COLUMBUS, Ohio - Nick Myers has been hired as the men's lacrosse head coach at Ohio State, TJ Shelton, assistant athletics director for sport administration, announced Thursday. Myers spent the last three seasons as the head assistant coach for the Buckeyes.

"I want to thank athletics director Gene Smith, TJ Shelton and the Ohio State administration for the opportunity to lead the Buckeye lacrosse program," Myers said. "I need to thank (former coach) Joe Breschi, who did so much for both the Ohio State men's lacrosse program and for me as a coach and person. I really appreciate the support I've received from the players, parents and alumni. I am excited about the bright future we have here."

Shelton said Myers' passion for Ohio State stood out.

"We are excited about having Nick Myers as our men's lacrosse coach," Shelton said. "We had a quality pool of candidates and at the end of the day Nick emerged as the one to lead our program forward. After speaking with the committee, it was evident Nick bleeds Scarlet and Gray and brings incredible passion and enthusiasm to the Ohio State program. His commitment to the student-athlete both in the classroom and in the community is invaluable. Nick is a strong recruiter and believes in developing the whole person. He understands the lacrosse landscape and played a major role the past few years in the lacrosse program's improvement on the national scene."

Myers has spent five seasons on the Ohio State coaching staff. He began his coaching career as the volunteer assistant for the Buckeyes for two seasons (2002, '03) before rejoining the Ohio State staff as the head assistant for the 2005 campaign. He also spent two years (2004, '05) as the top assistant coach at Butler.

In 2008, Myers helped guide the Buckeyes to a share of the Great Western Lacrosse League title and an at-large berth into the NCAA tournament. The team downed Cornell on the road for the program's first NCAA tournament victory and berth in the quarterfinal round. He served as the offensive coordinator as the Buckeyes ended the season third in the NCAA in scoring offense (13.2 goals per game) and extra-man offense (45.7 percent). Ohio State ended 2008 ranked seventh nationally. Myers also was on staff when the squad earned a spot in the NCAA tourney in 2003, the first appearance in program history.

Myers, a native of Kennebunk, Maine, was an All-American at Springfield College, where he earned his bachelor's degree in sports studies in 2001. He and his wife, Julie, reside in Columbus.

"Nick is ready to take the next step in his coaching career," Smith said. "He has experience in our program and demonstrated a commitment to Ohio State and its student-athletes during the interview process."

Myers replaces Breschi, who left Ohio State to become the head coach at his alma mater, North Carolina.