ANGOLA, IND.—Karl Zimmerman has been named the head men's lacrosse coach at Trine University effective immediately, the school announced Friday.
Zimmerman takes over the helm of the Thunder program after spending two seasons at the University of Detroit, where he most recently served as the team's offensive coordinator. In Zimmerman's two years at Detroit, the Titans set program records in points, points per game, goals, assists, assists per game and faceoff-win percentage. He becomes the fourth head coach in the history of Trine's men's lacrosse program. Trine finished last season 8-8 overall and third in the MIAA. The Thunder open the regular-season Saturday, Feb. 22 at John Carroll University. Face-off is set for 2:00 p.m. Trine's home opener will take place Wednesday, Mar. 19 when they host Wooster.
"The addition of Karl Zimmerman as our head men's lacrosse coach is a tremendous boost to an already solid program," said Trine athletic director Matt Land. "Zimmerman's resume and success at every stop make him a valuable leader for our program. His commitment to excellence on the field and in the classroom will serve the program well moving forward."
Zimmerman coached two players who earned Second-Team All-MAAC honors and another two players who earned MAAC All-Rookie honors. In addition to Second-Team All-MAAC honors, midfielder Mike Birney also earned Most Outstanding Player at the MAAC Championship under Zimmerman's guidance.
"The primary goal for the Trine Men's Lacrosse program is to develop student-athletes of character and integrity who will pursue excellence in the classroom and on the lacrosse field as preparation for becoming positive members of the school and society," stated Zimmerman.
While at Detroit, Zimmerman was also in charge of the academic performance of the squad. Detroit led the MAAC with 18 All-Academic Team selections and posted a GPA above 3.10.
Prior to Detroit, Zimmerman spent two years coaching at the high school level. He was the offensive coordinator for Fort Collins in Colorado in 2010 and assisted both the junior varsity and varsity programs at Birmingham Brother Rice (Mich.) in 2011.
A four-year letterwinner in lacrosse at Ohio Wesleyan, Zimmerman earned First-Team All North Coast Athletic Conference recognition as a freshman in 2006 and honorable mention All-Conference in 2009. He helped the Bishops to four-consecutive appearances in the NCAA Division III Tournament.
Zimmerman graduated from Ohio Wesleyan with a Bachelor's degree in Physical Education in 2009 and is pursuing a Master's degree in Exercise Science.
Trine University is a member of the nation's oldest athletic conference, the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA). Located in Angola, Ind., Trine University is home to over 600 student-athletes that compete in 21 varsity sports.