TRAVERSE CITY — Casey Schaub’s move is about 40 feet.
The Traverse City United lacrosse assistant coach accepted the head coaching spot at Traverse City West after the Michigan High School Athletic Association forced Central and West to split up instead of fielding one lacrosse team.
His new spot will be just on the other side of the scorer’s table at Thirlby Field as West and Central field separate teams this spring.
“I’m super jazzed about it,” said Schaub, whose son Andrew played for United. “I’m ready to get things rocking out here.”
Schaub has coached a YMCA club team since 2013 when Andrew was in seventh grade. He’s since been an assistant with United since 2017, including as head junior varsity coach in 2018 and coaching the varsity B team last season.
United appealed the MHSAA’s decision to split the team that had well over 70 players last year.
“We wanted to stay together,” Schaub said. “We had a good thing going.”
The 48-year-old Schaub said he thinks more than 50 players are lined up to play at West, enough for a junior varsity squad, although that hasn’t yet been given final approval from the school.
“The sport sells itself,” Schaub said. “So it almost makes the job as coach easy. The excitement at West has already shocked me, the number of kids interested in the sport.”
About 30-35 of those players were with United last year, giving the team a good amount of experience. Another 6-11 or so youth players are coming in as freshmen, plus some first-time lacrosse players.
TC West and Central officially start practice March 10.
“I think he’s the right man for the job,” said Liberty Provost, who moved to Traverse City 19 years ago from out east and pushed lacrosse as a sport. “He’s got a great rapport with the players and he’s always dialed in. He sweats the little things. I’m excited for him.”
Provost coached the Traverse City travel team co-op between Central, West and Traverse City St. Francis in 2006-07 before the teams split. He has also coached Central’s club team from 2007 until it became a varsity sport in 2018.
Central and West started a girls co-op team also called United last spring.