PAC coaching changes

The PAC lost two of its most successful coaches in the last two days.

On Tuesday, six-time Presidents’ Athletic Conference cross country/track & field Coach of the Year Mark FitzPatrick resigned from Washington & Jefferson to become the head men’s and women’s track & field position at Denison University.

FitzPatrick, who guided the W&J women’s track & field team to its third PAC title two weeks ago, spent eight years as the head coach for the Presidents. He coached two track & field NCAA All-Americans and led W&J to its first men’s track & field team championship in 2010, He also had PAC women’s titles in 2006, 2007 and 2010. In 2005, he helped Matthew Rudzki become the first PAC cross country medalist in W&J history.

Today, Brian Neal resigned as the head women's basketball coach at Thomas More to become an assistant at Xavier University.

Neal had an .847 winning percentage (171-31) over seven seasons. He led Thomas More to NCAA postseason play each of the last five seasons, including Sweet 16 finishes in 2008 and 2011. Neal guided the Saints to six straight PAC regular-season titles, five straight PAC tournament titles, six straight 20-win seasons and two undefeated regular seasons in his seven years in Crestview Hills. This past season, Thomas More spent several weeks ranked No. 1 in Division III.