The 2025 season will be Coach Novotny’s twentieth season at Seton Hill University. Under Coach Novotny’s direction the Griffins have grown into one of the most consistent and competitive programs in Division II.
Last season, the Griffins advanced to their seventh straight G-MAC final. The team finished with an 11-6 record. Four Griffins earned USILA All American honors while six Griffins earned USILA All Region Honors. SHU had nine All G-MAC selections. The 2023 Griffins won the G-MAC Regular season title and advanced to the sixth straight G-MAC title game. SHU ended the season with a 12-5 record. Three Griffins earned USILA All American honors. Novotny was named G-MAC Coach of the Year and 13 Griffins earned All G-MAC honors.
In 2022, the Griffins earned their fourth straight NCAA Tournament appearance and won their third Great Midwest Athletic Conference Championship. The Griffins finished the season with a 13-7 overall record. Thirteen Griffins earned All G-MAC honors while six earned USILA All Region Honors and four earned USILA All American honors. The team earned the USILA Academic Award and four players were named USILA Scholar All Americans.
In 2021, the Griffins earned their third straight NCAA Tournament appearance and an appearance in the G-MAC final with an 11-3 season. The Griffins won two of the league's major awards and had 12 players earn all conference honors. Seven players earned USILA All Region honors with three of them earning USILA All American honors. The team earned the USILA Academic Award and three players were named USILA Scholar All Americans. Twenty seven players were named to the G-MAC All Academic Team and one player played in the USILA Senior Game.
Seton Hill started the 2020 season with six straight wins before the CoVID pandemic shut down the season.
In 2019, the Griffins earned their second straight NCAA Tournament appearance and third in school history. Seton Hill finished the season with a 12-5 record and were a perfect 5-0 in G-MAC play, earning their second straight G-MAC regular season championship. The Griffins earned five of the six G-MAC major awards including Novotny's second straight coach of the year award. In the classroom the Griffins had 20 G-MAC Scholar Athletes, 1 CoSida Academic All District Award winner and a USILA Scholar All American. The team also had two USILA All Americans and one participant in the USILA Senior All Star game.
During the 2018 season the Griffins reached new heights. A 17-2 record and the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (GMAC) championship set the stage for the NCAA tournament where they hosted and defeated LeMoyne College in the first round. The Griffins earned a birth in the NCAA final four where they fell to the eventual national champions, Merrimack. The Griffins were honored on and off the field during the 2018 season. In the classroom the Griffins had 16 GMAC Scholar Athletes, 1 CoSida Academic All District Award winner and a USILA Scholar All American. On the field the Griffins had six USILA All Americans, four USILA DI/DII Senior All Star game participants, eight all GMAC selections including four individual award winners: Jack Moran – Offensive Player of the Year, Brett Craig – Specialist of the Year, Max Eismann – Goalie of the Year, and Coach Novotny – Coach of the Year.
In eighteen seasons at Seton Hill, Novotny has recorded a 187-97 record. Since 2010 the Griffins record is an impressive 165-66 (.714). Novotny has coached 100 All Conference selections, 13 USILA DI/DII Senior All Stars, 2 USILA DII Midfielders of the Year, 33 USILA All Americans, and 199 student athletes have earned conference academic honors.
Novotny currently sits on the IMLCA Board of Directors and the USILA Polling and All American committee. Brian is also currently a member of the NCAA National Advisory Committee for Men's Lacrosse. He previously served on the NCAA Regional Advisory Committee (RAC) for men's lacrosse and the USILA and IMLCA All American Committee. Coach Novotny earned conference Coach of the Year honors in 2023, 2018, 2015, and was named US Lacrosse Magazine DII Coach of the Year in 2012.
Prior to Seton Hill, Brian was the head coach at Mt. Lebanon High School in Pittsburgh, PA. In 2003, Coach Novotny led his team to the WPSLA league championship in addition to the Pennsylvania State Finals and the Midwest Scholastic Lacrosse Association Finals. Previous to coaching at Mt Lebanon, Coach Novotny spent seven years at Franklin Regional High School. He served as the team’s defensive coordinator before being promoted to head coach. He helped lead Franklin Regional to league titles in 1995, 1996 and 1999. While coaching Mt. Lebanon and Franklin Regional Coach Novotny has produced 6 All Americans, a MSCLA player of the year, 2 WPSLA players of the year, and dozens of all league selections. Additionally Coach Novotny served two years on the WPSLA board including terms as league treasurer and league president and was the 2003 recipient of the ALOA sportsmanship award.
Coach Novotny played lacrosse at the University of Pittsburgh and holds a degree in Secondary Education from California University of Pennsylvania. He and his wife, Nicole, along with sons Grant and Brett reside in Murrysville.
