First Class Lacrosse Podcast Dan Chemotti: Building a National Contender from Scratch
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Oct 10, 2025 Dan Chemotti, Richmond’s head coach who built the program from scratch into a national contender. He discusses assembling a complementary staff, intense attention to fundamentals and small-group skill development. Conversations cover translating old-school discipline to modern players, practice efficiency, and the program’s playoff validation.
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Hiring A Teammate Turned Lifelong Assistant
- Dan Chemotti flew Paul Richards and his wife to Richmond and that visit sold them on joining the program.
- Richards has been a cornerstone assistant and teammate-turned-coach since Richmond's early years.
Make Collaborative Staff Decisions
- Lean on your assistants and make decisions collaboratively instead of acting like you have all the answers.
- Trust long-term staff relationships to handle heated moments and reduce friction.
Discipline Trumps Complexity
- West Genesee's success came from discipline and obsessive attention to fundamentals rather than complex schemes.
- Chemotti brought wall-ball volume, detailed routines, and small cultural cues into Richmond's program.