Branden Geldart begins his fourth season as the head coach for the Young Harris College men's lacrosse program.
During the 2025 campaign, the Mountain Lions finished 6-9. Geldart led this group to several milestones and accolades, as four athletes were placed on the Conference Carolinas All-Conference teams (Ben Soenen - First, Kieran Isbister - First, Hunter Stagg - Second and Grady Stokes - Second). Additionally, senior Tommy Chriszt became the all-time points and assist leader of the program. Senior Ben Soenen slid into the top of the leader board in caused turnovers and caused turnovers per game. Senior goaltender Dylan Wilbur is now the career leader in saves, saves per game and minutes played for goaltenders.
Continuing the program's growth, Geldart led the Mountain Lions in 2024 to double the amount of wins the program had in 2023. There has been consistent growth of the program since Geldart took charge.
In 2023, Geldart helped the Mountain Lions triple their number of wins in his first season. Under his guidance, the Mountain Lions were ranked 14th in NCAA Division II statistics in caused turnovers per game (10.62) and 17th in ground balls per game (35.62). Ben Soenen earned All-Peach Belt Conference first-team honors for a second season, while five YHC players were named to the PBC Men's Lacrosse Team of Academic Distinction.
Geldart came to the Enchanted Valley after spending the past two seasons as an assistant coach for the men's lacrosse program at Berry College in Mount Berry, Georgia.
Geldart helped Berry College to 12 victories and to two appearances in the Southern Athletic Association Championships over the past two seasons. Geldart coached five All-SAA offensive performers during that time.
Prior to Berry, Geldart served three seasons as the assistant men's lacrosse coach at Oberlin College. He served as the team's offensive coordinator in 2020 after serving as the defensive coordinator the prior two seasons.
Geldart's offense was off to a solid start for the Yeomen through four games as Oberlin ranked third in the conference in both goals per game (13.25) and assists (33) while scoring on man-up opportunities at a 43.8 percent clip (7-for-16) before the remainder of the spring season was canceled.
In 2019, the Yeomen picked up 531 ground balls and held opponents to a .321 shot percentage. Under his guidance, goalie Calvin Filson made a career-best 157 saves and turned away 51 percent of the shots he faced.
In 2018, Oberlin drastically improved its goals against total going from 219 in 2017 to 149. Filson made 133 saves and turned away over 50 percent of the shots he faced. The Yeomen's backline scooped up a large portion of the team's 502 ground balls while also causing 123 turnovers.
Geldart moved to Oberlin College after coaching two seasons at Catholic University of America where he coached the defensive side of the ball. During his tenure, the Cardinals made it to two consecutive Landmark Conference Championships winning in 2016 and losing in 2017. The Cardinal defense only allowed 7.92 goals per game in 2017 after improving from 9.62 goals-allowed average in 2016.
Throughout college, he coached at Camp Greylock in 2013 and for the Old Line State Lacrosse Club in the summers of 2011 and 2012.
Geldart is a graduate of Frostburg State University, where he was a four-year member of the men's lacrosse team.
updated 07.22.25
