The transition from offense to defense in lacrosse can happen at the snap of the fingers. For Quinn Fitzgerald ’26, his transition from player to coach has happened nearly as quickly.
Fitzgerald capped his playing career last April as the greatest offensive player in Wabash lacrosse history. He left the field as the holder of 13 individual game, single-season, and career records.
He returned to Wabash last fall to complete his degree requirements and added a new responsibility in the process: student coach. In addition to a full load of classes, Fitzgerald had to adjust to life as a burgeoning coach.
Earlier this month he added a new title: assistant coach.
“I’m doing a lot more from an administrative standpoint than I thought,” he laughed. “Having the courseload I had throughout my time at Wabash has probably overprepared me for that. Seriously, I’m trying to stack good days, still doing the same thing, but I’m not wearing a helmet anymore. I’m absolutely loving this.”
In his three years as a Wabash student-athlete, Fitzgerald tallied 122 goals, 71 assists, and a school-record 193 points in 47 career games from 2023-25. He was a two-time all-conference selection and shares the NCAA Division III record for goals scored in a game.
Obviously, he had talent as a player, and now as a coach, he’s learning how to share what he’s learned in 15 years inside the game and position his players for success.
“In transitioning from player to coach, I want to make sure I am my most authentic self,” said Fitzgerald, who graduated with an A.B. in biology. “Changing who I am would come off as ingenuine and unauthentic, and I couldn’t be a proper leader and teacher like that. I firmly believe in the things I teach, and the players believe in them as a result.”
The opportunity arose because of a late summer coaching change, where former assistant Nate Webber was elevated to head coach. Webber knows that Fitzgerald brings plenty of positives to the table, but there is one clear goal for this spring.
“Quinn was a no-brainer hire as an alumnus, great player, and teacher of the game,” said Webber. “He makes ideas and schemes digestible for our guys. All they need to do is play hard and compete to the best of their abilities.
“Most important, his ability and experience is huge for recruiting as we lean into the class that will arrive in Fall 2027. He’s got great ability to connect with young men and share the vision of the College and our lacrosse program.”
Fitzgerald knows he’s got a big hill to climb adjusting to this new profession. He also knows that philosophies and strategies are easy to preach, but it’s a unique skill to be able to share those concepts in a way that allows them to be understood and properly executed.
This fall, he broke down a lot of film with the current players, identifying the positives and negatives and how to make improvements. It’s a learning process for Fitzgerald as well.
“I’ve been around the game enough to know what I know,” he said. “I have to understand where they are as players and how to best reach them. That’s a hurdle I have to clear every day. That will be big for my development as a coach going forward.”
Webber sees progress in both coaching and administration for Fitzgerald as their season opens.
“Quinn’s responsibilities shift now that he is a full-time coach,” he said. “He’s much more able to plan and coordinate our offensive schemes and ideas. He’s also dived into the more operational aspects of running a program like travel and logistics.”
Even though his career is just beginning, Fitzgerald has built a nice network of coaches and former players to lean on and share ideas with. As the son of a high school lacrosse coach, he’s learning quickly as to how valuable such a network can be.
Fitzgerald believes he’s well positioned to take those first steps.
“I’ve met so many people through this game, both players and coaches, so I feel like I have a lot of resources to lean on,” he said. “I’ve got a pretty solid support network established around me and that gives me a lot of confidence as well. I’m very serious about coaching. It’s what I’m here to do. This is 100% where I want to be.”