Q&A with Rutgers Men's Lacrosse HC Brian Brecht talks ending of season
Thursday morning, TKR caught up Rutgers men's lacrosse coach Brian Brecht to discuss the abruptly cancelled season due to the coronavirus outbreak.
The Scarlet Knights were 2-4 when spring sports as well as the final stages of winter sports were shut down by the NCAA earlier this month.
Check out the Q&A below.
SIGN UP FOR PREMIUM AND GET A FREE $50 GIFT CARD — CLICK HERE FOR MORE!!
THE KNIGHT REPORT: How are you holding up with everything going on?
BRIAN BRECHT: “We’re doing alright. Just like you, everyone is doing things a little differently. This time of year is a lot different for coaches, student-athletes, and sportswriters with all of the guidelines to keep people safe. Have to keep busy.”
TKR: What was your reaction to the 2020 season being cancelled only a few games in?
BRECHT: “It’s unprecedented times to go through the process. We had practice on Wednesday and everything is fine. Our spring break was starting that weekend and they made the decision to cancel classes that Thursday and Friday and then do online classes afterwards with the thought of getting back to campus activity. Thursday, the guys came in and it was like a snow day with no classes. Right when we were supposed to start practice, they had just cancelled the Big Ten Tournament. When the NBA cancelled on Wednesday night, that was a big moment. We had a call with the athletic department going over everything and I talked to the captains and the team and there was no ruling yet so we practiced (on Thursday). That ultimately was our last practice of the year and maybe for our senior class. Around 3:00 p.m. the NCAA and Big Ten made some statements.”
TKR: How did the team take the news?
BRECHT: “I don’t think really anyone knew it was coming. At first there was a decision to play our game on Saturday the 14th with no fans. That seemed to be the norm that week. The NBA talked about that too. Rutgers was proactive and made the decision early to play with no fans and was ahead of the curve. As more information came out and the cancellation of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday and all athletics, Friday was numbing. You understand you’re not playing on Saturday and the rest of the spring, but you still kind of are numb and figure out what’s really happening and what it all means.”
TKR: The last two weeks, what have you and the staff been doing?
BRECHT: “Everything is different. You work from home. I do know most of the guys after the Friday meeting going into spring break, they went home. The seniors stayed around a little bit and spent time with each other. All of the academics started up. The new term is “the new normal”. They’re continuing with their tutoring and going about their business at home. Spring break kind of gave them a time to get adjusted to the online classes.”
TKR: How’s recruiting going as well? I know there’s a dead period.
BRECHT: “The Big Ten put out a statement that there’s no practices or workouts or activities until April 6 and then they’ll reevaluate and adjust. The NCAA put a dead period for recruiting until April 15. Even though our season was over, the high schools hadn’t made their decision yet, but we wouldn’t be able to watch games or have in-home visits or have guys on campus. That’s limited us to contact guys through phone calls, tests, and emails. You want to stay in touch still with our team still, too, with the way the classes are going to work. You also have a group of high school seniors who are experiencing the same thing as our Rutgers seniors. They were about to start their senior season and move on to college and our guys were going to finish up on the lacrosse field, graduate, and move on to jobs and other opportunities. It’s surreal.”
TKR: On March 30 I think the NCAA is going to discuss eligibility regarding the spring sports athletes, do you think everyone should get their year back?
BRECHT: “For the seniors, that’s the first question they have. The same can be said for the freshmen, sophomores, and juniors. I know the NCAA put out some guidance early on as far as what the community had recommended. You get new information each day. That’s what everyone is waiting for. Next week, they are supposed to meet and we’ll get more clarification on what all of that means and how it’s applied. So everyone from the seniors who can salvage one last year of playing at this level to freshmen, sophomores, and juniors to see what that means for their career that are just starting or going through the process of being a four-year student-athlete. Next week will be helpful for the student-athletes and their families as well as the coaches to see where everything is.”
TKR: You guys only played six games, but what did you think of the play this year and what’s your early outlook of next season? I know there’s some uncertainty right now.
BRECHT: “I was happy with the way we started. It got more difficult with the scheduling. We had two one-goal games. I really thought from the middle of February to the beginning of March before cancelling, I saw a lot of development. I thought guys were feeling more comfortable. That was encouraging. We were having quality practices getting ready for Big Ten play coming up. With a lot of returning guys playing key roles early on, I am excited for next year. It’s like anything else. We always talk about what the guys do in the summer or on winter break. I’m a firm believer in staying motivated. We have five months until September and organized practices. This is now a development period on their own to see how much they can improve their overall fitness, strength, and agility to skill work. They can watch film on their own to improve their IQ and awareness. Our strength and conditioning coach did a good job giving them things they can work on on their own outside in the backyard or in the garage to stay active and better themselves. The gyms and high schools are all closed. It’s good to have a routine and take a break from the computers and videos and online classwork. You don’t want them to waste time. The weather has been good at least. When we start there’s always concern for snow in January and February.”
TKR: Alright well, that's all I got. Thanks a lot coach, I really appreciate it. Be well.
BRECHT: No doubt. If there's anything else you need, don't hesitate. I'd be more than happy to follow up."
Follow Chris Nalwasky on Twitter @ChrisWasky.
--------------------------------------------------------------