Berry College has found its next leader for the men’s lacrosse program, announcing the hiring of Ned Kaish as the Vikings’ new head coach. Kaish arrives in Rome, Georgia after spending the past six seasons as an assistant coach at DeeTwoLax powerhouse Lenoir-Rhyne, where he helped establish one of the nation’s premier programs. During his tenure with the Bears, Lenoir-Rhyne compiled an impressive 85-16 overall record, captured the 2023 DeeTwoLax National Championship, earned six NCAA Tournament appearances, won two South Atlantic Conference regular season titles, three SAC Tournament championships, and reached the NCAA Championship game three times.

Berry Director of Athletics Dr. Angel Mason believes Kaish is the ideal fit to continue building the Vikings’ program.

“We are excited to welcome Coach Kaish. He understands the balance of academic excellence, personal growth, and competitive success that defines the Berry Experience.”

Kaish played a significant role in one of the most successful stretches in Lenoir-Rhyne history. The Bears rewrote multiple offensive records during the 2023 championship season, setting new program marks while producing two All-Americans and the NCAA Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. Throughout his time on staff, he helped develop one of the most prolific scorers in NCAA lacrosse history while mentoring the top three scorers in program history.

Before returning to his alma mater as a coach, Kaish gained valuable experience at the high school level in Georgia. As head coach at Northview High School, he led the Titans to three consecutive playoff appearances while coaching three All-State selections and one All-American. He also served as an assistant at Greater Atlanta Christian School, helping guide the program to a Final Four appearance and a school-record offensive season. Kaish is no stranger to success on the field himself. A standout attackman at Lenoir-Rhyne, he earned First Team All-Conference honors in 2015 and finished his career among the program’s all-time greats. He ranks sixth in career points (170), fifth in goals (124), is tied for the school record in career man-up goals, and his 21 career hat tricks rank among the best in program history.

In addition to his coaching accomplishments, Kaish has developed strong recruiting ties throughout the Southeast. His experience coaching and recruiting in Georgia and across the rapidly growing southern lacrosse landscape gives Berry an opportunity to further establish itself as a destination program in the region.

Kaish expressed his excitement about leading the Vikings into their next chapter. “I could not be more excited to lead the Berry College men’s lacrosse program and help it grow into one of the premiere college lacrosse programs in the South. I want to thank Dr. Mason, Dr. Mazumder and the search committee for this opportunity at such a special place that develops great young people.”

Dr. Mason believes Kaish’s championship pedigree and recruiting background make him the right leader to elevate the program. “Berry Men’s Lacrosse is positioned for continued growth, and we believe Ned is the right leader to elevate the program. His energy, recruiting connections, and championship experience will help us compete for conference championships while providing an experience for our scholar-athletes.”

With a national championship on his resume deep recruiting connections throughout the Southeast, and a proven track record of developing elite offensive talent, Kaish now takes over a Berry program looking to continue its rise as one of the South’s emerging DeeThreeLax contenders.