LEXINGTON, Va. — Denison University has announced that is has tabbed Washington and Lee Assistant Head Coach of men's lacrosse Eric Koch '05 as the head coach of the Big Red lacrosse program.
 
"On behalf of my family, I want to thank all of the players, their families, my colleagues and friends in the greater Lexington area who have made these past seven years so amazing," said Koch. "It was always a dream of mine to come back to Lexington to coach and help this program grow and evolve. The unique opportunity to be able to return to my alma mater and contribute from the sidelines was an incredible gift and one that I will be forever grateful for. Coach McCabe and Jan Hathorn have been unbelievable mentors and have helped me grow as a person and a coach and I cannot thank them enough for all that they have done. My family and I are ecstatic about this next phase in our lives and we wish the Generals nothing but the best in the future."
 
Koch returned to his alma mater in 2014 as an assistant coach and was elevated to assistant head coach in 2018. During his seven years with the program, the Generals registered a 94-43 record, won three ODAC regular season titles, two league tournament titles and made three trips to the NCAA Tournament.
 
"I want to congratulate Coach Koch on this well-deserved opportunity," said W&L Head Coach Gene McCabe. "I could not be happier for him, his wife Karen, and his children Zach and Rylan. Denison has one of the best lacrosse programs in the country. This is a tremendous opportunity and I know Coach Koch will achieve great success at Denison. I could not be more grateful for the opportunity to work alongside Eric for these last seven years. He helped shape the culture of our program and was our defensive leader over a time period where we have experienced tremendous success. Beyond his talents as a coach, he is a trusted, loyal, thoughtful, and valued colleague and friend. Coach Koch will be missed for sure, and while I am sad to see him leave us, I am also so incredibly happy for him and his family."
 
Before returning to his alma mater, Koch coached at Stevens Institute of Technology for five seasons. The program went 63-25 during his time there and made three trips to the NCAA Tournament.
 
Koch graduated from W&L with a bachelor of arts in economics in 2005. He earned four letters for the Generals, serving as a team captain for his senior season.  As a defenseman, he was a three-year starter and helped lead W&L to a pair of ODAC titles and a trip to the NCAA Semifinals in 2002.  A Second Team All-ODAC honoree in 2004 and a first-teamer in 2005, he was an Honorable Mention All-America selection following his senior season. He went on to earn a master of science degree in management from Stevens in 2012.