Xcelerate Nike Kentucky Boys Lacrosse Overnight and Day Camp at Transylvania University

A fixture of the lacrosse coaching community in Kentucky, Otto became the second head coach in the history of the Transylvania men’s lacrosse program in 2022. Tasked with leading the team through its first season in the CCIW Conference, Otto’s Pioneers leaped out to a 5-0 start, also defeated rival Centre for the first time since 2017.

The team picked up its first CCIW win ever at Elmhurst, and went into the conference tournament as the #4 seed. From there, Otto led the Pioneers to a road win over top-seeded Illinois Wesleyan, as the team reached the CCIW Championship in their first season as a member of the conference.

Numerous athletes both recruited and developed by Otto received CCIW honors in 2022 including the Offensive Student-Athlete of the Year (Dalton Hubbs) as well as the First-Year Student Athlete of the Year (Ben Marcum). His team also received recognition at the 2022 RAFY awards, with Hubbs claiming the 2022 Male Pioneer Athlete of the Year.

Another way Otto has made his imprint on Transylvania is through Community Service. His 2022 team received the Pioneer Team Community Service Award as they have furthered their positive impact on the community. Partnering with the Vs. Cancer Foundation, Otto serves as a Lacrosse Ambassador, helping raise funds that go to the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation and the Kentucky Children’s Hospital. His team also worked with the One Kind Cookie Organization, organizing thousands of cookies to be delivered to Metro Lexington Fire Stations, as well as taking part in Campus Clean Ups, walking the neighborhoods and picking up any litter they find. A member of Otto’s 2022 team also earned the Male Senior Leadership Award at Transylvania’s RAFYs ceremony.

Prior to becoming head coach, Otto served on the Transylvania men’s lacrosse staff as the top assistant for eight years, with the last two seasons spent as Associate Head Coach. Otto took the reins of the Pioneer men’s lacrosse program replacing his longtime mentor and the original coach of the program, Kentucky Lacrosse Hall-of-Famer Terry Justice.

The meteoric rise of Transylvania men’s lacrosse over the last several years has been directly intertwined with Otto’s imprint upon the program during that span.

In his past seven seasons as a full-time coach with the Pioneer men’s lacrosse team, Transylvania won six consecutive conference tournament championships in the ORLC and the HCLC, highlighted by the program’s first trip to the NCAA Tournament in 2017. Even before becoming head coach, Otto has been instrumental in piloting the Pioneers to four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances beginning with their 2017 breakthrough.

As the coordinator of recruiting for the Pioneers, Otto’s imprint upon the program has been felt through the expanding funnel of talent to Lexington over the past half-decade. In the 2021 season, the Pioneers for the first time furnished two IWLCA All-Region winners in one season, midfielder Trenten Toivonen and attackman Trenton Sneed. On the way to achieving their sixth straight conference tournament championship, Transylvania produced the conference’s 2021 offensive player of the year, defensive player of the year, and newcomer of the year, along with nine other All-Conference players.

During Otto’s tenure with the program, the Pioneers have continued to set new standards on an annual basis. In his final season as Associate Head Coach, Otto and the Pioneers delivered a 13-3 overall record, their highest single-season winning percentage in program history as they went 6-0 against conference opponents and clinched their fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament berth. In the 2019 season, Otto helped guide the Pioneers to their most wins in a single season with the Pioneers winning 14 matches.

Along with his dedicated stewardship of the Transylvania men’s lacrosse program, Otto has been active in growing the sport of lacrosse across the Bluegrass, establishing his pedigree for developing talent of all ages.

Since 2011, Otto has served as the co-Director of Commonwealth Kings Lacrosse, a travel lacrosse program based in Central Kentucky where he has coached and developed over 50 All-State and All-American student-athletes originating from Louisville, Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky, and Central Kentucky. Otto is also a certified trainer in the US Lacrosse Coaches Education Program as a Level 1 and 2 certified coach.

Prior to joining Transylvania, Otto chiseled his coaching acumen at Scott County High School in nearby Georgetown, Kentucky and was an assistant coach under Justice at his high school alma mater, Lexington Catholic High School. While at Lexington Catholic, Otto guided the Knights to their first KLA championship in 2014.

In his playing days, Otto attended Columbia Hickman (Mo.) High School where he was a First Team All-State performer in boys’ lacrosse before to transferring to Lexington Catholic High School for his sophomore season. At Lexington Catholic, Otto played under Justice, becoming a three year All-State performer and was also named a US Lacrosse High School All-American while holding multiple career point scoring records. Otto obtained a master’s degree from Morehead State University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Kentucky.

Toivonen, the program’s all-time leader in caused turnovers and one of the first two Pioneer men’s lacrosse players to be selected to the USILA Senior All-Star game, joined Logan Otto’s coaching staff in his first campaign as the program’s head coach in 2022.

After completing an iconic five-year playing year with the Pioneers from 2016 through 2021, Toivonen began his next chapter with the Transylvania men’s lacrosse in a coaching capacity, where his leadership and expertise quickly helped elevate the program it its first season playing in the CCIW. Toivonen developed the conference’s First-Year Student Athlete of the Year as well as the Offensive Student-Athlete of the Year.

Faced with a full slate of new conference rivals, and facing high octane offenses week after week, Toivonen’s Pioneers excelled in their own end and the midfield, aside from scoring. The Pioneers rose to the challenge in a season that saw them take town #1 seeded Illinois Wesleyan and reach the CCIW Championship game, stepping into the 2022 season immediately as a threat in the conference.

Toivonen came into his new role at Transylvania already holding a variety of coaching experience, having joined Commonwealth Kings Lacrosse in 2018 as a coach for the youth travel lacrosse program based in Central Kentucky. The Transylvania alum has spent several seasons as a coach with the program, coaching a range of incoming freshmen to seniors in defensive fundamentals and transition play.

Prior to his current stint with Commonwealth Kings, Toivonen coached with Lacrosse Northwest, a youth lacrosse travel club based in Portland, Oregon near his hometown of Sherwood, Oregon. Toivonen presents nine total years of coaching experience overall, with one under his belt with the Pioneers.

In the spring of 2021, Toivonen completed an illustrious run with the Transylvania men’s lacrosse program as a student-athlete, serving as the foundation of the program’s first four appearances in the NCAA Tournament. As a defender and long-stick midfielder for the Pioneers, Toivonen was a three-time conference Defensive Player of the Year and completed his career ranked sixth all-time in NCAA Division III men’s lacrosse caused turnovers with 182.

In his final match at Transylvania, Toivonen illustrated one final image of his all-around versatility and athleticism with two goals, four ground balls, and a caused turnover in Transylvania’s NCAA Tournament first-round match against Colorado College.

Prior to graduation, Toivonen earned IMLCA All-Region Honorable Mention as a defender and was named the 2021 Pioneer Men’s Sport Athlete of the Year at the annual RAFY awards.

In September 2021, Toivonen’s professional dreams were made a reality when he was drafted 31st overall in the National Lacrosse Association draft by the Groove LC Lacrosse team.

Toivonen is based in Lexington.