Only this time, he’ll be doing it on the college level.
Childs, who served on the Darlington coaching staff from 2001-2003, was named the new head men’s lacrosse coach at Shorter on Wednesday.
His hiring was announced by Shorter athletics director Bill Peterson.
“I am so excited to be named the head men’s lacrosse coach at Shorter University,” said Childs. “I want to thank Dr. Dowless, Bill Peterson and Chad Warner for giving me the opportunity to return to Rome.
“I cannot wait to get started building relationships with both current and prospective student-athletes,” he said.
Childs, a native of Baltimore, Md., comes to Shorter from NCAA Division I Mercer University, where he spent two seasons as head coach after starting the state of Georgia’s first Division I lacrosse program in 2009.
Childs will replace former head coach Nathan Young, who led the Hawks in their first two seasons as a program.
“Shorter has a great academic and athletic tradition to build on as it transitions to NCAA Division II status,” added Childs. “I began my collegiate coaching career in Division II and am eager to transition the lacrosse program in that direction.
“God has blessed me with this wonderful new chapter in my life, which is a homecoming of sorts for our entire family. The future of the Shorter Lacrosse family is very bright.”
While at Darlington, Childs was the offensive coordinator for the lacrosse team. He also taught American and British Literature and served as a resident faculty member. Childs was an assistant basketball coach and middle school football coach at Darlington.
“Jason’s hiring is the first since Chad Warner assumed the role of Senior Associate Athletic Director and we could not be more pleased,” said Peterson. “Chad has done a wonderful job in creating interest in Shorter from some of the best lacrosse coaching talent in the country. From that group of really fine coaches, Jason’s name rose to the top. He is certainly special.”
Childs brings a proven track record to the Hawks’ lacrosse program, which will enter its third year as a program in 2012-13.
Childs became Mercer’s first head coach for men’s lacrosse in September 2009 and led Mercer onto the field of competition for the first time in spring of 2011. Over his two seasons with Mercer, Childs built a reputation as a hard worker that worked to engage the community while building a successful program on the field.
“The fact that Jason was willing to leave a Division I head coaching position to come to Shorter speaks volumes about the future of our lacrosse program,” Warner said. “I have known Jason for a while and I can say emphatically that he has a heart for kids and for the mission of this school.
“We feel really fortunate to be able to turn our lacrosse program over to someone with the character of Jason Childs.”
Prior to his time at Mercer, Childs started the men’s lacrosse program at Presbyterian College in Clinton, S.C. He began his tenure with Presbyterian in 2006 and coached for three seasons, guiding the Blue Hose men’s lacrosse program’s transition from NCAA Division II to NCAA Division I status.
Prior to that, Childs was an assistant at Limestone College in Gaffney, S.C., where he was an instrumental part of the Saints highly successful program. During his two seasons, 2003 and 2004, Limestone went 24-2, winning the Deep South Conference title in 2004 and finishing second in the nation at the NCAA Division II Championships in both 2003 and 2004.
As a student-athlete, Childs was a four-year starter and two-year team captain as an attackman and midfielder at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Penn. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in American Studies in 2001.
Childs had a stellar playing career for the Red Devils, twice serving as the team’s captain and earning the program’s “Unsung Hero Award.” He set a school and Centennial Conference record for assists in a game with 11, while also posting the second-best single-game scoring performance of 12 points (11 assists/1 goal), on March 22, 2000 versus Susquehanna University.
Childs left Dickinson ranking fourth in career assists (64) and eighth on the school’s all-time scoring list with 108 points (44 goals/64 assists).
Childs prepped at the St. Paul School for Boys in Baltimore, Md., where he was a three-sport athlete, competing in lacrosse, soccer and basketball.
Childs is married to the former Mary Foss of Rome, Ga. The couple has three children, Elizabeth Ann, Jackson and Katy.
Shorter’s men’s lacrosse program opened its first season of competition in 2011. Under Young, the Hawks went 15-12 in their first two years, including an 8-9 campaign last season.
1. It seems as if he was moving up as he went from place to place.
2. His wife's from Rome.
If he's as good as he sounds, let's hope he stays.
I suppose that Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes made their divorce our business as well since we grew up watching Dawson's Creek and Risky Business.
If so, is there any evidence of this (like lower standards for athletes or higher pay for coaches)?
This has been a bleak year at Shorter with so many departures and so much bad news. So many people have questioned whether Dr. Dowless can do anything right -- even if his wife can pick lyrics or dance!! I know I've certainly worried about his interest in fund-raising.
So here we have some really good news -- let's all savor it and rejoice. Stealing a really good coach is a real coup for Chad Warner -- and for Donald Dowless. Let's all give him a big welcome and pray that Shorter can keep him.
As for signing the Lifestyle Statement, of course he would have signed it. Do you think Shorter would make an exception just for a coach (when they wouldn't do it for senior faculty)?
And even if Wbop doesn't have a personal stake in what goes on at Shorter, it's in the public interest to know if Shorter is cutting some people some slack on those statements in the interest of their athletic programs while not granting such leniency to others.
It's called integrity, and it is the public's business to know if Shorter has any.
When an institution enacts blatantly discriminatory policies, it's most certainly in the publics interest to keep an eye on it, especially within the local community.