My Greatest Pregame Speech
Joe Breschi Shares the Tragedy and Inspiration Behind UNC Men’s Lacrosse Magical National Championship Run
Today’s guest coaches the fastest game on two feet. Any guesses for what that might be? Lacrosse. But he’s not just any coach.
Joe Breschi led the UNC Men’s Lacrosse team to a national championship in 2016, and today, he shared with us the journey of that season, but also the tragedy that preceded it and how God led him every step of the way.
His story is one you won’t want to miss.
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Episode Transcript
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Henry Kaestner: Welcome back to The Faith Driven Athlete podcast. This is a special edition. If you've been listening this for a while, you know that I start most episodes by saying this is a special edition. In this case, it's an extra special one. We're going to do a little bit of time travel on this podcast. We're gping tp talk about a sport and a city that are really important to me. And we've just got incredible leader and a guest and a guy named Joe Breschi, who's the head lacrosse coach at UNC. Joe, welcome to the program.
Joe Breschi: Thanks for having me. I really appreciate it. Thrilled to be here.
Henry Kaestner: So here's why this is a special deal for me. Joe and I hail from the same hometown of Baltimore, Maryland. And as I've often said to people, I love Baltimore for a whole bunch of different reasons. But if you're from Baltimore, you can only be snobby about a couple things. You can be snobby about crabs. You can be snotty about Cal Ripken. And you can be snobby about lacrosse. And lacrosse is such a big part of the culture that's in Baltimore. It's a big part of my family's story. I've got my grandfather had seven boys, all of whom played great high school lacrosse, six first team, all Americans in college, among them, two guys on the defensive end of the year. One was an attack man of the year. And so probably 15 family members that played the sport. And I was not one of them. I was a runner, but I grew up around it. I was in sixth grade. My father said, you know, you're a great runner. You should probably stick with running. And I know that you like lacrosse, but you're a really good runner. What he didn't tell me at that time, Joe, was that girls do not show up to the cross-country meets, but they do show up to lacrosse games. And maybe that was part of God's plan for me in my life. But part of growing up was going to this great school named Loyal Blakefield in the years 1981. And there is a really neat girl who is a senior at the girls school that would drive us in. And she said, my boyfriend's cousin is coming to school and he's this great athlete. And I remember watching you play freshman football, which is probably 1981, 1982 or something like that. But we're going to start off this story in 1986, Baltimore, Maryland, where if you're from Texas and Justin, who's my co-host regularly is big into Friday Night Lights. But the big deal at the time was the MSA it's now called MIAA lacrosse championship? If memory serves at UMBC, you're playing boys Latin. All eyes are on you. Thousands of people in the stands talked to me through your first. You've won bunch of championships, but the one that made the biggest impression on me probably was that one back in 1986 where the entire student body felt like the whole city of Baltimore is out to watch you guys go against Boys Latin. Who'd beaten you the year before. Talk to me through that if you can even remember back that far.
Joe Breschi: Well, that's a great memory, by the way, because I'm looking back at my junior year and I remember we lost to them in the finals. Now we have a opportunity to get them back again. And we had such a great team. I mean, we were loaded with guys going Division one lacrosse. And, you know, from Tommy Brennan Jr. in the cage and Craig Haslinger and Chris Bane's and the McNulty twins. And I mean, we had the defense myself and a couple other defenders, Chris Arthur and Dan Cummings and all those guys. But a lot of us played football. So we were all lineman on the football team. And then we had six in our hands in the spring, which is fantastic. So but I remember Joe Macfadan was such a great mentor to me. And, you know, as you gather being a coach now, you've got to gather those experiences from your coaches. And the impact that they've made on my life is just extraordinary. And the cool thing was Joe Macfadan and I always had a great relationship. And, you know, I think we really turned it up to win it for him. And, you know, we get out there on the field and of course, you know, your heads are spinning. The excitement is high. But also the revenge factor is a big thing as we see sports. And, you know, we had an opportunity to go out there and we played as good of lacrosse as we played in my four years at Loyola, and we're able to dominate the game and take home the trophy. And it was phenomenal. Play by play, I don't remember a lot, but I do remember the celebration for sure.
Henry Kaestner: And I remember, too, I was Loyola Blakefield, for those you don't know, is an all boys school. And I think any school has got a good school spirit. But in particular, there's a guy named Rob Costantini that led the student body and cheering and I felt like the whole school was behind that time. And so that's a long, long time ago. Nineteen eighty six. OK. So fast forward a little bit. You go to university of North Carolina. A college that has a great history of great defenseman Tom Hause, who had gone and proceeded, both of us at Loyola Blakefield there wins the defenseman a year, I think three times or something crazy like that. You go in, you have a standout career finishing as the sole captain, your senior year first team, all American. Talk to me about what it's like going from Baltimore to a place where you'd been winning national championships. What was that like for you? Just leaning into your lacrosse career as a college athlete.
Joe Breschi: I got to tell you, and I'm going to take it back a little bit, my experience. I played baseball through eighth grade and I got a couple of stories that I tell kids all the time. And in my experiences, not only with my own team, but also with every camper that comes to our any of our camps in the summer and throughout the year and prospect base and all that. My freshman year at Loyola Blakefield, I tried out for the freshman team and I got cut. So I had a choice to make. My dad always wanted me to be the next Cal Ripken. So I had a choice. Should I go baseball or should I stick with lacrosse and go play rec? So I went and played rec ball for my freshman year while I was at Loyola. So I played football in the fall and then played rec lacrosse freshman year. And so I just worked on my skill and I told these kids all the time. It's funny, but I got cut. They look at me and they're like, You got cut. And I was like, did I get cut for my freshman high school senior, my comeback's sophomore year? And I'm trying out for J.V. and I grew about five or six inches. So I was over six feet tall. And there was a young man named Carthay Powell, a midfielder. And yet he was our best player on the JV team. And he was a year younger to me, a freshman. And the only reason I made the team was I could throw an over the head check. That's the only reason I was on the team. I didn't play much. I was found in and out of the lineup on occasion. I was slow. I was what you call that crease defenseman back then that didn't have to get pulled off the crease area. So fast forward to my junior year. You know, I play a little bit and then in kind of pre-season and practice and then I'm telling you, this is what's so beautiful about sports, right, is there was a guy named John Jeffie who was ahead of me. He was a senior ahead of me starting defenseman. My coach was John Hawes. So you mentioned the Hawes family. John was extraordinary player. Tommy was even better. And Kevin played with me as well at Carolina. But John Hawes was the coach. We practiced for three weeks. We're going into our first scrimmage that weekend. And I was the backup defenseman to John Jeffie. And it was Monday. I remember like it was yesterday. And, you know, I was working and he was a senior and Troy Vance was another senior there who was excellent. And I remember John Jeffie broke the shoelace on his cleats and John Haws goes, go in there and get another pair. So he runs into the locker room at practice and he says, Breschi, get in there. And I didn't leave for two years after that. Because of a broken shoelace, I got an opportunity to be a three year starter at Loyola and then fulfill my dream to go to Carolina. Of course, I didn't know what my dream was, but John Hall kind of steered me in the direction of, you know, the recruiting process and going out at Johns Hopkins and Loyola close to home. And then I went to Chapel Hill and it was over as soon as I walked on campus. So everybody's journey is so different. And I like it. I tell the kids, I said, look, myself and Michael Jordan are the only two to get cut in high school and have an opportunity, go on to play at Carolina.
Henry Kaestner: Although there's another lesson there, too, you know, I think that the greatest defenseman ever play. You may disagree as Dave Petramala and Dave was a baseball player up in the high school as well and also didn't star in high school, I think the to New Year, too. And so I think there's a lesson in there for kids that are maniacally focused on playing since they're three years old. And if they take something off when they're six years old and they miss a camp or something like that, they're lacrosse careers gone. But the reality is, is that there are multiple different paths to excellence in any sport, but definitely lacrosse.
Joe Breschi: Yeah. And, you know, Dave and I were teammates and roommates in the 94 World Games over in Europe. So we're we're very good friends. Both Italian, love to eat.
Henry Kaestner: Was he an intense roommate?
Joe Breschi: He was a great roommate. He was so fun. And we're so good friends to this day, obviously, and. A wonderful man. And, you know, we stay in touch. But a fierce competitor. One of the best. You talk about continuing to learn, you know, by playing with them by your side. Holy cow. Spectacular.
Henry Kaestner: OK, so we've come up and fast forward a little bit through part of the conversation that we typically hit up first up, which is tell us some other things maybe about you're growing up and you, of course, have found yourself on the faith driven athlete podcast. So really interested also to hear your faith story and your faith journey about where they came about, you know? Well, you and I both went to a high school where the motto was add my aurum de glorium, to the greater glory of God meant for others is a Jesuit motto. Faith was not a big part of my life when I was a loyal and was until I was later. I don't know if that's the case for you or not. But before we come back to lacrosse, you're playing career and then your coaching career can you take us through your faith journey a little bit.
Joe Breschi: Yeah, I luckily my mom was Irish Catholic. My father's Italian Catholic. So I grew up in a heavy Catholic in a great way and was introduced to faith that way. Went to immaculate conception from kindergarten all the way up through eighth grade before I headed to the Loyola High School and I was an altar boy. So we were in church every Sunday. My brother and I were both altar boys, you know, much like you, I think, you know, those younger days were more kind of exploring and learning and understanding the Catholic side of things and, you know, was very tight with the priest. Then, you know, we had a religion class every day at Immaculate Conception, and it was great. But I never really knew God. I think that's the thing that struck me the most was just trying to get an understanding of what faith really is. And I knew I went to church on Sundays. I knew I prayed to God, but I didn't really have that personal relationship kind of food my younger years. And even in the high school, you know, we went the loyal and all of a sudden you're playing in these high school games, football and lacrosse, and, you know, having fun with your friends and kind of growing up. And faith was there, but it wasn't as entrenched as it is or began to be in my later years. And, you know, I continue to go to church at Loyola high school, obviously on Sundays and then off to college. And, you know, how loyala is it was you know, you mentioned meant for others. And again, although I was a part of it and felt like my relationship with God was growing and kind of up and down, I never really felt that extreme closeness as I do now. And I think that's one of those things that for me, I'm glad. And this is what we try to teach our daughters through the word. Is that relationship with God will grow daily if you allow it. And I think they my parents guided us from a Catholic standpoint. But I think, you know, the relationship was not as tight as it is now for sure.
Henry Kaestner: So take us through some of the times when maybe your faith was tested. We fast forward a bit. And before we turn to the lacross, talk about 2004 in a great tragedy that happened that has inspired and courage so much of the lacross community. Can you take us through that a bit?
Joe Breschi: Yes. And again, I've spent two years up at Chapel Hill as an assistant coach with the head coach and then up to Brown University for five years. And then fast forward, I met my wife at Brown and then had an opportunity to go to Ohio State and be the head coach there. We got married in nineteen ninety nine. Two thousand. We had our son Michael. And then 2001 had Sammy and in 2003 had Abby. And then in 2004, you know, you remember things like it was yesterday. Certainly something, you know, as tragic as this is, our son Michael was going to preschool. He was three and a half and was pouring down rain. My wife went to go pick him up and she was in the parking lot and went into the school with the other two kids and in the rain and was putting two kids in the car. And Michael strayed away from the car and one of the cars next to it backed out and hit Mike and killed him in the parking lot of the preschool. And obviously, you know, just reliving those moments of what took place during that time, it certainly tested every aspect of my faith why this could possibly happen to us. And I remember like it was yesterday. It was a Monday morning. But the day before we were in mass and it was pancake Sunday. And the Catholic school there and ironically, it was immaculate conception. And I remember walking into where the kids went while we were having mass.
And Michael was the last one in there, eat pancakes. And I remember praying to God prior to that saying, please watch over my kids and my wife, Julie. Keep our faith strong. And I went in, grabbed them and went out and spent the day.
And it's the first time he had ever ridden his bike all the way around the block on his own that Sunday afternoon. And then Monday morning, I was at practice with the guys at Ohio State. And I get a call from my secretary because I didn't have a cell phone. And she called the athletic trainer and the athletic trainer came to me and said, you need to go home. Michael got hurt. And I was like, that's odd. So I don't know if he's at the hospital. He's at home. So I started driving home, but we always live two to three miles from campus so we can have the players over for dinner. So I was close in Clintonville, right in Columbus and drove the car. And right at the corner there was a stoplight. And of OlatanjiRiver Road, there's the hospital up on my left and I see the cross and my house is about four or five blocks to the right. And I just happened to look at the cross and God spoke to me and said, come to the hospital. So I went to the hospital and I went to the emergency room and there was Michael and my wife. And, you know, if he was obviously on life support time, they're just keeping him alive for us. And we prayed. But it was a challenge. It was obviously it was a huge challenge to my faith. You know, struggling through that time or because, as I mentioned, I think my faith is strong, but it was never, I think at that time. The struggles I had with faith were greater than my actual faith I had. So that's where my conflict was, why this could happen to us, what we do to cause this anger, frustration, you just a lot of pain. And I say that was the toughest life had to offer.
In the years since then, how have you felt, how have you seen God work in your life? By the way, Thank you for sharing that. Very moving. I can tell you from having watched it from afar and just the impact it made in the larger Baltimore community and lacrosse community, it was profound and just have been amazing to see again from a distance about how this worth through a lot of different people's lives. Maybe we'll get to that a little bit later on. Want to continue talking about your personal faith journey. So clearly that's awful, awful time testing your faith, some real challenges there since 2004. How ave you seen your faith mature and how is it becoming part of your life and really growing? That clearly talked about working with your daughters. But was there another time along that continuum where you said, I'm a really lean in because a lot of people can go? You can go either way. You can say, where was God when I needed him? How can a God who is loving allow something like that to happen? And therefore he must not be real? Knowing enough about your story, you chose a different path. What took you there?
Joe Breschi: Well, I think the fact that you mentioned the Baltimore community, the lacross community, them and the Ohio State really wrapped their arms around myself and Julie, and so many people of faith reached out to us. And one guy in particular, Jim Schmidt from Athletes and Action Groups at Ohio State. He was incredibly powerful for me. And we had a Bible study for coaches, including Jim Tressel, who's a good friend of mine, and Jim Schmidt. He was driving home one day. And again, I never met Jim. And I came back to practice like two, two and a half weeks after it happened right in the middle. We've just beat Navy with our biggest win of our program's history. Basically in 2004, actually, they went on to lose the national championship game to Syracue that year and Ohio State, we had beat them. So I'd come back Saturday, went to church Sunday, and Mike passed on Monday. So two and a half weeks later, I go to practice. And that's what kind of brought me were these guys and I just had to walk into the corner. Woody Hayes Athletic Center as practice ended and just was crying in the corner and in walks this man and he walks the whole length of the field and comes down and he says, are you Joe Breschi? I said, Yes. He goes, I'm Jim Schmidt. He said, I was driving home after a Bible study with football and God told me to come back and find you. And he found me. We sat down and talked for a tower. And I'll never forget what he said. He said, you know, you have two ways to go. He goes, I know you're hurting. You should be hurting. And he said. The toughest thing is that Michael isn;t here, but you will meet again in paradise.
And for me, just the envisioning paradise. And I always say that when I do, I post about Mike's birthday or the day pass when I shaved my head. Every year we ever had a chance to go get a haircut together. We mentioned doing that. That summer is shaving our heads together. We never did. So every March 1st, I shaved my head and that's the day Mike passed. But I remember him talking about faith, saying, look, he is in a better place. He is sitting with God right now. And it's just, you know, again, I was struggling with my faith and to sit back and just to envision Michael in paradise with God was like the greatest vision I could possibly have. And it just pulled me where I needed to go with God and how I needed to come closer, how I needed to start reading the Bible and deeper dove into the Bible and understand it and grasp that through these Bible studies that we were having. Made me a better person, a better man, a better coach, a better parent, better husband, a better friend. And I sunk my teeth into God's word. And that's where this whole journey for me took the next steps that I was just surface. At first, I think through my younger years and then understanding what God wanted me to do. And honestly, I really the biggest thing that changed our life in helping us heal through this, just the pain of it, was helping others. And we've met with and spoken with dozens of families who lost children that have done so with open arms and an understanding because they're looking at us, you know, who are struggling with the same things we did. Our faith tells us that God who loves us. And just understanding that and saying, you know what, we're still here and we have God in our heart and on our minds all the time. And you're going to see your child in paradise. And to me, that's been the biggest transformation of our faith by faith through all of this and have spilled that over to our kids and my team over the years. And it's been powerful to see God take a very tragic situation and turn it faith driven.
Henry Kaestner: So fast forward to 2016. You guys have just beaten Notre Dame 13 nine. You go into Final Four, had a couple of challenging misses in the years that just preceded that. But you guys break through and the raw emotion, I mean, in a composed way. But the real emotion that I think every viewer felt was profound. Just take us through what it meant to go to the final four. And there's the relief and just what that felt like for you.
Joe Breschi: Yeah, well, I got to tell you, and the story was so powerful and Frank Kelly actually told me you should write a book. He said this was just unreal. Just everything that kind of surrounded it right. With the women. And them being in the same hotel as us and, you know, they win the national championship. There were so many things going on. But, you know, Mike is always and I've always brought Mike with me on my heart. And, you know, when I got to North Carolina, I started a couple things. One is relationships with alumni. Second thing is relationships with players. And third thing and most importantly, was just to open a door to kids for faith by starting a Bible study. So myself and Brian Holeman, other Baltimore guy, Hopkins graduate, was my volunteer. We started a Bible study with two guys. My first year in 2009. And by twenty, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, there were twenty five guys in the Bible study.
And that to me was what it's all about. It's just opening a door to someone's faith and saying, look, you can walk in. You can just come and listen. You can just take your own journey. And that's what it is. We're all taking our own journey. So they knew my faith. The players, they know about Michael, because every year we do an event with Ohio State in the fall where an Ohio State senior is granted the Michael Breschi Memorial Scholarship, which is the largest athletic scholarship at Ohio State, which is really cool. And so we're always remembering and talking about Michael. So the guys, you know, they're texting me about when his birthday is March 1st all the time because they see I shaved my head.
Some of the guys have shaved their heads, I have the guy shave my head. So, oh, it's a really cool and powerful family between both UNC and Ohio State and Nick Mire has done a phenomenal job of keeping Mike's memory alive. So we start this journey and, you know, we were I think it really started when we were down fifteen to ten to Notre Dame in the regular season game. They were number one in the country. It's in Koening Stadium our football stadium. And we're down fifteen to ten with nine minutes to go.
And we score seven goals against the number one team in the country which has given up 8 a game. And we score seven straight goals in nine minutes, spearheaded by Stephen Kelly, who won face off after face off. And that's where all of a sudden things became like, we can do this, like we can do this, and there's something bigger than what we're doing. And part of our Bible says it's because we would have team Bible studies. Anybody who's interested would come in and Patrick Kelly would run. And it was so moving. And we had our peaks and valleys that season. We were eight and six. We get into the NCAA tournament and lo and behold, we're playing Marquette up in Wisconsin middle of May. It's snowing. But what I noticed I love the fact that we were playing somebody we hadn't played yet, but I noticed that we're in the Ohio State bracket. Ohio State has never hosted NCAA tournament game and they're hosting the quarterfinals.
So we go up and by the grace of God, we knock off Marquette by one ten to nine. And so, lo and behold, we're coming through Ohio State. And I hadn't been back there in seven, eight years. Obviously, coaching and now bringing North Carolina. We're playing in the horseshoe. So I go back there and again, I'm pretty calm and smooth and so forth and don't get too. But it became an emotional trip for me. I just kept thinking about Michael, thinking about Michael, my good friend Nick Myers, who's the head coach there was my assistant. I called him up and he said, hey, Nick, we're gonna do a walkthrough on Saturday. I think we ended up playing on Sunday. Would you mind taking me to the cemetery? So after practice in the morning, Nick and myself and Brian Holman drove out to the cemetery and spent about an hour with Mike. And it was emotional. It was awesome to be there. And the chimes were going off in. The belltower really is. And it was really powerful. And, you know, I prayed to God that Mike, I know he's still in paradise taking care of my man. And I said, you know, Mike, be with us tomorrow and God be with us tomorrow.
You know, this is something that we haven't done since I returned. But I asked him and I went back and ate dinner the night before the game. I usually give a Knute Rockne speech and pump up the troops and get emotional. And, you know, we're doing the dab and all that fun stuff, postgame during that run a little bit. And I stood up and I said, Guys, I don't have a Knute Rockne speech today.
I said, I just wanted to say thank you. Thank you for bringing me back to see Michael. And I started crying, you know, still gets a little emotional, but I remember that it was like guys were crying. It was so intensely excited to attack this for Michael. And the next morning, I get up and say, hey, guys, the bus is leaving at 10:00 or 9:00 or whatever. And that's all I say, is that I'm excited. You know, you guys got a great opportunity. I go to sit down and Patrick Kelly stands up and you say, Coach, I have something to say.
And nobody ever does this. Nobody ever says anything. And I remember he stood up and he pointed over at me and said, guys, first of all, none of us would be here if coach Breschi didn't recruit us. And he said last night we brought him back to see, Michael said, now it's our turn to win this game and take Coach Breschi, July, the girls and Michael through their first final four. And I mean, the place erupted.
And it was just so powerful. And so I was crying again. I was like, oh, my God, I've got to focus. But we get to the game. We're cranking the tunes in the locker room and we go out and play the best lacrosse. I think that I've never seen us play that particular year and we're actually up.
We had beat Notre Dame, as I mentioned before, 17-15 scored seven straight balls. We go up on Notre Dame almost the end of the third quarter, eleven to two. And it was like, what just happened? I mean, at halftime, I think it was like six-two in the locker room and they're playing music. Usually, you know, we're teaching, but there were no adjustments. The guys were on fire. They're in the locker room, the music player, and they're dancing. This is at halftime and they go out there and just explode. So there was a greater sense of just we got this and we got this for you and Michael and we got it. And they went there and 13 nine. And that's why it was so emotional, because the team was as invested in my faith, in God, in Michael. And it was something bigger. And it was God had his hand prints all over this run as we head to the final four. And quite frankly, the big not the big word of that week by some of the sportscasters was it was so emotional last week. Going back to see Mike and the team. And they have no shot because they're probably totally drained.
Henry Kaestner: Yeah. OK, so you win that game. That works out really well. Now, you're in a national championship game with Maryland, and it's a big time. It goes to the end. Walk us through the time at the end. It's going over time. There's some personal fouls. It's just a lot of drama this whole season building up. And if you watch the replay, you just can't help but come away from the sense that you had this incredible composure. I mean, everybody in the stands is freaking out. Everybody watching on TV is freaking out. The announcers are freaking out. But Joe Breschi has got it together. But you couldn't possibly have had it together, do you think?
Joe Breschi: Well, you know, there's so much to it. One thing I want to point out, and I'm sure you're going to talk about this, too, us and we see it. And every time I see it, it reminds me it's the inside piece of this whole run, especially in the national championship game. And even in the Loyola game, you can see it because it was televised. There's more cameras than the earlier games. But if you notice the guys with their thumbs up in the air, I used to read books to Mike when I put him to bed. And, you know, I'd always be home that's why we had practice in the morning. I always want to be home for my kids. And that's one thing I have no regrets ever being at work and missing their dinner with them, having shower time book reading. You know, just that special time. And one of the things that we always do when he was growing up was I put him in bed and we'd sit there and read a book. And then as I was leaving, I'd say, I love you, Mike. And he'd say, Dad. Thumbs up. And he'd always go, thumbs up. So that became with the Ohio State team and everything that we do, it's thumbs up, weekend thumbs up. So the team, if you notice on the sidelines, always had their thumbs up in the air. And even my coaching staff, Chris Fife's had is thumbs up in the air during this emotionally stressful time. I mentioned towards the end of the game. So, again, I continue to say there was something just bigger about what was happening, because if you remember, the twenty five year anniversary was of the ninety one national championship team the last time Carolina won it. So they're there half time in the field. The only person that is missing is Steve Muro, a teammate. I coach them. I was an assistant in ninety one and he was the only one missing. And his number was 32. And they had Polo's made up National Championship NC with his number on the arm. The significance of number thirty two was a couple things.
It was the thirty second minute of the second half. OK. So two minutes into overtime, it was thirty two seconds off the penalty in overtime on our thirty second shot of the game. So his story, that angel being over us, Michael's thumbs up in the air and we get called for a penalty with three seconds left in regulation. Three seconds left. And the team walks over to me and the referee who made the call at the other end. And the teams are all watching me. And I go like this. 13-13 in the national championship game with three seconds left on the clock. And you're going to make that call? In that tone. Flat out. And he goes, tell your player not to do it. Tell your player not to do it. I was like, OK. So I turn went in the huddle as the guys look, we're going to get a stop. We kind of figured out what the last three seconds would be.
And then we go out there and they hold the ball as expected. So fifty seven seconds left on the clock in overtime for their man up. And I bring that man down unit in and I always do this. I say, what do you guys think? You've been out there. We've had four man downs. They scored on three. I said, you got to tell me, what do you want to do? And three guys, finally, Jake Maffei and I think was Evan Connell gave me three different answers. So I said, those are all great guys, but we're gonna do this. And I did something completely opposite of what they said.
They went out to work and they executed. You know, we shut off Rambo when he came in. So I ran five minutes. So we ran from a four man to a five man. And our goal, we made the save. You saw the dive. I mean, guys selling out is the storylines. The storyline behind that is...
Henry Kaestner: For those you haven't seen it. The lacrosse ball is a very, very hard ball. A great lacrosse player can throw the ball 110, 120 miles an hour to throw yourself in the way of a hard rock. One hundred twenty miles an hour is what this guy did. What's the back story?
Joe Breschi: Well, the backstory is phenomenal. So he was a starter for two years. Got hit in the Duke game in early March by Myles Jones broke both bones in his arm. So he was out for six weeks.
Comes back as we start the NCAA tournament. And I brought him in. Zach Powers. And I said, Zach, I know you were starter for two years. I said, but we're rolling right now. We're going to keep those defensive guys in there. I said, but I need you for man down and I need your for zone if we run it and he said, Coach, I'll do whatever it takes for the team.
So on the biggest stage, on the biggest play of the season, this guy who lost his starting job said, I'll do whatever it takes. There you go. He dives at the shooter as the shooter is releasing the ball. And everybody's like that. That altered the shot. Probably did, because he had to shoot over it and hits our goalie in the gut. So at the end of the day, we make the save. And as a lacrosse guy, you know, this making the save is one thing, but clearing it man down is the next. And we do that from day one. So it was like clockwork. If you notice, guys go and not only the guys who don't have to go over the midfield line to release the middie, but everybody had to get to their spots. We rolled away from pressure three times as you're supposed to fundamental across. We clear it, call a time out then the rest is history as it kind of works out a little bit.
Henry Kaestner: Huge deal. Everybody's going crazy. You mentioned this before, but the women's team also won that weekend same time and it was twenty fifth anniversary. Just everything coming together. And we've got to come to a close here and just a little bit. But I just want to come back to one of the things that really is a hallmark of USC lacrosse under your leadership. And it's an emphasis on family. And one of the first people you hug or hugs you or who you collide with is Frank Kelly, the grandfather of Steven Bones Kelly. The guy is a face off guy. And just talk to us about what family means for you. We know the Michael story, which is such an amazing foundation for all of this. But for you, family means a lot. It means celebrating generations of lacrosse at Carolina. Riff on that a little bit.
Joe Breschi: Yeah, it's if you notice, there's a ton of brother connections that go to Carolina over the years of really strong Hall of Famer started with all of us. And my cousin Chuck obviously played there. And now coach and Alex, who's a freshman for us and another loyal with that. So but over the years, I mean, it's just it's family to the point of bringing these young men into my house, into my life, into my family's life and being a part of their lives, not just surface talk, but true. You know, I want to be their surrogate father as they get dropped off the Chapel Hill. And I understand that the importance of I know what it's like. I know what it's like to drop your son off and you know the importance of taking care of them. And I think from my perspective, that's having them over for dinner. You know, who do I want to babysit? My kids if I had to. And they come into our life. And you know what better family than the Kelly family? I mean, I've coached five of them. And I love every one of them. And I told Frank Kelly when I took the job, I said, and this is Senator Frank Kelly. I so when we go to the final four, I want you on the sidelines to watch your grandchild. And sure enough, he took me up on that offer and do did it. I said, yes, you're gonna be there. You know, we had a huge bear hug after we did it and we did it together. And that is a hallmark of Carolina lacrosse. Is that family. You know, I haven't had any more brothers or combinations of cousins and family than the Kelly family. And I love them.
Henry Kaestner: That's awesome. We close out every episode whether it's a Faith Driven Entrepreneur podcast Faith Driven Investor podcast and of course, Faith Driven Athlete podcast asking our guest if there's something that they're hearing from God, in his words, something that maybe you read in the Bible this morning, last week, month before, but something that you might leave with us as just an encouragement that might bring them closer to God and knowing him through his word.
Joe Breschi: Yes. We have Bible study every Wednesday and we're still doing it on Zoom with all the coaches. But it's Matthew 6:33 I love. And we've been talking about it a lot in our group and seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. And all these things will be provided for you.
And for me, it's just another reminder that if we get into the word every day, talk to God every day, and build those relationships constantly, that God is going to work through you and everything that we do. And we will be in paradise again soon.