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Where do we begin?

Each year, we at US Lacrosse Magazine pore over the top coaches, players, games, performances, breakthroughs and moments for the annual “Best of Lacrosse” edition. Naturally, this retrospective tome drops in December.  But now is the time to be heard.

Over the next two weeks, we’re polling fans on Twitter (@USLacrosseMag) to vote on four finalists in 10 categories: Best Men’s Coach, Best Women’s Coach, Best Men’s Player, Best Women’s Player, Best Game, Best Men’s Performance, Best Women’s Performance, Best Men’s Breakthrough, Best Women’s Breakthrough and Best Moment.

Today, we present our four finalists for Best Men’s Coach of 2017: Bear Davis (Ohio Machine), Nick Myers (Ohio State), Shawn Nadelen (Towson) and John Tillman (Maryland).

One could easily make the case for several other candidates. Salisbury’s Jim Berkman became the first college coach on any level to reach 500 career wins en route to leading the Sea Gulls to their 12th NCAA Division III championship.  Bates’ Peter Lasagna had the Bobcats, once a NESCAC doormat, ranked No. 1 in the country. Limestone’s J.B. Clarke led the Saints through lots of land mines in their schedule en route to their third NCAA Division II title in four years. In the high school ranks, Delbarton’s Chuck Reubling and Landon’s Rob Bordley had banner years, with Reubling retiring on top after the Green Wave’s sixth New Jersey Tournament of Champions title and Bordley leading the Bears to their first undefeated season and No. 1 national ranking since 2002.

Alas, Twitter limits us to just 140 characters and four poll options. More on this year’s finalists for Best Men’s Coach:

Bear Davis
Ohio Machine

Despite the concentration of talent in Major League Lacrosse — 225 premier players distributed among nine teams’ active rosters at any given time — and the fluctuation between seasons, Davis galvanized the Machine with a selfless ethos that permeated the locker room.  Ohio was without now two-time MLL MVP Tom Schreiber for the first four games of the season and Kyle Harrison for the first seven, and unexpectedly lost John Grant Jr. to retirement. In their place, Peter Baum nearly eclipsed Schreiber in the MVP race with his vastly improved passing, while Jake Bernhardt and Mark Cockerton had career years. Davis expertly managed this and also a tricky goalie platoon between veteran Scott Rodgers and emerging star Kyle Bernlohr, leading the Machine to their first MLL championship with a 17-12 win over the Denver Outlaws in Dallas.

Nick Myers
Ohio State

Coming off of a big summer in which he led the U.S. U19 team from the brink of a disastrous loss to a gold medal victory, Myers nearly one-upped himself by guiding the Buckeyes all the way to their first NCAA championship game. Ohio State fell to Maryland in the final, but for a coach who wasn’t the splashiest hire back in the summer of 2008, it marked a significant breakthrough. Myers previously had taken the Buckeyes as far as the NCAA quarterfinals twice, but never to a final four. Ohio State now has the look of a perennial contender and a new $40 million facility to call home. The university also rewarded Myers with a five-year contract extension in September.

Shawn Nadelen
Towson

Despite overtures from Princeton last year and Michigan this year, Nadelen has made it known that he loves Towson and everything it embodies in lacrosse. He fosters the same loyalty and blue-collar mentality in his players. This year, it resulted in the Tigers’ first NCAA championship weekend appearance since 2001.

John Tillman
Maryland

How could we not give a nod to the coach who ended the Terps’ 42-year NCAA championship drought? Tillman never hid from the history. Even though he had led Maryland to five NCAA final fours and four national championship games in his first six seasons, he acknowledged the seventh season would be incomplete without that elusive title — especially considering how painfully close the Terps came in 2016, culminating in an overtime loss to North Carolina in the championship game. Maryland had some strong personalities in its locker room, including Tewaaraton Award winner Matt Rambo. Tillman struck the perfect chord that allowed them to take ownership of the journey and play loose while also staying true to the disciplined approach that has become a hallmark of his teams.