HIGH POINT, N.C. – Head coach Jon Torpey of the High Point University men’s lacrosse team announced the additions of two staff members on Wednesday. John Haus was named the volunteer assistant coach and Ryan Cassidy is the team’s new director of operations.
“Lacrosse and the Haus family go hand-in-hand,” Torpey said. “we are extremely excited to welcome John to the High Point Lacrosse family. John’s credentials as a player speak for themselves and after having conversations with some of the more prominent coaches in the country it was clear that he has already left quite an impression as a young assistant coach. John will have immediate responsibilities with our program on and off the field and we are looking forward to the impact he will have with our student-athletes.”
Haus will take over the volunteer assistant coach position vacated by Ron Garling’s promotion. Haus spent last year as an assistant coach at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pa. Prior to joining the Red Devil staff Haus was a standout performer at Maryland. He was a USILA All-American three times, earning First-team honors in 2013. He earned First-Team All-Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) honors in 2012 and 2013, was named to the All-ACC Tournament team in 2010 and helped lead the Terrapins to an ACC title in 2011.
The Terps earned bids to the NCAA Tournament in each of his four seasons, advancing to the National Championship game in both 2011 and 2012. Haus was selected as the 15th overall pick in the 2013 Major League Lacrosse draft, and currently plays for the Charlotte Hounds where he participated in the 2013 MLL Championship game.
“I am extremely grateful for the opportunity that Coach Torpey has given me to work with his staff at High Point University,” Haus said. “I am looking forward to working with this group of young men in pursuit of high achievement in the Southern Conference. We are very lucky to have the support of our administrators and surrounding community here at HPU.”
In addition to his playing experience, Haus developed a strong coaching background, working at a number of lacrosse camps, as well as with the Lebanon Valley Lightning Lacrosse Club. His father, John Haus Sr., played lacrosse at the University of North Carolina, held head coaching positions at Division I Johns Hopkins and in Chapel Hill, and led Washington College to an NCAA Division III Championship in 1998. He is currently the head men’s lacrosse coach at Lebanon Valley College.
“Our staff has had the fortune of working with Ryan at several of our camps over the last two summers and we were very impressed with his work ethic, attention to detail and character,” Torpey said. “The Director of Operations position entails a lot hard work and sacrifice and Ryan’s impact so far with our program has been tremendous. Ryan is an absolute workhorse and I am really looking forward to the positive influence he will provide to the High Point Lacrosse family.”
Cassidy will be the first director of operations for the program. Last season Cassidy was an assistant coach at his alma mater, York College of Pennsylvania. He assisted with recruiting, on-field coaching, practice and game preparation, travel arrangements and overseeing the academic progress of student-athletes. He helped the team set the best goals against average in school history and coached eight all-conference players and five all-americans. In 2014 York set program records for wins (16) and highest national rank (11) while making the program’s first-ever trip to the NCAA Tournament.
Cassidy played his final two seasons at York College after transferring from Eastern University. Cassidy was a two-year starter and the 2013-14 team captain at York.
“I would like to thank Coach Torpey and the athletics administration for giving me the opportunity to work with the High Point men’s lacrosse program,” Cassidy said. “The program’s dedication to excellence and hard work is beyond compare and was something that stuck out to me during the interview process. With top-notch facilities and world class people, I cannot say enough good things about the program and where it’s headed. I am very excited about this upcoming season and the impact we will make on and off the field.”