Black History Month Feature: Brian Small, A Founder of JCU Men's Lacrosse

2/11/2026 2:58:00 PM | By: Joe Ginley '16, SID

Small helped to lay the foundation for a program that has accomplished great things in the last decade

The first feature in John Carroll Athletics' Black History Month series highlights a familiar name for JCU lifers. But for newer Blue Streaks, the name Brian Small likely doesn't ring a bell.

And that's why we're penning this feature. The success over the last decade of John Carroll Men's Lacrosse does not happen without Small.

The inaugural coach of the JCU Men's Lacrosse program, Brian Small built a foundation that has borne fruit. The time seems right to write about Small just over a decade later, particularly with John Carroll joining the North Coast Athletic Conference and competing against Small's alma mater. This is his story.

Baltimore Beginnings, Delaware Dreams

Brian Small grew up in Baltimore, a major lacrosse hotbed. He grew up a University of Maryland fan, as his family had season tickets. But Maryland was too big a school for Small. The Calvert Hall student considered Loyola University Maryland, but head coach Dave Cottle departed to go coach the Terrapins.

And so, Small turned his attention to Division III, at that time not much of a step down at all from Division I. In the early 2000's, it was all too common for D1 and D3 teams to faceoff and for the D3 squad to walk away with the win. So, when Ohio Wesleyan came calling, Small answered the phone, took a visit, and decided to make Delaware, Ohio his college home.

Small enjoyed a nice career with the Battling Bishops. OWU won the NCAC three times in 2003, 2004, and 2005. The Battling Bishops made the NCAA Tournament in 2003 and 2005 under the direction of head coach Sean Ryan. But the postseason contests weren't the most memorable games, as that honor went to the twice-a-season rivalry with Denison University. The OWU-Denison series often stole the spotlight in the lacrosse world.

Twice, Small was honored with First Team All-NCAC recognition. As a senior, Small stood as a NCAA United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) All-American, garnering a selection in the prestigious North South Senior All Star Game.

In 2005, Small graduated from OWU with a Sport Management degree, ready to put his education to good use in the sports world.

All Paths Lead to Ohio

Small returned home after graduation, playing with the Baltimore Bayhawks of Major League Lacrosse (now the Premier Lacrosse League). Small enjoyed a brief stint with the Edmonton Rush of the National Lacrosse League (indoor box lacrosse), as well.

As his playing career wound down, Small took up real estate with his dad and taught as well, taking his first coaching job at Dundalk High School, part of Baltimore County Public Schools.

In 2008, his old coach at OWU, Sean Ryan, rang up Small. How about coming back to Ohio as an assistant coach? The answer was yes, and it turned out to be a great decision. "I fell in love with the sport all over again," said Small.

Following the Battling Bishops' NCAA Division III Playoffs appearance, Small decided to take his coaching to the next level. With the game evolving and growing, the opportunity to head to Division I. Small became an assistant coach at Sacred Heart University in Connecticut, running the offense and working with the faceoff men (FOGOs). He remained there through the 2010 campaign.

Then for two seasons, Small got a gig down the road at Quinnipiac University. His coaching success grew, as he became fully immersed in recruiting while coaching the defense. "Out of all the places I've coached, I learned the most there," recalls Small.

Small coached the Bobcats' mandown unit to a #8 finish in D1 in 2012. In 2011, Quinnipiac reached the championship game of the inaugural Northeast Conference lacrosse tournament and won the inaugural regular season championship. But his most accomplishment in Connecticut? Small met the love of his life, his wife Kerri.

Late in 2012, John Carroll's Athletic Director, Laurie Massa, gave Small a call. When opportunity knocked, Small opened the door.

Small, who says to this day that he "loves Ohio," recalled fond memories of watching Browns and Cavaliers games in Cleveland. Another convincing factor was a conversation with Jay Martin, OWU's recently retired legendary men's soccer coach. Martin had told Small during his collegiate career, 'If JCU ever adds lacrosse, watch out. JCU has a lot to offer.'

And so on December 3, 2012, Small made history, announced as the first-ever head coach of John Carroll Men's Lacrosse.

"It remains one of the best decisions I've ever made in my life," says Small.

Calling Cleveland Home

Small still remembers stepping onto campus in University Heights.

Michael Marich, head coach of JCU's women's soccer program, picked up Small from the airport. On the ride to campus and upon getting out of the Marichmobile, Small knew that Cleveland would be a comfortable home.

From the jump, Small found help from his new colleagues in the recruiting space. Small built a strong relationship with Tom Arth '03, then a JCU football coach, to recruit football players with a lacrosse background to play both sports. Another key figure for Small was the late Chris Wenzler '90.

JCU's longtime sports information director proved to be an invaluable sounding board and a close friend. Wenzler often offered advice or provided Small with the resources or help he needed. The two also played plenty of racquetball.

"Chris was one of my best friends on campus, he was awesome. Chris used to tell me I was one of the most athletic people he's ever seen. But I don't think I ever beat him in racquetball," Small chuckles while recalling spirited games. "Chris was just a wonderful person, I miss him."

Small surrounded himself with a strong staff. Assistant Coach Andrew Vossler brought coaching experience from Ohio State and Colgate. Graduate Assistant Chace Calkin arrived via a recommendation from Bill Tierney, a "godfather of lacrosse." As Small recalls, "We worked hard, we had fun, and we really enjoyed our time together."

The most important trait that Small's staff targeted in recruiting was character. Small looked for the type of student-athlete who chose John Carroll for the school who also could play great lacrosse.

"Character was a big thing for us. We didn't want to bring in guys who were getting in trouble. We looked for multi-sport guys, we hit Ohio and the East Coast hard, because you get guys who are tough and can deal with the snow. But most importantly, we looked for Men of Carroll who fit the mold."

Small enjoyed early success while utilizing connections. He found a great goalie in Kyle Lake, hailing from Pittsford, New York. A connection with Brian Beddell's dad got him to call Cleveland home. James Blake, a Baltimore guy who attended Small's rival high school (Loyola Blakefield), chose JCU. Other cornerstones such as Tommy Adolf, Kyle Patterson, and Gary Anile arrived in that class. As did Cincinnati native Declan O'Grady, who would become one of the best offensive players in program history.

"There was a rumor that Declan was going to go to Otterbein. So my wife and I got in the car to drive down to watch him play," says Small. "It was snowing in Cincy, so they moved it to the indoor facility that the Bengals were using at the time. Declan played a great game, and I remember telling my wife, 'I hope we get this kid.' After the game in the hallway, Declan comes up to me and says, 'I'm not going to Otterbein, I want to go to JCU.' That made for a happy ride home."

The club lacrosse team also yielded a number of important players for the inaugural campaign, including senior Brian Jaszka, junior Kevin Werner, and sophomore Jack MacLean. When all was said and done, MacLean turned into one of the best players early in the program's history. The Bloomfield Hills, Michigan native was a Division I talent at defender who called JCU home primarily for academics.

"We shed blood, sweat, and tears working to establish the program. I had to preach vision a lot, and I was surprised at how many people bought into it," Small remembers. I was not expecting to be that good right away. The amount of people who cared about the program and helped us in the early stages allowed us to be successful from the start."

A Strong Start

The inaugural season brought plenty of things for Small. Namely, snow and nerves.

Small scheduled the first game in John Carroll Men's Lacrosse history for Saturday, February 15, 2014. Gretchen Weitbrecht, Associate Director of Athletics and Senior Women's Administrator, ribbed him for scheduling such an early home game. He remembers her telling him, 'Don't you know it snows in Northeast Ohio?' Small recalls his retort, 'It's cold everywhere, and of course we'll have a little snow!'

The JCU administration, with Massa and Weitbrecht leading the way, guided the preparation for the first home game. Shovels and plows were needed, but sunny weather greeted JCU and Concordia University (Wis.) for the first lacrosse game in Don Shula Stadium.

"I will never forget the nerves," says Small. "You need to play the first game at home, and you never want to lose your first game."

Despite little time on the field in the weeks of practice leading up to the game, JCU fired to a hot start. Gary Anile potted JCU's first-ever goal, and the Blue Streaks led after the first quarter, 3-1. But Concordia caught fire in the second half, outscoring JCU 4-2 to tie it at 7-7 at 12:52 of the fourth quarter. With time ticking away, Keegan Flinter beat a stumbling defender and buried the game-winner with 1:39 to play. A minute later, Michael Roth hit a shot from point-blank range to seal the deal.

"Both were broken plays, our scramble drills paid off," says Small. "It was a great starting point for the program. The guys were fired up."

John Carroll rolled into Ohio Athletic Conference play with a 9-1 record, the lone loss in double overtime at Wooster. OAC play started tough, with losses to Otterbein and Mount Union. But JCU closed out the regular season with three straight wins. That setup a rematch with the Purple Raiders in Alliance in the OAC Tournament Semifinal. JCU shocked the hosts, never trailing in the game. JCU scored twice early in the fourth quarter to take a 7-4 lead, and Mount Union could not overcome the deficit.

"I remember before the game, Chris Wenzler approached me on the sideline. He asked me if I minded if his son, Oliver, could stay on the sidelines. I remember telling Oliver, 'Don't tell your Mom!' Small chuckled. "Chris asked me if we won the championship if we'd get into the tournament, since the OAC didn't have an auto bid yet. I thought we would get in."

Three days later, JCU played for the OAC Championship at Otterbein, but ran out of gas with a smaller roster. JCU finished 13-4 in the first season.

"I was not expecting to play for an OAC Championship in year one," Small says. "If we had 2-3 more kids, we might have won it. We tried to find a role for every guy. Most other OAC programs had a jump on us and more bodies. For us, we had to get creative in practice because you might have a day with several bodies out, so you had to be strategic.

"We had some rocky moments in the first year and you gotta take your lumps. But that just propelled the program even more."

Building in Year 2

The second year of the John Carroll Men's Lacrosse program saw growth, though the results did not indicate it.

Small added a full-time assistant coach, making an important impact to help with recruiting and coaching.

Importantly, key leaders were added, such as Connor Pike and Collin Rice. The Kensington, Maryland native RP Whitty joined the program, becoming a vital midfielder for the Blue Streaks. Younger JCU Men's Lax fans may not know RP (a great dude in addition to being a great lax player), but they likely know his younger brother, Brendan, a star attacker who became an All-American and one of the best playmakers in program history.

John Carroll started the 2015 season with a win over Concordia, this time in Wisconsin. Non-conference play then got rocky, with one-goal losses to Wooster and Randolph-Macon, plus an 11-8 loss to Aurora. But JCU bounced back with four wins to enter OAC play.

The Blue Streaks played the defending OAC Champs very close in Westerville, losing a 10-9 overtime heartbreaker. A one-goal loss at BW and a two-goal loss at Capital sent JCU on the road for the OAC Tournament Semifinal. JCU fell behind at halftime, 6-1, before roaring for four goals in the third quarter. But the comeback fell short, as a late shot clanked off the pipe and the Crusaders scored with 2:18 left in an 8-6 decision.

"It wasn't meant to be, but we earned a lot of respect around the country," says Small.

Following a good recruiting class, Small got a call in the fall of 2015. He used to tell recruits and folks on campus that he planned on remaining at JCU as long as possible, but if Syracuse or an Ivy League school came calling, he'd consider leaving. So, when Dartmouth offered him a gig as an assistant coach, he couldn't turn it down.

"It was tough leaving behind a great group of people," says Small. "Not a day goes by that I don't think about JCU, but everything happens for a reason. I got married in Cleveland at the Botanical Gardens. My first born, Bodey, was born in Cleveland and remains a Cleveland sports fan. Even though it was the right move for my family, I still miss JCU."

A Decade of Change

Small and his family moved to New Hampshire and spent the 2016 season with the Big Green.

Dartmouth enjoyed some success, including a win over Michigan at the Big House. But then, life happened. Small's mom got sick, so he quit coaching to move back home closer to his mom. As her health improved, he returned to lacrosse to serve as an assistant coach at Bucknell. But when his mother passed, Small quit the game completely and moved West.

In 2020, Small pursued an opportunity at George Fox University in Oregon. Small coached on the women's lax staff there, helping the Bruins achieve an undefeated regular season, the first in program history.

After that stint, the Small family returned home to Maryland. Today, he and his family live in southern Maryland about 90 minutes from Baltimore. Small is in real estate consulting and investing, a "totally different, but competitive world." The only coaching he does is for his kids.

Brian and his wife have four children: Bodey (10), Brockton (8), and twins Beckham (4) & Blakely (4). Small coaches his son Brockton's lacrosse team, which played teams two years older and held their own.

Overall, Small is happy and content with his life, particularly since he gets so much family time. But of course, he still roots for the Blue Streaks and reminisces about his time at Carroll.

Without a doubt, Small helped set the foundation for success at JCU.

Since his departure, JCU has won 8 OAC Tournament Championships and made 8 NCAA Tournament appearances. Joe Rautenstrauch enters his 10th year at the helm of a program that has established itself as a top program in Ohio with a track record of success.

"I'm still a big follower of JCU and watch as much as I can, it was cool to watch the football team on ESPN+," says Small. "I love being able to say that I worked with JCU alumni who are now in the NFL. I miss coaching and I miss my folks at John Carroll."

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