Two DU coaches reach career milestones
This spring, two veteran Big Red coaches, Mike Caravana and Tiffany Ozbun, earned their 300th win at Denison. Caravana, head coach of the men’s lacrosse program for 26 years, reached the landmark on April 13 when the Big Red defeated visiting Whittier College in Granville by a 12-5 score. Ozbun, head coach of Denison softball since 2007, earned her milestone victory on May 5 with a 5-2 win over the College of Wooster in the North Coast Athletic Conference tournament held in Greencastle, Ind.
One of the winningest coaches in college lacrosse and a former All-American attackman at the University of Virginia, Caravana has guided Denison to three NCAA Final Four appearances in 1999, 2001, and 2017, 11 NCAA Tournament quarterfinal appearances and 12 North Coast Athletic Conference championships. In 2016 he became Denison's career leader in wins, surpassing the legendary Tommy Thomsen, who passed away in 2012.
Ozbun who will return for her 13th season in 2020, is the program’s all-time leader in victories with a career record of 300-179. She is a two-time North Coast Athletic Conference Coach of the Year who has guided Denison to 12 consecutive 20-win seasons. Since 2008, she has led DU to three NCAC Tournament Championships, two NCAA Division III Tournament appearances, and three regular-season conference titles. Denison has finished as the NCAC Tournament runner-up for the last three years.
Both Caravana and Ozbun serve as associate professors in Denison’s Department of Health, Exercise, and Sport Studies.