor student-athletes, coaches, and administrators who made significant contributions to athletics at the University of Maryland...
, the University of Baltimore Athletic Hall of Fame, and the Towson University Hall of Fame.
Personal life
Edell and his wife, Dolores, have four children. Two of his daughters graduated from the University of Maryland, while their son graduated from Dartmouth CollegeDartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
after a successful college lacrosse career. Their youngest daughter attended the University of Delaware
University of Delaware
The university is organized into seven colleges:* College of Agriculture and Natural Resources* College of Arts and Sciences* Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics* College of Earth, Ocean and Environment* College of Education and Human Development...
, where she also played lacrosse
Women's lacrosse
Women's lacrosse, sometimes shortened to wlax or lax, is a sport played with twelve players on each team. Originally played by the indigenous peoples of the Americas, the first tribe to play it was the Hauser tribe, of the Great Plains. The modern women's game was introduced in 1890 at the St...
.