Podcast: Pinkerton coach Marty Auger on NHIAA title, thriving in chaos

Pinkerton Academy (N.H.) coach Marty Auger is the guest this week on the "Chasing The Goal" podcast.

On this week’s episode of New England Lacrosse Journal’s “Chasing The Goal” podcast, hosts Kyle Devitte and Owen Hart talk with Pinkerton Academy (N.H.) head coach Marty Auger.

Auger is a Pinkerton Academy alum who earned All-American honors as an attackman for the Astros in 1990. He was Pinkerton’s offensive coordinator for his former coach and current athletic director, Brian O’Reilly, from 2015-19. In that span, he helped the Astros win three NHIAA Division I titles (2015, ’18 and ’19).

Last season, Auger joined fellow Pinkerton alum James DeLanoy’s coaching staff at Rivier University as offensive coordinator. This past spring, in his second season at the helm of the Astros, he led them to their first NHIAA title since 2019, culminating with a thrilling 17-16 win over Bedford that came down to the final shot.

Watch the full podcast below on YouTube. It’s also available on all major podcast platforms. If you enjoy it, please leave a rating and a review. Watch more episodes on the Chasing the Goal podcast channel.

Here are some excerpts from the pod.

Kyle Devitte: In Massachusetts, they are getting rid of Division 4. In New Hampshire, there is a constant shift; teams can petition down if they lack a youth program or culture, and next year is the “switch” where teams move up. What are your thoughts on that?

Marty Auger: Supposedly, there is going to be a power ranking system. We’ll have to play teams like Bedford, (Bishop Guertin) and Exeter twice and then pick out-of-state games. I am a big proponent of playing up and having tougher competition; it makes us better as coaches and gets the kids ready for the next level.

Kyle Devitte: As a coach, I prefer scouting in person to find things to exploit. How much of that do you do?

Marty Auger: I love it. I own my own company, so I work early and then drive all over to watch games. I don’t send my coaches; I go myself. Scouting top-to-bottom helped us take advantage of weaknesses when we played BG (in the semifinals) and Bedford.

Owen Hart: When you’re scouting, do you wear Pinkerton gear or go in disguise?

Marty Auger: I know too many people, so there’s no hiding. I’ll wear my Pinkerton jacket if it’s cold, but they know I’m there.

Kyle Devitte: The state championship game’s fourth quarter was bananas. What was going through your head?

Marty Auger: We don’t have high-end talent that can pick corners on the run, so we decided to play fast and “run and gun.” We thrive in chaos. We didn’t call a time-out because we trusted our players and didn’t want the defense to reset. Jackson Farrell knew what to do, and Owen Perkins made a fantastic save.

@TheKyleDevitte
kyle.devitte@laxjournal.com

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