Leaving Canisius for Louisville was not an easy decision for Scott Teeter.

The four-time MAAC Coach of the Year departs the Griffs as the winningest coach in conference history with 130 total victories and 62 in conference over the past 16 seasons.

He led the Griffs to six MAAC championships and five MAAC regular-season crowns since 2012, while also guiding 73 players to All-MAAC honors, including 20 MAAC Players of the Year.

“To be honest, it was the toughest day of my life,” Teeter said. “It really touched home to me. Canisius is a special place to me and always will be.”

While Teeter has many ties to Canisius, joining a power five conference was one of his long-term goals. He and his wife, Jennifer, had talked about the move for years, and when the Louisville coaching position opened, he began getting calls. Following a campus visit, they were sold.

“When jobs come available, we have the discussion if it’s the right fit or if it isn’t the right fit,” Teeter said. “When Louisville came available and we pursued it a little bit, Louisville checked all our boxes. Louisville, Ky., is very similar to the city of Buffalo in our opinion from what we’ve seen and the people. It made our decision a little bit easier.”

Combining Teeter’s coaching experience – including with Team Canada, which he guided to its first women’s gold medal with the under-19 women’s team in 2015 – with Louisville’s foundation proved promising. The Cardinals have advanced to the NCAA tournament the past four seasons and won a Big East crown before joining the ACC in 2015.

But with any change comes challenges.

He takes over a Louisville program following an offseason when at least 15 players transferred or left as allegations surfaced surrounding former head coach Kellie Young.

“A lot of times, there is a little bit of difficulty that comes with change, but over time, it will be good,” Teeter said. “[My] success at Canisius, and on the international level too, really paves the way to win a national championship. You know the effort it takes. You know the challenges and obstacles and how to handle them when they arise.”

It was also important that Teeter’s vision aligns with the athletic department’s goals of bringing a national championship back to Louisville. He aims to build a winning culture – but that’s the “easy answer.” Teeter first hopes to instill trust in his 19 players, who make up a smaller roster than most Division I programs.

“It’s more than just winning,” Teeter said. “It’s making sure that we’re representing the university, the program and themselves, in a positive way at all times. It’s setting themselves up for success after lacrosse. When they leave Louisville, don’t forget about us. Have a positive experience here that they always want to give back and are proud to be a Louisville lacrosse player and alum. That is the culture that we want to build here. Then comes the winning culture of winning ACC championships and a national championship.”

He welcomes the opportunity for players that left the program to return. However, any final decision will be made “in the betterment for the Louisville women’s lacrosse program and their players.”

“Put it this way – I will uncover every stone and listen to every lead and every possibility,” Teeter said. “But I will say they will have to come to me. … I will find out what their goals are and their reasoning. What does it mean to them? Why do they want to come back? It will be handled on a case-by-case basis.”

Joining Louisville nearly three months before the start of the 2018 season, Teeter will be also open-minded to mid-year transfers to grow Louisville’s roster size. While nine of the 19 players are freshmen, he said he “owes it to [the seven seniors] to put the best product out on the field.”

“This season will not be a waste,” Teeter said. “The future is definitely on the up.”