Jan 20, 2010 9:09:58 AM

Bethany (West Virginia) will add men's lacrosse as a varsity sport, after fielding a club team during 2010-11.

The school selected Todd Wolffrum, a high school defensive coach from Washington, D.C., to head the program.

"Lacrosse is the fastest growing sport in America right now, and there are high-quality student-athletes looking for opportunities to play at places with great academic credentials like Bethany," said Tim Weaver, director of athletics and recreation at the school. "We think adding lacrosse will further enhance an already dynamic, tradition-rich athletics department."

Men's lacrosse will become the 21st varsity sport at Bethany beginning in 2011-12.

Bethany officials revealed it is adding the sports as part of a master plan for the college that was created when current President Scott D. Miller arrived at the school in late 2007.

The hiring of Wolffrum, a former player at Division II member Pfeiffer who also will serve as an enrollment counselor at Bethany, is the first step in that process. He hopes to recruit student-athletes interested in attending a school with a strong academic reputation that also offers a program "that can become competitive quickly."

"Regardless of where you play in college, there aren't very many opportunities to play professional lacrosse," Wolffrum said. "So it's very important to have athletes who want to get a good education, maintain a high GPA and go on to graduate and be successful when they are done at Bethany."

Bethany becomes the fourth member of the Presidents' Athletic Conference to sponsor lacrosse for men, joining St. Vincent, Thiel, and Washington and Jefferson.