I woke up yesterday and immediately put on the state champs of 1996 hat that Coach Sennett gave me one afternoon before practice senior year. I thought it was cool then, but now it simply means everything. As I walked around the campus of Mizzou, I was overcome with the amount of players whom I had played against in high school, not even from DeSmet, coming up to me and telling a story they had about Sennett. It is amazing the amount of respect he has from everyone from the DeSmet community, the lacrosse community, and the rest of the world for that matter.

Like others, Coach felt like a second father to me. 2 years ago I sat as a freshman in my dorm room at Wittenberg University. Not happy with how the season had been going and more or less not happy with my coach, I called Sennett. I simply asked his advice on what I should do. The conversation lasted just over an hour as I sat there and listened to every single word he was saying. Little did I know this would be the last time I talked to him. I took his advice, confronting my coach and quickly finding myself on the field again, playing like I did for him.

I can remember the phone call from my mother delivering the news of his passing. Coincidentally, I was on a bus on the way to play our last game of the season. I can remember having to wake up Reinberg, Birner, and Gerber, all the while in tears not knowing what else to say. I can remember having to call Spencer Hampton and telling him too. But we all knew he was there with us, watching over us and was by our side. It brought us closer together than ever before.

If the world had just a pinch of the character that Coach had, this would be a better place. I know that there is no way I would be the man I am today without the character I built at DeSmet, and most importantly the care, generosity, and passion of Coach Sennett in my life. I can only hope that I live my life with him as my model for success.

Count on me Coach, I will always miss you.

Jim Bunten 06'