NCA’s Larsen Named AS A.D.
Heading into his fifth year here at NCA, Coach Brian Larsen has been tapped as the newest Athletic Director, effective immediately. Coach Larsen has served as the head varsity coach, head of the baseball program as well as an instructor in Physical Education. We recently sat down with Coach Larsen to not only get to know him a little better, but also hear his personal take on the future of our athletic program.
Q: You’ve been the head varsity baseball coach here for the last four seasons. How many seasons of coaching have you accrued through the years?
A: I spent my first seven years coaching baseball as an assistant at American Heritage School near Fort Lauderdale. It was a great experience as I was able to really grow and learn not only the game, but also how to be a great coach. I then spent six years as the head coach at Dr. Krop High School in Miami. I was able to flourish there and gained wonderful experience in that role. I’m going into my fifth year as the head coach here at NCA and am excited that I get to work with the kids that have the opportunity to play here.
Q: Your coaching style has been appreciated by parents and fans alike. How will that translate into the A.D. role?
A: Certainly as a coach, I set high standards and expectations for my players, and as A.D., the standards of our school will be upheld and clearly communicated – and the athletic department will support this. The expectations are that each coach will own their programs and flourish in their respective sports while integrating and upholding our school-wide standards. I believe the state of our school is our first priority, and as a whole can be impacted in such a positive way by our coaches, athletes, and teams.
Q: Aside from playing in high school and your years of coaching, what other athletic experiences have you had?
A: I played four years of collegiate baseball: two years at a Junior College in Florida and then two years at Lincoln Memorial University in Tennessee.
Q: Going back to your expectations, what are they specifically for each athletic program and the athletes themselves?
A: I would like each student participating in athletics to be leaders. I want them to buy in to the direction our school is trying to go in, because their involvement in the success of the school and their success outside of athletics is more important in the long run. I want our coaches to continue to support the teachers and administration, as this communicates accountability and responsibility to our student-athletes. Also, overall, I want our coaches to have student-athletes who are great kids.
Q: Moving in a new direction now. What are some of the things you enjoy? Also, is there anything that you’d like the NCA Family / public to know about you?
A: More than anything else, I love spending time with my family. My wife and two kids are my life. My dream is that during my time here, each sport flourishes and that all of our sports programs buy into our overall mission as a school. I think that if we’re all on the same page, we will do great things. I’d love for my kids to attend school here and participate in athletics someday. Also, I enjoy being at NCA so much that I’d love to be able to retire from here!
Clearly, Coach Larsen is passionate about athletics and is greatly looking forward working with your student-athletes this coming fall. We’d like to congratulate Coach Larsen on his new role and we are excited as well about the direction that both our school and athletics program is headed!