BURLINGTON, Vt. – University of Vermont men’s lacrosse head coach Chris Feifs has announced the hiring of Chris Miller and Jake Bernhardt as assistant coaches for his first year at the helm of the program. “I am very excited to have these two great men of character on my staff,” said Feifs. “They both have the leadership qualities and intangibles that I want to surround my players with on a daily basis. I feel very fortunate to be working alongside Chris and Jake as we embark on this journey together here at UVM and know they will bring out the best in our student-athletes.” Miller comes to Burlington from Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland, where he served as the associate head coach and offensive coordinator since 2011. He was previously an assistant coach and offensive coordinator at Sacred Heart in Fairfield, Connecticut for the 2010-11 season. “I am grateful for the opportunity to work for the University of Vermont and its Athletic Department. The amount of support has been overwhelming thus far,” said Miller. “I am excited for the direction of the men’s lacrosse program and the future of Catamount lacrosse under the leadership of Chris Feifs.” Miller spent two seasons coaching with Feifs when the two were assistants at Virginia Military Institute from 2008-10. A 2005 graduate of Wesley College in Dover, Delaware, Miller’s coaching career began at his alma mater in September of his graduation year. He also served one year as a volunteer assistant at Washington & Lee University in Virginia. “Chris has a wealth of knowledge from coaching across a wide spectrum in both the DI and DIII ranks as an offensive coordinator and has proven to be a fantastic recruiter on the national level,” noted Feifs. Bernhardt plays professionally for the Ohio Machine in Major League Lacrosse (MLL) after a standout career at Maryland, also Feifs’ alma mater. He was a two-time national runner-up and team captain with the Terrapins and was drafted 12th overall by the Hamilton Nationals in the 2012 MLL Draft. “Jake brings a winner’s mentality, work ethic, and a proven track record in lacrosse with his time at the University of Maryland and currently in his professional career on the Ohio Machine,” added Feifs. Bernhardt was previously the head varsity coach and transition teacher at Lake Brantley High School in Altamonte Springs, Florida and was named 2016 Central Florida Coach of the Year. After graduation, he returned to Maryland as the Director of Lacrosse Operations for the 2014 season. “I would like to thank the University of Vermont and Coach Feifs for the opportunity to be a part of this program,” said Bernhardt. “I am looking forward to the new era of Vermont lacrosse.” UVM closed the 2016 season by posting its most wins (9) in a decade and earned its first America East Tournament win with an upset victory over Stony Brook in the semifinal round. The Catamounts, who advanced to the America East Championship Game for the first time in program history, return four of their top five scorers for the 2017 season.