If Buczek had learned anything from his time as a player at Cornell, it was how to deal with adversity. With the departure of Milliman, he was presented with another dose of it.
Milliman’s move to Johns Hopkins was reported on April 26. Buczek and fellow assistant Jordan Stevens — both of whom were teammates at Cornell — had no idea where the chips would fall and whether they’d be able to stick around in Ithaca.
Less than two days later, they got their answer. Through a series of Zoom calls with athletic administrators, including athletic director Andy Noel, Buczek found out he was promoted to head coach of his alma mater for the 2021 season, and Stevens moved up to associate head coach.
Within three years, Buczek went from a volunteer assistant to head coach of the Big Red. He found his dream job, and he’s only 26.
“I wasn’t sure when we heard the news of Pete, how this was going to go for us,” he said. “We had to see it. We didn’t know they felt that strongly about us. When I got that call from Andy Noel, I was ecstatic. What an opportunity to lead a program that means so much to me and has given me so much.”
Buczek becomes the fifth head coach in a little more than a decade for Cornell, a program that has seen unusual turnover since Jeff Tambroni left in 2010. Cornell is far removed from the historic 28-year tenure of Richie Moran.
However, the culture and tradition surrounding the Big Red program continue to live on through its passionate alumni base — a group to which Buczek already belonged.
“People may question, ‘Can [Buczek and Stevens] actually do the job?’” Moran said. “I’m pretty sure they’re confident in what they’re doing, and I think the administration feels the same way. The man upstairs works in funny ways. I think he has great admiration for Connor Buczek and Jordan Stevens.”
Buczek is aware of the tradition and pressure that he is entering into as the next head coach at Cornell. He and Stevens helped carry the Big Red from 2013-15. The Cincinnati native came to campus in 2012 as eager as any to play for Cornell.
However, Buczek, the high school attackman and football safety at St. Xavier (Ohio), had trouble transitioning to midfield in his freshman year. His inability to see the field in 2012 made him briefly question his decision.
“Overcoming that first feeling of adversity and those challenges helps you grow,” Buczek said. “It was the first of many I faced while I was here.”
“He didn’t sniff of the field his freshman year,” said Stevens, his Cornell teammate at the time.