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NEW LONDON, Conn.—Ray LaForte, an assistant football and track coach at the Coast Guard Academy for the past 14 years, has been named the Associate Head Coach and head-coach- in-waiting of the men’s lacrosse team that will become a varsity sport in the Spring of 2015.

Current men’s lacrosse head coach Gary Weller will remain in his current role for the next two seasons, guiding the program’s transition from club to varsity status, where they will compete in the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) before he steps down. LaForte will take over as the head coach after the 2015 season.

Fresh off the announcement from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy Division of Athletics that it will elevate the men's lacrosse program to varsity NCAA D3 status (effective with the 2014-15 academic year), Coast Guard Academy men's lacrosse head coach Gary Weller announced the arrival of a strong in-coming group that is part of the Class of 2017.

The Bears were challenged to fill several positions vacated by graduating 1st Class cadets now serving in the fleet, but a successful recruiting season seems likely to fill the gaps. Eight new cadets round out the list from eight different states all across the country.