July 13, 2000

EASTON, Pa. (www.lafayette.edu) - Lafayette College has promoted Dennis Bohn to the top assistant coaching position in the men's soccer program and has brought on Jim McGirr to take over the restricted assistant coaching spot, as announced by Director of Athletics Eve Atkinson on Thursday.

Bohn takes over the top assistant coaching spot from Fernando Barboto who recently left Lafayette to take the men's soccer head coaching position at St. Francis College (Pa.). McGirr fills the restricted assistant coaching spot vacated by Bohn's promotion.

Bohn is entering his second season as an assistant to head coach Tim Lenahan. He was a two-sport athlete as an undergraduate at Columbia before serving as an assistant coach on Columbia's men's soccer squad in 1998.

McGirr has been the boys' soccer coach at Bergen (N.J.) Catholic since 1995 where he has established a tradition of dominance and complied a career record of 93-20-10. This past season he guided his squad and the NSCAA high school player of the year, Alecko Eskandarian, to a state championship in the "Parochial A" division. McGirr was also named the Ridgewood News' All-Suburban Coach of the Year after having received the honor in 1995, 1996 and 1997.

"Jim McGirr has shown that he has the ability to coach on a championship level and that's what we've come to expect of our men's soccer program at Lafayette," Atkinson said. "Were happy to be able to provide Jim his first collegiate coaching opportunity."

The holder of a U.S. Soccer Federation "B" license and NSCAA Advanced National Diploma, McGirr has a wealth of club coaching experience. McGirr has coached the Ridgewood Maroons Soccer Club (under-9 to under-17 boys and girls) and Wyckoff Torpedoes Soccer Club (under-17 girls) since 1998. He also served as a coach of the New Jersey Olympic Development Program (O.D.P.) in the Northeast Region since 1997. McGirr is a veteran of the camp scene, having been a clinician at the World Class Soccer Camp and USA Premier Soccer Camp.

McGirr earned his bachelor's degree from Rider University, where was a defender for the Broncs from 1988 to 1990.

The Lafayette men's soccer program is coming off back-to-back Patriot League championships and finished one penalty kick away from consecutive berths into the NCAA Tournament. The Leopards finished with an 8-8-3 overall mark and used a pair of double overtime wins to capture the Patriot League Tournament title. Lafayette opens the season on Sept. 2 when it hosts Oneonta.