Local Coaching Legend Takes Over Boys Cross Country

After the firing of former boys track head coach Tom Davis last spring, the Westwood Wolverines track/cross country program had been looking for a fresh start.

Moreover, Westwood needed a coach for the fall with experience, discipline and the will to win—and recently retired Ed Lyons, formerly the track and cross country head coach at Bentley University for more than 20 years, was the answer.

Lyons led the men’s cross country team to seven conference titles and took home conference coach of the year honors seven times. He also coached nine All-Americans during his tenure.

Lyons’ time at Bentley finally came to an close last December, when he felt it was time to retire.

“I had been coaching full time with 60-70 hour weeks for over 20 years,” Lyons said. “I always intended to continue coaching in some capacity at a part time level.”

And thus he has landed at , and is ready to extend his knowledge to the WHS community.

“I hope to teach younger athletes to be patient with endurance-based training and to understand that is a gradual process year after year,” said Lyons. 

As the season began, Lyons projected junior Bobby McLaughlin and senior Luke Devin to be his top runners for the fall, followed by seniors Matt Reissfelder and Erik Brakke.

His next group of runners are sophomore Steven Erickson, freshman Greg Campion, junior Ben Cautela and freshman Jim Friedeborn.

The main challenge Lyons will face this year, he said, is his team’s lack of depth. After the top eight, the rest of the rest will need to prove themselves in order to contend.

As a coach, Lyons’ goal his whole career has always been on his team and trying to improve his runners as best he can. He feels although some runners wont make an immediate impact, they could quite possible be the future.

“The freshman and sophomores will be major contributors as juniors and seniors, and I will be monitoring them, as they are the future of the team,” he said.

His ultimate goal is to better each and every one’s racing tactics and truly teach them how to race.

“Everyone wants success, even the upperclassmen who are already very talented. It’s a process, but I hope to help them learn to race,” said Lyons.

Stay up to date with the boys varsity cross country team by following this season's schedule here.