By Kyle Bierman
The COVID-19 Pandemic affected everybody in one way or another. Kevin Faustich (WNE ’21) was a Golden Bear lacrosse player with multiple Criminal Justice related internship opportunities lined up for the summer—before the world changed.
That summer, Kevin realized he would have an extra year of eligibility to play lacrosse. Faustich, along with most of his teammates in his graduating class, decided they would come back and play another season of Bear Ball. Once making that decision, the next question was: then what?
Faustich talked with Coach Klepacki, the Head Coach for the Western New England Men’s Lacrosse team, about the opportunity to coach. Klepacki told him he could play the first year and then, as a graduate assistant (GA), coach the second year.
Faustich loved the idea. As a Golden Bear, he’d earned two Second-Team All-Conference selections (2018 and 2019) and a pair of First-Team All-Conference selections (2021 and 2022). He was CCC Defensive Player of the Year in 2021. That same year, he was named Western New England Male Athlete of the Year and earned an All-American Honorable Mention.
“I loved my experience with Bear Ball,” Faustich said. “I am confident that we were able to help leave the program better than we found it. We beat two ranked teams. We made it to the third round of the NCAA tournament last year. I am glad I was able to help be a part and create a legacy here.”
In the fall of 2022, Faustich made the transition to coach.
“The transition was a little weird. You still have those friendships and relationships with the guys that will never go away. The dynamic just changes once you have the whistle in [your] hand,” Faustich explained. “It’s way different now, asking the guys to do things and hold them accountable while I am on the sideline coaching, and not on the field in pads anymore. I need to draw the line between being a teammate and coach, which can be tough at times.”
But coming from inside the program gave him insight and knowledge.
“It was positive for both sides—the locker room and the coach’s office. Other coaches that are coming in will typically take a bit to try to get a hang of how the guys are, and how they operate. By being in the program for my five years, I already know how the guys are, so I know what will work best for them a lot of the time.”
Working as a coach, Faustich has learned a lot.
“I have such a greater respect for the profession and how to be good coach and be successful. It is not easy. There are tons of hours going into numerous things, and I did not realize how complicated they might be. When I played, I was a film rat—I watched a lot of film—but I was only looking for a few things. Now, as a coach, I am watching even more film, but now I am looking for a lot more things to cover to relay to the team.”
This spring, Faustich looks to lead the Golden Bears to another CCC Championship, this time from the sidelines as a coach.
“I am extremely happy with my time playing Bear Ball, so I am hoping to walk away with the same feeling this season after coaching the guys.”
