Mercer University announced the appointment of Jason Childs as the school’s first head coach for men’s lacrosse on September 8, 2009 and the Bears’ first-ever team took the field in the spring of 2011.
 
MU is also the first-ever NCAA Division I intercollegiate men’s lacrosse team in the state of Georgia.

Childs has proven to be a tireless worker in facilitating all aspects of inaugurating the sport of lacrosse on the Mercer campus, overseeing everything from field renovations to scheduling, as well as from uniform designs to community outreach. He has worked endless hours to ensure that the bears’ lacrosse program is one that is both competitive and well-respected.

It is not uncommon to attend other Mercer athletics events and campus activities and find the men’s lacrosse team there, en masse,  supporting their fellow Bears.

“I believe visibility and participation are important,” Childs said. “Especially for a fledgling sport, if we desire campus and community support, then we have to demonstrate the willingness to get out there and be involved ourselves.

“We are building a program here and we want to make certain that we always try to do things the right way from the get-go. We expect excellence from our student-athletes on the field, in the classroom and in the community.”
 
Childs took over Mercer University’s club team for the 2010 season and then moved the program to NCAA Division I status for the 2010-11 academic year.
 
Childs came to Mercer from Presbyterian College in Clinton, S.C., where he also started the men’s lacrosse program in 2006 and coached for three seasons. He guided the Blue Hose men’s lacrosse program’s transition from NCAA Division II to NCAA Division I status, as well.

Prior to that, Childs was an assistant at Limestone College in Gaffney, S.C., where he was an instrumental part of the Saints highly-successful program. During his two seasons - 2003 and 2004 - LC had a composite record of 24-2. The team won the Deep South Conference title in 2004 and finished second in the nation at the NCAA Division II championships for both 2003 and 2004.

Childs also coached cross country at Limestone in 2004.

Before joining the college coaching ranks, Childs was the offensive coordinator for the Lacrosse team at the Darlington School in Rome, Ga., from 2001-03. He taught american and British Literature and served as a resident faculty member. Childs was an assistant basketball coach, as well as middle school football coach, at Darlington, as well.

A native of Baltimore, Md., Childs was a four-year starter and two-year team-captain as an attackman and midfielder at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Penn.  He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in American studies in 2001.

Childs had a stellar playing career for the Red Devils, twice serving as the team’s captain and earning the program’s “Unsung Hero Award.” He set a school and Centennial Conference record for assists in a game with 11, while also posting the second-best single-game scoring performance of 12 points (11 assists/1 goal), on March 22, 2000 versus Susquehanna University.

Childs left Dickinson ranking fourth in career assists (64) and eighth on the all-time scoring list with 108 points (44 goals/64 assists).

Childs prepped at the St. Paul School for Boys in Baltimore, Md., where he was a three-sport athlete: lacrosse, soccer and basketball.

Childs is married to the former Mary Foss of Rome, Ga. The couple have two children, Elizabeth Ann and Jackson Lee
 
“I look forward to bringing in young men of high character who also have a high ability of lacrosse talent,” Childs said.  “I am very excited to be charged with shaping the Mercer Bears’ lacrosse program.”