Towers will take the place of former head coach Bill Wilson, who announced his resignation in early May. In a previous interview with The Dartmouth, Wilson declined to provide a reason for his resignation.
For the last several years, Dartmouth has been unable to make a title run, Towers said. To reverse the trend, the Big Green players must embrace the urgency of the team's title hopes, he explained.
"The season starts right now," Towers said. "I think [lacrosse] needs to be a lifestyle for these players. From a strategy standpoint, the coaching staff needs to give an overview of what the players have to do."
Towers, who joined the Big Green coaching staff in 2005, said he hopes to develop the players' commitment to the team.
"We failed to create that commitment on a day in, day out basis," he said. "We lost the disciplined culture surrounding the program, so my first goal is to make lacrosse fun again."
As head coach, Towers will have to deal with talented Ivy League foes that have recently surged to the forefront of the game.
This year, both Cornell University's and Princeton University's teams reached the quarterfinals of the NCAA lacrosse championships.
"I think the Ivy League is the best lacrosse league in the country," Towers said. "In general, the league's style of play is due to the depth of talent on each team."
Players interviewed by The Dartmouth said they were optimistic that Towers would help the team improve its performance.
"I know for a fact that everyone was thrilled to have Towers as head coach," defenseman Andrew Pollack '10 said in a previous interview with The Dartmouth. "I think the administration did a fantastic job by being fair and open in filling the position."
Towers' firm commitment to the sport will help revitalize the men's program, Harper said in a College press release.
"The passion and enthusiasm [Towers] has for lacrosse and Dartmouth, coupled with his knowledge of the game, make up the pieces of the puzzle and the keys to the success of Dartmouth men's lacrosse," she said in the release. "I am confident in [Towers'] abilities, and I am pleased to have been a part of the process that has put him in place, to lead and inspire the future success of our program."
As a face-off specialist, Towers hopes to jumpstart a stagnant Big Green offense by concentrating on fast-break opportunities and momentum-shifting plays, he said. Towers also stressed that the team must maximize its number of possessions during games through tighter tempo control and better ball transition from the backfield.
Yet, Towers praised the team's defensive ability.
"Defensively, we have some of the best players in the country," he said.
Although the lacrosse season does not start until next spring, Towers is already making pre-season preparations to integrate incoming recruits with returning players, he said. Towers highlighted physical athleticism and mental strength as traits the coaching staff will look for in both new and upperclassmen players.
"We want to recruit character, and we want to recruit athletes," he said.
Towers also said that although the newly recruited class will complement the rest of the team, it is too early to assess individual talent before the season begins.
"I think [the incoming class has] the opportunity to push the upperclassmen right away, but the intangibles are the hardest things to see," he said.
