In an attempt to try to revamp the lacrosse program, Trinity Prep has hired Marty Schriefer as its next head varsity coach. The program has gone through four head coaches in four years and is in need of a consistent coach. They have found exactly that in Schriefer.
Schriefer has been playing lacrosse for 46 years at both the club and collegiate levels. He played two years for Naval Academy Prep before moving to Vietnam for a year. After returning from Vietnam, Schriefer found himself playing at the club level for both Old Dominion University and the University of Kentucky.
Apart from Schriefer’s vast playing experience, he also has more than 18 years of coaching experience. His coaching career began at the middle school level in 2000 when he coached for Fort Collins Unified in Colorado. In 2003, Schriefer’s middle school days came to an end after he took the job as head coach of the varsity team at Fort Collins Unified. He remained the head coach of the varsity team for 14 years before taking his talents to Trinity.
Schriefer will be taking the reins from current Head of School Byron Lawson. Lawson was the coach of the varsity lacrosse team last season, which they finished 3-14.
Lawson decided to step down to the middle school level because he felt that the position required more time than he had and he did not have the right relationship with the players due to the fact that he is the Head of School. He believes that he left the team in good hands with Schriefer.
“There is a fair amount of talent at every position. Last year, I tried to shift to more of a collegiate style, which I think will be more in line with what [Schriefer] is planning to bring in,” Lawson said.
Lawson said he enjoyed his time as head coach, but hopes he can assist the middle school team to help the program be more successful at the high school level.
“Having two head coaches in the program [to] be able to look at all ends of the program has been successful for me in the past and I thought it would be successful here as well,” Lawson said.
Originally born in Northern Kingstown, Rhode Island, Schriefer now lives in Colorado with his wife. He has a very decorated educational background as he attended schools such as Old Dominion University, University of Kentucky, and Eastern Virginia Medical School. He currently works as a microbiologist, but plans to retire on March 17. He is still in the process of moving to Florida, but he claims that this move is permanent. The move to Florida works out well for Schriefer because he has family in Apopka. The move to Florida is also convenient for Schriefer because his wife got a job in Orlando at the same time that Trinity was looking for a new head coach. Schriefer had been in contact with Trinity ever since fall of 2016 when he came for a music recital and eventually met some Trinity science teachers.
Schriefer first saw the team in fall practice, which consists of offseason training and tournaments, and has been attending many of the team’s conditioning workouts since January. Schriefer isn’t the only newcomer to the Trinity lacrosse program. As Schriefer is still in the process of moving to Florida, Science Fellow Jon Wiese has stepped up to help conduct practices. Wiese will be the assistant coach for the varsity team and head coach for middle school this year. He is confident that Schriefer has exactly what it takes to greatly enhance the lacrosse program at Trinity.
“He is bringing excellent experience in both lacrosse and life to Trinity,” Wiese said. “In addition to finishing up an impressive career at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, he has extensive lacrosse coaching experience at the high school level in Colorado, and has actively been playing competitive lacrosse up until very recently. Coach Schriefer is an exciting addition the Trinity community.”
