Longtime Denver East lacrosse coach Jon Barocas is leaving the game he has coached for more than three decades.
Barocas, who spent 33 years at the helm of the East’s boys team, announced his retirement this morning in an email to friends and parents of the team.
“It’s just been a great ride,” said Barocas, whose career spans the 12 years boys lacrosse has been sanctioned by CHSAA, and two decades as a club sport before that. “I can’t ask for anything else. I’ve got friends for life, I’ve coached kids of kids that I’ve coached. You know it’s time to step away before kids start calling you ‘Grandpa.'”
Barocas, the only coach in East lacrosse’s sanctioned history, will be replaced immediately by Sean McCarthy, who played college lacrosse at Hofstra and spent two seasons as a head coach at Heritage.
cCarthy, an assistant Barocas was grooming as his replacement since last season, also is a defenseman for the Denver Outlaws, the city’s professional outdoor lacrosse team.
“It’s still a transition when you go from being an assistant back to being the head coach, but certainly that experience (as a head coach) will smooth that transition (for McCarthy),” said Denver East athletic director Andy Mendelsberg. “He’s very well respected by the kids throughout the program, so that respect factor — him being here last year — will ease the transition.”
The move will allow Barocas to focus on his international media company. He founded bieMEDIA in 2005.
“If you’re going to devote yourself to a team these days, you have to do it year-round,” said Barocas, who also is the director of college scouting for the Outlaws. “And being the CEO of a company, it takes way too much.”
Barocas’ son, Ben, is a junior attackman at East. He has eight goals and one assist this season. It’s what Barocas is looking forward to most in retirement.
“I get to be a dad and watch my own kid play, which is a first for me out of three kids,” Barocas said. “When my son scores, I get to cheer.
“In coaching, you have to be on top of it every single day, and there’s not one hard thing in watching my son play. That’s probably the most pleasurable thing I’ve ever done.
East, 2-5 to start this season, went 3-11 last year and 7-8 in 2009. The Angels haven’t made the playoffs since 2008, when they went 10-5 and lost to Douglas County in the second round.
Barocas led East to a state title in 2000, and runner-up finishes in 2002 and 2006. More than 200 of his players went on to play collegiately. Countless others have found success after athletics — including Denver mayoral candidate James Mejia.
“I’m so proud of these guys,” Barocas said. “What they accomplished on the field is nothing compared to what they’ve accomplished in life.”
McCarthy was named the Colorado Coaches High School Association coach of the year in 2009. He was 20-11 in two seasons at Heritage.
East plays Denver South at 5 p.m. today at All-City Field.
