Loyola Blakefield hires Will Haus to lead its lacrosse program

Haus is former college All-American and national champion at Duke who went on to star as a professional in the Premier Lacrosse League

Nelson Coffin

Published 6/2/2023 9:28 a.m. EDT

Will Haus, a former 1st-Team All-American and a two-time NCAA champion at Duke University, as well as a World Champion with Team USA, has been named the new head lacrosse coach at Loyola Blakefield, succeeding Gene Ubriaco, who announced prior to the 2023 campaign that he would be stepping down at season's end.
Will Haus, a former 1st-Team All-American and a two-time NCAA champion at Duke University, as well as a World Champion with Team USA, has been named the new head lacrosse coach at Loyola Blakefield, succeeding Gene Ubriaco, who announced prior to the 2023 campaign that he would be stepping down at season's end. (Loyola Blakefield)

Will Haus is arriving at his ancestral home, taking over the lacrosse program at his father’s and grandfather’s alma mater — Loyola Blakefield.

He succeeds Gene Ubriaco, who announced before the season that the 2023 campaign would be his last with the Dons.

Loyola, which finished No. 4 in The Baltimore Banner/VSN Boys Lacrosse Final Top 15 team rankings, posted an 11-6 record and reached the semifinal round of the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference playoffs before being ousted by archival Calvert Hall last month.

Haus, who has been an assistant lacrosse coach at Malvern Prep in suburban Philadelphia for the last eight years, was a two-time NCAA champion and a 1st-Team All-America defensive midfielder at Duke before playing professionally in the Premier Lacrosse League. He and older brother John Haus were members of the 2018 Team USA world championship squad.

His father, also named John Haus, coached at John Hopkins and North Carolina, where he was an All-American defenseman after graduating from Loyola. He just completed his 14th season as the Lebanon Valley College (PA) coach.

As a coach’s son and a D-middie with offensive flair, Will Haus is familiar with all the facets of the game.

After all, he totaled over 100 points in each of his two years at Palmyra Area High School (PA).

“From my playing experience, I understand what offenses are trying to do,” he said. “I’m very comfortable coaching both ends of the field.”

Haus added that he will take pieces of what he has learned from coaches he admires, such as his dad, Duke’s John Danowski and Malvern Prep legend John McEvoy, to help develop his own style.

“I’ve been fortunate to have great coaches,” he said. “I’ve been around them my whole life. I’ll take what I’ve learned from them and apply it to my team.”

Told by former Duke teammate and Loyola grad Deemer Class that the Dons were looking for Ubriaco’s replacement, Haus said he reached out to Loyola athletic director Blake Henry to inquire about the opening.

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In addition to his family ties to the school, Haus said that there is a lot to like about a program with such a rich lacrosse tradition.

“Loyola is one of the best programs in the country,” he said. “They have some pieces that I’m really excited about. And more than that, I know that they’re really good kids on and off the field.”