Bernhardt returns to UMD as MLAX assistant

Jesse Bernhardt is both one of the best lacrosse defenseman and top young defensive coaching minds in lacrosse in the world today.

Jesse Bernhardt, a four-year letter winner and 2013 graduate of the University of Maryland, has been hired as an assistant coach for the Maryland Terrapins men’s lacrosse team, head coach John Tillman announced on Monday. Bernhardt will primarily work with the defense.

“We are thrilled to have Jesse return to the Maryland men’s lacrosse program,” Tillman said in a statement. “Jesse has had success in our system as both a player and a coach. He will be a valuable asset to our program as he remains one of the best players in the world at his position. I am confident he will be an excellent mentor and role model for our student-athletes, and we are fortunate to have him.”

Bernhardt spent last season as the defensive coordinator at Princeton, where he helped produce a first-team All-Ivy League goalie and defenseman and two freshman All-Americans by College Crosse. Before his year at Princeton, he was an assistant for two years at Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights ranked 48th in Division I defensively before Bernhardt got there and improved to 35th in 2015 and 29th in 2016, allowing only 9.88 goals per game.

Bernhardt started his coaching career as a volunteer assistant coach at Maryland, under Tillman, helping the Terps reach the NCAA Final Four.

Bernhardt has won a Major League Lacrosse championship and multiple-time MLL All-Star with the Chesapeake Bayhawks. He has played for Team USA and helped them finished as runner-up in the 2014 World Lacrosse Championship. He is currently a member of the team training for the 2018 World Lacrosse Championship. With played in a National Championship game at the collegiate level with the Terps and helped as an assistant, getting them to a Final Four.

Bernhardt was a two-time captain and two-time USILA All-American at Maryland. He was the ACC Co-Defensive Player of the Year as a junior in 2013.

“I cannot express how grateful I am for Coach Tillman to give me an opportunity to come ‘home,’” Bernhardt said in the statement. “I appreciate the trust he has shown in asking me to return to the University of Maryland. It is an honor to represent and be entrusted with the privilege of coaching there again. As an ex-Terp player and coach, it is truly a dream come true and I can’t wait to begin the process. I also want to thank Matt Madalon, the staff, and most importantly, the players for a tremendous opportunity to work with them at a place like Princeton. They are in great hands moving forward.”

Bernhardt is one of three brothers who played lacrosse at Maryland. His older brother Jake played for the Terps from 2009-13, while his younger brother Jared just completed his freshman season.

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Corey Johns

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You could say Corey was born to become a sports journalist. His father won a national championship coaching college soccer. His mother is a baseball fanatic who hasn't missed seeing an Orioles game since 1983 (literally, sometimes it's annoying). His great uncle was a big-time boxing promoter and his maternal grandfather was once a department head at the Baltimore Sun. Basically, sports and journalism run through his blood. He played just about every little league sports there was when he was a kid and was a multi-sport athlete in high school; even playing in the first-ever high school sanction Rugby game in the country. Eventually he retired from sports as an undefeated Maryland state Rugby champion as a high school senior. Perhaps lack of athletic talent has more to do with the retirement, but he will tell you that it more had to do with a great desire to jump right into media. Upon his graduation from University of Maryland, Baltimore County as a triple communications major, Corey started the So Much Sports network and has continued to grow his websites and continues to work to make them premier sports media outlets.

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