September 17, 2015
Ancilla College is proud to announce the addition of Lacrosse to their athletic programs for the 2016-17 school year and have named Brian Welch head coach for the Chargers.
Welch is ushering in a new era as the first-ever Head Coach of Men’s Lacrosse at Ancilla College. Welch will be starting the program from the ground floor up as the Chargers begin play in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) and the Major College Lacrosse Association (MCLA D2) in the spring of 2017.
The newly-minted head coach joins Ancilla College after serving the previous three years as the first head coach of boy’s lacrosse in Marian High School’s (Mishawaka, IN) history. Welch guided the Knights to a 30-16 overall record (.652 winning %). During his tenure as the Knights coach, Welch developed some of the state’s best defenses as measured by goals-against average and his teams achieved back-to-back rankings among the top four teams in the state. Several of his players earned top 10 individual state rankings in total points per game average (#1 in 2013), assists (#5 in 2015; #7 in 2014), and save percentage (#8 in 2013). His 2014 team also had the 10th-best winning percentage in Indiana.
Welch coached four IHSLA All-State players, two Academic All-State First-Team selections, and one All-Academic team member. In 2013, he had the honor of coaching John Jessup, who won the Bob Scott Award for both the state of Indiana and the entire U.S. The award honors the top high school senior lacrosse player. Jessup beat out some of the very best players in the nation, including current University of Notre Dame All-American Sergio Perkovic
Since 2008 Welch also served as an Assistant Football Coach for Marian High School, coaching receivers and backs. He also coached the Marian school record holder for game, season and career receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns. Welch coached on the 2012 Knights squad that won the 3A Regional Championship and produced 5 All State players, 7 Elkhart Truth All-Area members, and 6 All Northern Indiana Conference First-Team selections.
Coach Welch has extensive experience working at the University of Notre Dame summer lacrosse camps, where he has instructed attack and midfield techniques. He also coached the squad that won the 2014 Notre Dame Summer Camp championship
Welch, who is also holds the title of Director of Institutional Effectiveness at the College, is a 1997 graduate of the University of Notre Dame, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Communications. He earned a Masters of Education in Higher Education Administration from Ohio University in 2004. He and his wife, Dr. Andrea Welch, reside in South Bend, Indiana.
Ancilla College (www.ancilla.edu), part of The Center at Donaldson, offers 18 associate degrees and 12 athletic programs. Since 1937, the College has been a sponsored ministry of the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ. It is a small, private, liberal arts school in Donaldson, Indiana. It is located two miles south of U.S. 30 on Union Road near Plymouth, Indiana.