For a long time, West Genesee High School knew it would have to find a new head coach for varsity boys lacrosse in 2019. Only now, the school will have to do so on the girls varsity side, too.
Kevin Hennigan announced Thursday his resignation after three seasons coaching the girls lacrosse Wildcats, where his teams only lost 11 games, yet was unable to win a Section III Class A title.
Hennigan said his reason for stepping down was that he could not guarantee an ability to serve full-time between math teaching duties at the high school and family commitments (he has three children age 5 and under).
For many reasons, Hennigan had a difficult task when he took over at his alma mater in 2016. His predecessor, Bob Elmer, had won more than 300 games and led WG to seven state titles – and had left amid personal conduct allegations that predated Elmer’s Wildcats tenure.
In each of Henningan’s first two years, WG had strong regular seasons and earned top seeds for the sectional Class A playoffs, only to fall in the semifinals – to Cicero-North Syracuse in 2016, and to Baldwinsville in 2017.
After a slow start in 2018, WG won 10 straight late in the season, again earned a playoff top seed and this time reached the sectional title game, where it lost, 6-3, to eventual state champion Christian Brothers Academy.
All of this comes less than two weeks after Mike Messere and Bob Deegan coached their final games for WG’s boys lacrosse team.
