KENOSHA, Wis. - Carthage College assistant athletic director for external relations and head women's lacrosse coach John Sung will soon depart Carthage College and the Kenosha area for a new professional opportunity. 

Mr. Sung, an '07 graduate of Oakland University, has accepted a position as the associate athletic director at Nova Southeastern University - an NCAA Division II institution in Fort Lauderdale, Florida - after spending the last year and a half at Carthage as both an administrator and coach. 

"I want to thank Nate Stewart for bringing me here to Carthage. I am so blessed to have worked with so many special coaches and student-athletes. I am proud of my time here as both an administrator and a coach," remarked Sung. 

In his position as the assistant athletic director for external relations, Sung played an instrumental role in a number of pivotal moments in the history of Carthage Athletics, including: 

• opening The N.E.S.T., a student-athlete refueling and recovery room - one of the few such spaces within NCAA DIII athletics
• launching The Embers - the official end-of-year award show for Carthage Athletics that serves to highlight the enormous accomplishments of Carthage's student-athletes
• partnering and fostering relationships with a number of sponsors to form strategic connections and generate additional revenue for the department, helping to grow athletic revenue by 135%
• green lighting and overseeing projects such as The Fire Pit - Tarble Arena's new, branded student section

"To all of Carthage's student-athletes - thank you for making this a special place. From the national championships, opening The N.E.S.T., to starting The Embers. My goal was to leave this a better place than when I started," said Mr. Sung. 

In accepting this new role, Sung will step away from coaching lacrosse after nearly 30 years in the profession. Sung steps away from coaching with a 166-89 overall record as the head coach of four different NCAA programs. 

Prior to being hired by Carthage in August of 2021, Sung spent five years coaching women's lacrosse at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia, where he became the winningest coach in program history - racking up 45 victories. Before moving to Blacksburg, Sung served as the head coach at Winthrop University from 2011-2016, where he owned a 54-26 record. Sung also coached the Haudenosaunee National Women's Lacrosse Team from 2008-2013, and made previous stops at Adrian College (four seasons as head coach, 47-19 record), the University of Michigan (assistant coach), and Birmingham Seaholm (assistant coach). 

As the leader of Carthage's women's lacrosse program, Coach Sung went 21-5, leading the Firebirds to a record-setting 16-3 record and an appearance in the CCIW Women's Lacrosse Tournament championship game; the team's 16 wins marked the most in a single season in program history.

In his first season as head coach in 2022, Sung saw the Firebirds set program records in points (497), points per game (26.16), goals (323), goals per game (17.0), assists (174), assists per game (9.16), shots attempted (690), shots per game (36.32), shots on goal (505), shots on goal per game (26.58), draw controls (325), and draw controls per game (17.11). 

"To my team - thank you for all of the amazing memories. I am SO proud of everything we accomplished. I know you will continue to push Carthage women's lacrosse to a new level," noted Mr. Sung with pride. 

The Firebirds currently sit at 5-2 overall, and will now be led by interim head coach Rebecca Congel, who has served as an assistant coach on Sung's staff since October of 2021. Congel brought a wealth of experience with her to the Kenosha area when hired, having spent two seasons as the head coach of the Summit Lacrosse club team. Congel also spent time serving as an assistant field hockey and lacrosse coach at Arapahoe High School in Centennial, Colorado. 

Prior to entering the coaching world, Congel was a dual-sport athlete at Syracuse University - playing both field hockey (2013-2015) and lacrosse (2015-2017) for the Orange. 

Carthage Athletics wishes Mr. Sung and his wife Tina, son Zachary, and daughter Abby all the best in the years to come.