Chesney: Job at Cross special
WORCESTER — The search for a new football coach at Holy Cross spanned the country, but the Crusaders are hoping the answer resided just six miles away.
Bob Chesney, who guided Assumption to three NCAA Division 2 tournament appearances and won two Northeast-10 Conference championships in five years, formally was introduced as the 28th head coach of Holy Cross at the new Luth Athletic Complex. He was named to the position last Thursday.
Chesney was 67-25 with the Greyhounds and 23-9 in three years at Salve Regina (2010-12), both times turning around perennial struggling programs.
“I hope we can develop that type of relationship here to how close-knit of a group we truly were up there. It was something very, very special,” said Chesney, whose team this season was 11-2, reaching the quarterfinals and finishing No. 9 in the country. “It wasn’t anything that I was throwing a million resumes all over the place and trying to get out of there. It was going to take a special situation and a special place that I felt like I could make an impact at and help them further their program as well. It would have to strike a lot of different things, and it certainly did at Holy Cross.”
While financial terms were not announced, Holy Cross athletic director Nathan Pine said the contract is for five years, expressing his confidence that Chesney can bring the school back “into a position of prominence.”
The Crusaders are coming off a 4-7 season that included a win against No.9 New Hampshire. Head coach Tom Gilmore was fired after the team lost six of its last eight games.
Working in Worcester for the past five years, Chesney has seen Fitton Field plenty whether as a spectator or just driving down Interstate 290. Now, it’s his job to bring the glory back to a team that has not made the NCAA playoffs since 2009.
“I just look at it and (see) the potential and the hope and the future and the excitement that I have for what can be done here and what I think will be done here,” he said.
This year’s Greyhounds led Division 2 in forced turnovers and were highlighted by Andrew Benson being nominated for the Cliff Harris Award given to the small college defensive player of the year.
Chesney spoke about how he encourages his teams to take risks.
“Simplify it, play within the scheme and then play fast and fundamentally sound — getting off blocks and tackling. Those are things we do all day, every day,” he said.
With the bump up in divisions comes a bump in resources for staff and recruiting. “You’re used to doing things on your own and being frugal. Now you look at it and say we can chase some of these kids, which is what we’ll do,” Chesney said.
He gets his first challenge today with the start of the new two-day early signing period in Division 1. Chesney expressed confidence he will get the 10 players who have verbally committed to the Crusaders.
Holy Cross opens the 2018 season on Sept. 1 at Colgate followed by a trip to Boston College before the home opener on Sept. 15 against Yale.