Following eight seasons of service for the University of Indianapolis Men’s Lacrosse team, Austin Grimes has been promoted to associate head coach.
Grimes has been with the team since a year after its conception, and has helped to lead the team in the correct direction during his time here, senior attacker Triston Schaffer said. During Grimes’ time as assistant coach the UIndy football team has gone to the postseason NCAA tournament five consecitve times, multiple conference championships and had 18 players earn All-American honors, according to UIndy Athletics.
“I think he’s a great leader,” Schaffer said. “I think he’s guided our defense the past seven years to be one of the best defenses in the country, year in, year out. His philosophies and his coaching styles obviously have made our team great, and I’m just happy that he got a promotion and he’s associate head coach.”
According to UIndy Athletics, Grimes has contributed to the previous success of the lacrosse team, helping them to five consecutive postseason trips and the national semifinals. Schaffer said the past success of the team is what convinced him to transfer to play at UIndy.
“… One of my main goals in playing lacrosse was to win a national championship, and I felt that the University of Indianapolis gave me the best opportunity,” Schaffer said. “And I loved what Coach Stocks and Coach Grimes had to say.”
Throughout Grimes’ seven years at UIndy, he said he has had a role in the recruitment of players and transfers. Additionally, the team started in 2016 and Grimes joined in 2017, so he said has had a hand in building most of the teams.
“There was only about two recruiting classes that I didn’t help recruit,” Grimes said. “So I definitely feel a big part of it. And obviously this program is our players, and they’re the ones that obviously build it and everything, but I’m just a small part of it.”
For Grimes, he said the new title is a great addition to his resume, but not a change in how he hopes to approach coaching his teams. As his career advances he said he hopes to continue helping lead the team and its players the best way he can.
“I don’t think my role has really changed too much,” Grimes said. “I was always helping out, Coach Stocks always gave me the opportunity to be that second-in-command. It’s definitely been a good boost to the resume with the title change, and I think hopefully the guys feel comfortable coming to me along with Coach Stocks.”
Within the team, Schaffer said that, while he is happy Grimes got the promotion, it will have little impact on the team dynamics itself as he has always had Grimes and Head Coach Greg Stocks as the coaching staff.
“The promotion changed his title, but regardless of that title, he’s always been like a second head coach,” Schaffer said. “He’s been very vocal in practice, and I’ve always seen both coaches as equals, so, as chemistry or how things change, I don’t really think anything’s changed. I think everybody respected him in the same way.”
Grimes said he hopes to continue to help the teams and shape the players into who they are after high school, whether it’s with a career, their lives or whatever else comes after. He also said everything he has been able to accomplish within his role and up to the point of this promotion has been with the help of the team.
“… Our guys, Coach Stocks and everyone have helped me get to this point,” Grimes said. “Everything I do is to help the program, help the team, make coach Stocks’ life a little easier, and just be able to help put the best product on the field and hopefully create the best culture that we can for our team.”
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