Marietta, Ga., (Life U Release) – As the old adage goes, timing is everything, and that is never more true than today as Scott Lawrence has signed on to lead the Life U Rugby program forward. “A long list of fortuitous events have transpired and worked in our favor as it pertains to being able to appoint Scott with this expanded role as he guides our program forward,” said Life U Athletic Director Dan Payne.

Lawrence, who lives and works in the Atlanta area, has been integral to the proliferation of the Life U Rugby program for the past decade. Initially, he was the architect of rebuilding the program from the ground up in the mid 2000s. Most recently, his capacity has been as the coach of the renowned Life U defense for all three teams within the program. Lawrence has also worked for USA Rugby as an HP director, as well as Junior All-Americans and U20s in various capacities, including head coach of the U 20 USA side that won the Junior World Trophy in 2012.

Said Payne, “The first person I wanted to converse with about the future of our program when the current situation presented itself was Scott. He and I have had a great relationship over the past seven years and it’s not uncommon for us to bend each other’s ear when looking for ideas, advice and input. The meeting started out with us discussing his availability for this coming year, discussing candidates that we might consider to fill this role and gauging how much time Scott might be able to offer the program this year. It soon became clear that Scott’s current schedule and, most importantly, his intent and interest moving forward, will allow him to step up and take an extremely expanded role in the very program he has been so instrumental in building. There is no one better suited for this position than Scott Lawrence.”

Lawrence will have a special focus on the undergraduate men’s team, and he will also work closely as a valued resource for the women’s varsity team as well as the Elite Training Group. He has a passion for using the sport of rugby to help mentor and instill the habits and traits that will lead to successful lives of student-athletes, which is perfectly aligned to the mission and ideals of the Life U Athletic Department. “You’d be hard-pressed to find any coach with a greater appreciation for organization, attention to detail, and process-oriented approach than Scott,” added Payne. "We’re fortunate that one of, if not the, single most valuable resource in American rugby lives ten miles down the street from our campus!"

On the appointment, Lawrence said, “It’s no secret that we embrace change as growth here. This new role for me is hugely exciting as it provides an expanded role outside of developing young athletes and now also includes the surrounding staff, processes and environment.” This expanded role is part of a new initiative at Life U: creating a curriculum to develop and mentor aspiring rugby coaches. “I can’t think of anything better than waking up every day with the mission of advancing this talented coaching staff to be better coaches, mentors and leaders."

Lawrence will assume his new duties immediately as the fall season approaches for the JV, Women’s and Elite Training Group sides.

Note: Life University also stated that there will be a number of opportunities for young, aspiring coaches who are looking to hone their craft and develop within this model. If interested in finding out more about the coach development pathway and opportunities you can email Life U Athletic Director Dan Payne at Dan.Payne@LIFE.edu.