Lexington, Ky. – The Transylvania Athletics Department today announced the elevation of Logan Otto to head coach of the Transylvania men's lacrosse team.
Otto, 33, becomes the second head coach in Transylvania men's lacrosse history, replacing Terry Justice, his mentor, coaching partner, and original coach of the nine-year old program.
After serving the last seven years on the Transylvania men's lacrosse staff as the top assistant, the last two as the Associate Head Coach, Otto takes the reins of the Pioneer men's lacrosse program in his newest role as head coach.
"I couldn't be more delighted to be announcing Coach Logan Otto as our new head coach," said Vice President of Athletics, Dr. Holly Sheilley. "Logan's passion and dedication to this program has been unparalleled and I have no doubt that he is the right person to continue the legacy that he and Coach Justice have begun at Transy. I cannot wait to see the future of men's lacrosse at Transy with Coach Otto at the helm."
"I am thrilled to have the opportunity to be the next head coach of the Transylvania University men's lacrosse program," commented Otto. "It is an honor to carry the torch forward from the winning foundation that Coach Justice has built. I would like to thank Vice President of Athletics, Dr. Holly Sheilley, Associate Athletic Director Jeff Chaney, and the search committee for their confidence in me as the next leader of this program. I also would like to thank Coach Terry Justice for his mentorship over the years that I have been a part of this staff and team. This is a special team and I am excited to help take the team new heights in the future."
A fixture of the lacrosse coaching community in Kentucky, Otto brings his innate knowledge of the sport as well as his institutional experience with the Pioneers to Transylvania. The meteoric rise of Transylvania men's lacrosse over the last five years has been directly intertwined with Otto's imprint upon the program during that span.
In his past seven seasons as a full-time coach with the Pioneer men's lacrosse team, Transylvania has won six consecutive conference tournament championships in the ORLC and the HCLC, highlighted by the program's first trip to the NCAA Tournament in 2017. Otto has been instrumental in piloting the Pioneers to four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances beginning with their 2017 breakthrough.
As the coordinator of recruiting for the Pioneers, Otto's imprint upon the program has been felt through the expanding funnel of talent to Lexington over the past half-decade. In the 2021 season, the Pioneers for the first time furnished two IWLCA All-Region winners in one season, midfielder Trenten Toivonen and attackman Trenton Sneed. On the way to achieving their sixth straight conference tournament championship, Transylvania produced the conference's offensive player of the year, defensive player of the year, and newcomer of the year, along with nine other All-Conference players.
During Otto's tenure with the program, the Pioneers have continued to set new standards on an annual basis. In his most recent season as Associate Head Coach, Otto and the Pioneers delivered a 13-3 overall record, their highest single-season winning percentage in program history as they went 6-0 against conference opponents and clinched their fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament berth. In the 2019 season, Otto helped guide the Pioneers to their most wins in a single season with the Pioneers winning 14 matches.
Along with his dedicated stewardship of the Transylvania men's lacrosse program, Otto has been active in growing the sport of lacrosse across the Bluegrass, establishing his pedigree for developing talent of all ages.
Since 2011, Otto has served as the co-Director of Commonwealth Kings Lacrosse, a travel lacrosse program based in Central Kentucky where he has coached and developed over 50 All-State and All-American student-athletes originating from Louisville, Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky, and Central Kentucky. Otto is also a certified trainer in the US Lacrosse Coaches Education Program as a Level 1 and 2 certified coach.
Off the field, Otto and his student-athletes have furthered their positive impact on the community through partnering with the Vs. Cancer Foundation; Otto serves as a Lacrosse Ambassador for the foundation, helping raise funds that go to the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation and the Kentucky Children's Hospital.
Prior to joining Transylvania, Otto chiseled his coaching acumen at Scott County High School in nearby Georgetown, Kentucky and was an assistant coach under Justice at his high school alma mater, Lexington Catholic High School. While at Lexington Catholic, Otto guided the Knights to their first KLA championship in 2014.
In his playing days, Otto attended Columbia Hickman (Mo.) High School where he was a First Team All-State performer in boys' lacrosse before to transferring to Lexington Catholic High School for his sophomore season. At Lexington Catholic, Otto played under Justice, becoming a three year All-State performer and was named a US Lacrosse High School All-American while holding multiple career point scoring records. Otto obtained a master's degree from Morehead State University and a bachelor's degree from the University of Kentucky.
Otto officially assumes his role as head coach of Transylvania men's lacrosse on August 2.
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