The biggest news in lacrosse right now is the firing of Dave Pietramala at Johns Hopkins after he helped them become relevant again on the national stage. During the 1980s the Jays battled Syracuse as the team of the decade, but fell off during the 1990s while Syracuse and Princeton battled for dominance. Pietramala brought players like Paul Rabil and Kyle Harrison to Hopkins, won two titles, and had Hopkins rolling in the 2000s. After 2008, however, things fell off. It was nothing major, just a loss more per year here and there, that led to Pietramala's dismissal.

Whatever behind the scenes issues may or may not have existed is for others to hash out, as I am not connected to the university or that part of the country at all. Really, I am here to talk about what's next, and how it will impact the B1G.

Obviously, the first step is finding a coach. And this is going to be the hardest part of the post, as there are a ton of options. What this will come down to, however, is whether or not the AD wants to go with a "Hopkins man" or not. If they want a Hopkins-connected coach, then they're most likely to focus on one coach, Scott Marr of Albany. If that happens, the B1G is going to be MUCH harder to win.

Marr is most famous for offensive wizardry, having helped his players dominate the record books while playing an incredible brand of lacrosse. The Great Danes have some incredible offensive firepower year in and year out, though they lack the depth to be true contenders, especially on D. At Hopkins, that's not a problem. At all.

Marr could really help the Jays get back to the Final Four fast with the resources at Homewood. His team always plays fast, really showcases the attackmen, and has some flair to boot. Marr attended Johns Hopkins, his son went there, and it would most likely be the fit the new AD is looking for after letting Pietramala go. Having typed this, I feel comfortable calling Marr the front-runner at this juncture.

Say, however, Marr doesn't want to come or the AD goes a different direction. Then the field becomes wide open, and you're looking at an eventful search, with anyone up for grabs at the DI level. The list, at 5 names, would be a who's who of coaches. Andy Shay (Yale), Jeff Tambroni (Penn State), Matt Madalon (Princeton), Joe Breschi (UNC), and Greg Raymond (Hobart) are the 5 most likely to be on that search list, as there are a few jobs you just don't leave.

Hopkins isn't going to get their next coach from Maryland, Syracuse, Virginia, or Duke. That leaves those five names, in my mind, as the most likely candidates for consideration, for a few reasons.

First, none of those coaches are at an institution that is a pillar of lacrosse. Yale is good, certainly, and has a lot to offer, but the Ivies are a different animal. Princeton was a national power under Bill Tierney, but never recovered after his departure. Athletes like their sports, but that's a secondary concern to the academic prestige of the entire conference. Penn State had never won a tournament game prior to 2019. UNC is a power, but not a pillar.

Breschi has shown how he can recruit, that he is able to win titles, and has left one job for a better job before (OSU). And Hobart will always be an also-ran resting on laurels earned decades ago. None of these jobs are anchors to coaches looking for a place among the elite.

Secondly, the allure of better resources is going to be strong. Homewood has a mystique that is rare among lacrosse schools, where most games are played in football stadiums to a smattering of fans. People attend games on purpose, in multiple thousands. They care about the sport in a way few schools do, because it's the only male DI sport there.

Hopkins has a designated lacrosse facility (becoming less rare, but they were pretty much first). And Johns Hopkins has some incredible financial aid opportunities outside of their athletic budget. Which helps explain why they took 18 players in the 2020 class.

With that sort of flexibility, you can attract countless 4 and 5 star recruits, then eat the misses. A Yale or Penn State can't do that. That's a luxury very few programs have, and it's certainly going to be a huge draw for any coach.

Finally, these are coaches I feel would be realistic options for an AD looking to make her mark on an institution's biggest athletic program. None of the biggest names will be willing to move on from their current team's with free agency around.

Bill Tierney isn't an option to me because of his age, and Charlie Toomey is at his alma mater. That pretty much covers all title-winning coaches. So you're left with these 5 as options. And really I think the final 3 would be Scott Marr, Andy Shay, and Joe Breschi.

Whichever of these three options happen (assuming I am right on anything at all), it will be a massive sea change in the B1G. Why?

Because now the conference becomes a true two-horse conference, instead of Maryland and the flavor of the season. And the road to a national tournament, let alone title, will get infinitely tougher for the Buckeyes. All that stockpiled talent will have a new direction, renewed purpose, and many of the weaknesses will be corrected.

That spells big trouble for the rest of the lacrosse world, especially the Big Ten. Johns Hopkins has had some limited success, but only had 1 regular season title in the B1G, and 2 tournament titles. The talent there is far, far better than that. Period. A new coach is going to maximize that advantage in a big way.

With that infusion of new energy, new scheme, and renewed recruiting success, Hopkins will resume its place as a titan of the sport. How does that affect Ohio State?

In all honesty, pretty minimally in everything except games. Ohio State pretty much already loses matchups in recruiting to Hopkins now, a new coach won't affect that outcome all that much. The Buckeyes go South, Canada, and Calvert Hall almost exclusively in recruiting as a result.

Resources are growing significantly at OSU, making the Buckeyes a legitimate rising power in the lacrosse world, but still behind Hopkins (by a slim margin). The tradition aspect won't be affected, as Ohio State has no hope of catching up in our lifetimes, so that is as set in stone as you can get. Ohio State's financial situation hasn't changed.

Pretty much the only thing this will affect is the type of opponent Ohio State will have to prepare for once or twice a year. And how hard those away games are going to be in 2021 and beyond. It is going to be much, much harder.

All that said, it's going to be fascinating to see what that program looks like in 2021, because they're hemorrhaging players right now, though the recruits are staying put. Whatever comes around the bend, Ohio State can be certain of two things.

One, they're going to have to be even more ready to go than ever when these two teams play. And two, this game will not be a black mark anymore if they lose. It's going to be brutal every game. I can't wait!

Go Bucks!