When Penn State hired Jeff Tambroni as its lacrosse coach last July, a lot of his fellow coaches were happy but sad.
A dream matchup could become a nightmare.
"If the university decides to step up to the plate and support the program, and my sense is that must be the case with Jeff there, I think they can be a power," Syracuse coach John Desko said of the hire.
It's inevitable.
It might take two years, maybe three or four, but the Nittany Lions will become a power under Tambroni, just like Cornell did during his 10 years there.
Tambroni is only 41, has charisma and is extremely personable. He has learned from some of the best in the business, including Georgetown's Dave Urick and Johns Hopkins' Dave Pietramala.
"He builds the family concept on a team better than anyone else," said Bayhawks president and former Maryland coach Dave Cottle.
There is one other thing: Penn State is a godsend as far as recruiting. The campus is tucked away in the scenic mountains of Pennsylvania, and the Nittany Lions athletic programs are some of the best in the country.
Is there any better device for recruiting than to have Joe Paterno meet a wide-eyed, 18-year-old, or have them attend a home football game against Ohio State?
There is, though, something missing from the trophy case. The Nittany Lions haven't won an NCAA Division I lacrosse championship since the tournament began. In 33 years under previous coach Glenn Thiel, the Nittany Lions only made the NCAA tournament twice, and never advanced past the first round.
Until Tambroni was hired, Penn State was college lacrosse's quiet storm despite the growth of the sport in Pennsylvania. That will change now, like it did for Notre Dame, which picked up lacrosse as a varsity sport in 1981.
"We want to be like Notre Dame as far as winning, but Penn State can be Penn State," Tambroni said. "We have enough symbolism here with our own teams to know about the history of having success."
The Nittany Lions have a great ambassador in Tambroni. Everywhere he goes, he'll wear a Penn State hat, just like he with the Big Red when he was at Cornell. He'll also have his players bring a lunch box or hard hat to practice every day. A lot of coaches like to talk about the family concept on their teams, but it's different with Tambroni.
On March 17, 2004 in a game against Binghamton, Cornell senior defenseman George Boiardi, 22, died on the field after being struck in the chest by a ball.
"The Boiardi family provided our university, our players, our team with great strength and great faith," Tambroni said. "They put life in perspective as to what is important, and what isn't, and how meaningful relationships are.
"Building those relationships with the players, their families, our staff and alumni is one of the main reasons I coach. I want to create something special in the locker room, something that is greater than yourself."
The trademark of Tambroni-coached teams is discipline and unselfishness. He has had some superstars, but it's usually a group of blue-collar players who simply wear down the opposition.
Cornell midfielders were relentless in winning ground balls and applying defensive pressure. There wasn't any room for hotdogs.
"We just want to make the simple plays," Tambroni said. "They don't have to be miraculous plays, but consistent with the way we practice and the way we play, from day to day, from year to year.
"On offense, we want to take the best shot possible, not the first shot possible. With every player, we know their range, and if it is there we take it, and if it isn't, we want to be patient enough to work for it. It's the same on defense. We don't want one person to stand out, but for everyone to communicate, be reliable, accountable and consistent."
It's basic stuff, but consistent and good enough to make Tambroni No. 5 among active coaches in wins (109-40 overall record). He has been to the NCAA Final Four three of the past four years and had 37 first-team All-Ivy and 39 All-American players.
Tambroni will recruit more in Baltimore than in the past when he was at Cornell.
"When you're in Ithaca, it was more challenging because it's four to five hours away from Baltimore, it's cold and you have the Ivy League academic environment," Tambroni said. "But now, we're only two-and-a-half to three hours away. We've already had more interest than what we're accustomed to at Cornell.
"The time was right for me and my family to come here, and if it wasn't then, then it might have been never. I've told the recruits that you can go to a place where the house is already built, or you can roll up your sleeves and build the house yourself."
The recruits believe.
"As soon as I got on the campus, I liked the sights around it," said Boys Latin' senior midfielder Taylor Stothoff, who has committed to Penn State. "He talked to me about family, about hard work and being blue collar. He said that when I got there, he was going to make sure I did the right things. He didn't talk to me about just being a lacrosse player, but becoming a man."