Nick Cotter | Head Coach
Nick Cotter is entering his ninth season as the head coach of Newberry men's lacrosse. In the latest season, he guided the team to an impressive 7-3 record in conference play and an overall record of 10-7, highlighted by a thrilling one-goal victory over #5 ranked Wingate. During the 2024 campaign, he led the Wolves to a 12-4 record, including 6-3 in conference competition, with a notable win against then-#6 ranked UIndy (14-9) on the road. Newberry ended the season on a high note, clinching the 4th seed in the SAC Tournament after finishing with a three-game winning streak and defeating #5 Anderson in the quarterfinals.
The men's lacrosse team has produced several All-Americans over the past two seasons. This includes the Conference Offensive Player of the Year in 2024, Scott Reed, and the Defensive Player of the Year in 2025, Brian Lake. In 2025, the Wolves had seven players named to the all-conference team, with two earning first-team honors.
Cotter's playing career was distinguished; he was a three-time All-American at Dowling College, leading the Golden Lions to their first Division II national title game appearance in 2006. Before joining Newberry, Cotter served three seasons as an assistant coach at Saint Leo University in Florida, where he contributed to the Lions achieving a 9-5 overall record and finishing just outside the top 20 in the coaches' poll in 2016.
He has also held coaching positions at Mercyhurst North East and played/served as a coach with the Charlotte Copperheads in the Professional Lacrosse League. Cotter’s playing career concluded in 2015 and included time with three franchises in the National Lacrosse League (NLL) as well as teams in two other leagues.
Originally from Ontario, Cotter had his most successful years in the NLL, an indoor league consisting of five American and four Canadian franchises. Over five seasons in the NLL, he scored 48 goals and tallied 43 assists in 48 professional games. His best season came in 2010 when he scored 20 goals and provided 14 assists in 13 games, helping the Boston Blazers advance to the NLL’s Eastern Division Semifinal.
“I’m grateful that Newberry has provided me with the chance to build this program from the ground up,” Cotter stated. “I’m eager to contribute to the winning culture here and become part of the Newberry family.”
“We had a fantastic group of applicants,” said Patterson. “Nick's name was consistently mentioned during our discussions, and we are thrilled that he is joining the Newberry College family. We look forward to witnessing him establish a strong lacrosse program.”
Cotter has spent three seasons learning from Brad Jorgensen, the sole head coach in Saint Leo history, who led the program to its varsity competition debut in 2006.
“Nick possesses extensive offensive knowledge,” Jorgensen remarked. “He excelled in leading the strongest man-up unit in Division II Lacrosse last season, bringing his unique combination of playing and coaching experience to the field. He is a dedicated recruiter with solid connections in Canadian and Junior College lacrosse, making him well-equipped to launch Newberry's lacrosse program from its inception.”
“Coach Jorgensen has been a significant influence on my coaching journey,” Cotter noted. “He taught me the fundamentals of building a successful program. He established a program from scratch that is now regularly ranked in the top 15. I’m excited to do the same at Newberry.”
Rodney Tapp | Assistant Coach
Rodney Tapp returns to Newberry College as assistant coach in the fall of 2024 after serving as the head coach at Tusculum the past three seasons..
In his first season in 2022, the Pioneers finished with a 9-7 record and averaged nearly 14 goals per game, while leading Division II in man-up offense at 60.8 percent. The Pioneers followed up with a 4-11 record in 2023 and led the SAC in shots per game at 30.6.
Tapp was assistant coach at Newberry during the 2021 season, helping the Wolves to a 7-5 overall record and a 6-4 mark in the South Atlantic Conference The Wolves rank fifth in Division II in man-down defense, eighth in ground balls per game, 13th in clears and 24th in faceoffs.
Before Newberry, Tapp was an assistant coach at Ohio Wesleyan University for three years from 2018 to 2020. At Ohio Wesleyan, Tapp helped the Battling Bishops rank 11th in Division III in scoring offense during the 2019 season.
A native of St. Catharines, Ontario, Tapp brings a wealth of playing experience to Tusculum. He played 10 seasons of professional indoor lacrosse from 1995 to 2004, scoring 26 goals and 83 assists for 109 points in 95 career games for Boston, Syracuse, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Washington, Rochester, Columbus and Arizona. During his NLL career, Tapp was an All-Star Game participant in both 1999 and 2003.
Tapp is noted in lacrosse circles for his faceoff ability in both the indoor and outdoor game, having won 55.6 percent of more than 3,100 draws during his professional career. He retired from the NLL as the league's all-time leader in face-off wins.
Following his playing career, Tapp started coaching at Owen Sound District Secondary School in 2006 and has coached both indoor and outdoor at the select, junior, midget and bantam levels. His Team Ontario midget squad was silver medalist at the 2017 Canadian Nationals.
Tapp played collegiately at Whittier College from 1986 to 1988 and was a two-time All-WCLL selection. He earned an associates degree in physical education from Douglas College in New Westminster, B.C. and has 180 credits toward a bachelors degree at Pacific Lutheran University.
Tapp played for Team Canada from 1994 to 2002 and was a member of the silver medalist squad at the 1998 World Games. Tapp's senior teams won three Mann Cup Championships in the 1990s and he was inducted to the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame as a member of the 2008 Six Nation Chiefs and the 2011 Victoria Seaspray. Tapp was also a three-time OLA Senior B Champion from 2002-2004.
Off the field, Tapp was the NLL player representative for the Professional Lacrosse Players Association in 2003-04, and was Player Compensation chair from 1999 to 2004. Tapp has also earned strength and conditioning coach certification from the Fitness Resource Association and the International Fitness Professional Association.