Pierce moves from coaching Saugus boys lax to Swampscott

SWAMPSCOTT – Todd Pierce is heading back to Swampscott.Pierce has been named the new Swampscott High boys lacrosse coach, replacing Josh Field, who stepped down at the end of last season. Pierce has lived in Swampscott the past 17 years, is a police officer in town and prior to taking the Saugus High lacrosse head coaching job two yeas ago, he was an assistant in the Swampscott program. He has also been involved in the Big Blue football program for the past eight years, most recently helping out with the freshman team.Pierce said he wasn’t looking to make a change, but when the Swampscott lacrosse job opened up, it was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up.”One of the things I’m really excited about in coming back to Swampscott is that the youth program is just bursting at the seams. Any head coach will tell you that the youth program makes or breaks a (school) program.”Pierce said the last two years coaching in Saugus have been great.”It was a wonderful experience over there,” he said. “I hope I left them a little better off. I wasn’t shopping around, it’s just that a chance to come home came up. I wish the best of luck to Saugus. The administration over there was excellent.”When he took over the Swampscott program two years ago, the team was coming off a two-win season. His first year at the helm the Sachems won six games and last spring, they won eight and qualified for the state tournament for the first time since 2006.Pierce said he’s still friends with former coach Josh Field and credits him with doing an excellent job moving the program forward. Although the team didn’t qualify for the state tournament last spring, Pierce said the Big Blue has traditionally done well.”I think last year was more of an aberration,” he said.”I plan on coming in, not changing too much, but I plan to put my own stamp on it. I like to think I’m a coach who communicates well with his players,” Pierce said.Pierce, who played lacrosse at Norwich University (Class of 1990), is the father of three children ages eight, 10 and 14.”I’m honored I was picked for the job,’ he said. “It was an excellent field that I was competing with. They were excellent candidates.”