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Dick Edell

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Dick Edell
Biographical details
Born1944
Maryland, U.S.
Died (aged 74)
Columbia, Maryland, U.S.
Playing career
1964–1967Towson
Position(s)Midfielder
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1969–1970Towson (freshmen)
1971–1973Calvert Hall H.S.
1973–1976Baltimore
1977–1983Army
1984–2001Maryland
Head coaching record
Overall282–123
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
1985 ACC Tournament Championship
1987 ACC Tournament Championship
1989 ACC Regular Season Championship
1998 ACC Tournament Championship
Awards
1978 USILA Coach of the Year
1995 USILA Coach of the Year
1989 ACC Coach of the Year
1992 ACC Coach of the Year
1998 ACC Coach of the Year
2004 National Lacrosse Hall of Fame

Richard Irving Edell (1944 – May 2, 2018) was an American 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.[1]

Early life

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Born in Maryland in 1944,[2] Edell attended Towson University, where he played lacrosse and was named an honorable mention All-American as a midfielder in 1967.[3] 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 College) in 1970 and, later while coaching, a master's degree in science from the University of Baltimore in 1976.[4]

Coaching career

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Edell's first coaching position was as the freshman team coach at his alma mater, 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 1972 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.[4] He also coached Army Black Knights men's soccer from 1979 to 1981.[5]

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.[4] In 2001, he retired from coaching due to a non-life-threatening health issue, inclusion body myositis.[4][6] The 57-year-old Edell said, "My mind and heart want to do this, but my body won't."[4]

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

"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."[7]

Records and honors

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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 percentage. 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.[4]

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.[4] In 2004, Edell was inducted into the US Lacrosse Hall of Fame. He was also inducted into the US Lacrosse Potomac Chapter Hall of Fame,[1] the US Lacrosse Greater Baltimore Chapter Hall of Fame,[8] the University of Maryland Athletic Hall of Fame,[1] the University of Baltimore Athletic Hall of Fame,[9] the Towson University Hall of Fame [10] and the Army West Point Athletic Hall of Fame.[11]

Personal life

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Edell and his wife, Dolores, had four children.[4] He died at a hospital in Columbia, Maryland from pneumonia on May 2, 2018, at the age of 74.[12][13]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Dick Edell HOF Biography Archived 2009-06-05 at the Wayback Machine, US Lacrosse, retrieved March 24, 2009.
  2. ^ https://www.pressreader.com/usa/the-dundalk-eagle/20160526/282299614411956 – via PressReader. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  3. ^ 1967 Men’s All-Americans, USILA, retrieved December 5, 2010.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Player Bio: Dick Edell Archived 2011-07-25 at the Wayback Machine, University of Maryland, retrieved March 24, 2009.
  5. ^ "Richard Irving Edell (2017) – Hall of Fame". Army West Point.
  6. ^ Three Miles For Coach Who Went The Distance For His Players Archived 2011-07-25 at the Wayback Machine, The Baltimore Sun, September 22, 2003.
  7. ^ Patrick Stevens, Dick Edell's out of advice for John Tillman, The Washington Times, May 30, 2011.
  8. ^ Hall of Fame Archived 2008-08-28 at the Wayback Machine, the Greater Baltimore Chapter of US Lacrosse, retrieved March 29, 2009.
  9. ^ UB Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees Archived 2010-06-20 at the Wayback Machine, University of Baltimore, retrieved March 28, 2009.
  10. ^ Lacrosse News Archived 2011-09-30 at the Wayback Machine, Lax Power, retrieved March 29, 2009.
  11. ^ "Army West Point Athletics – Hall of Fame". goarmywestpoint.com. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  12. ^ "Former Maryland men's lacrosse coach Dick Edell dies at 74". The Diamondback. May 2, 2018.
  13. ^ "Former Maryland lacrosse coach Dick Edell, 74, dies of pneumonia". 2 May 2018.
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