With a glance at her track record, there is little doubt Cindy Timchal can live up to a challenge. Timchal, recently named the head coach of the new women?s lacrosse program at the U.S. Naval Academy, has carved out her niche in the pantheon of great coaches in the sport. Her eight national titles at Maryland included a string of seven in a row.
Now, she must translate her win-loss success (309-74 career record) into recruiting as she builds Navy?s program from the ground up.
“I?m confident that there are many lacrosse players out there that want to be apart of this, sort of the first to put on a uniform and compete with the academy,” Timchal said Tuesday while on vacation with her family in Massachusetts.
The Naval Academy has understandably shown the same confidence.
“Cindy?s accomplishments are unparalleled and are a benchmark for any coach at any division of competition,” Naval Academy director of athletics Chet Gladchuck said in a news release. “Having her accept this historic opportunity clearly illustrates our institutional commitment to succeeding in the fastest growing sport for women in the country.”
Timchal agreed, saying that the addition of the first women?s program at a U.S. military academy “is a great step for women?s lacrosseacross the country.”
“It?s just a wonderful, exciting opportunity,” she said. “I?ve been waiting some time for the Naval Academy to have women?s lacrosse. And when it came, it seemed like the right thing to do.”
THE TIMCHAL FILE
» Timchal?s 233-34 mark in her tenure at College Park built the Terrapins program into the most successful in the sport.
» She is a five-time Atlantic Coast Conference coach of the year and a two-time national coach of the year.
» Timchal has coached 70 All-Americans, and eight of her former players now coach successful collegiate women?s lacrosse programs.
