Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/499410
UNDER THE DOME Kevin Corrigan is in his 27th season as head lacrosse coach at Notre Dame. The Irish have qualified for the NCAA Tournament in each of the last nine seasons with him at the helm, making three Final Four and two national championship game appearances since 2010. Blue & Gold Illustrated: What is your coaching philosophy? Corrigan: "I think the biggest thing is we really try to stay in the moment. Whether that is doing mentoring with middle school kids in town, traveling around the country, in the fourth quarter of a game, or during a Tuesday prac- tice in January when nobody is looking. "It's all about staying in that mo- ment and getting the most out of that moment that you can. If you take care of now, and fully embrace the moment, then all the other things fall into line, at whatever level they're supposed to." Blue & Gold Illustrated: What are your best sell- ing points for recruits? Corrigan: "The main thing we focus on is the experience a kid is going to have here. It's not just a lacrosse experience, but it's through the prism of the sport, the team, the athletic department and everything the University of Notre Dame offers. "The academics, the opportunities after grad- uation, the trips we take as a team, the extra- curricular things that we'll do as a program, the international trip that we'll take while every kid is here. It's an all-around experience." Blue & Gold Illustrated: How is your program different from others around the country? Corrigan: "We really try to promote the idea that we think playing lacrosse at Notre Dame is one of the really unique opportunities a kid can have in college sports, period. That's our goal, to make it the best experience in college sports, and I really truly believe it can be that. "We have the wonderful re- source of being at this university, being a national school, and hav- ing a chance to go all over the country and world. There's a real commitment at this school of de- veloping young men and women, not just athletes." Blue & Gold Illustrated: What are your expectations for this up- coming postseason? Corrigan: "We don't set many of those goals in our program. There's only one goal, and that's to be the best you can be today. We don't talk about ACC cham- pionships, or Final Fours, or NCAA championships, or any of that stuff. "We talk about what do we need to get done today to get better, and when you do that the rest takes care of itself." Blue & Gold Illustrated: Do you ever reflect on how far the program has come in your tenure? Corrigan: "Not at this point in my career. It's all really about the team you're with right now. We're focused on this team, what can we accomplish, what do we need to do to get better. "That's the way I approach it. When I'm retired I'll be able to look back on it all." — Jordan Wells Five Questions With … MEN'S LACROSSE HEAD COACH KEVIN CORRIGAN Corrigan, who is in his 27th year at Notre Dame, has led the Irish to three Final Fours and two national champion- ship game appearances since 2010. PHOTO BY JOE RAYMOND