Harvard football knew that its defense would be losing four starters this year. It's now losing the orchestrator of that defense as well.

Defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Mark Harriman, an assistant at Harvard for four years, accepted the head coaching position at Bates last week. He leaves the Crimson after it recorded one of the best seasons in school history, going 9-1 and a perfect 7-0 in the Ivy League.

One of the keys to Harvard's resurgence under Coach Tim Murphy has been the defense, which improved from a No. 99 ranking in the nation to a top five unit in scoring defense, rushing yards allowed, and passing efficiency defense last year.

"We're going to continue to play good defense," Murphy said. "And we're going to bring in the assistant coaches and players who can help us do that. We lost three first-team All-Ivy kids up front in [seniors] Chris Smith, Tim Fleiszer, and Jason Hughes. [Replacing them] is our biggest challenge."

"Coach Harriman was the heart and soul of our defense," Smith said. "He's the best defensive coordinator I've ever played for. It's hard to say what will happen next year, but the system is great. We still have two excellent defensive coaches remaining in Hank Hughes and Louis Anarumo.

"I have mixed emotions. I'm proud that he got the job, but it's a little disappointing to lose him. Next year's team will suffer because of [the departure]."

Harriman and Murphy have a long history together, going back to their days in college.

"Hughes, Harriman, and I all played linebacker for the same football team [Springfield] 20-plus years ago," Murphy said. "We're close and have a long track record."

Still, the chance to be the captain of his own ship was too good for Harriman to pass up.

"Leaving the people you've worked with and the players is never easy," Harriman said. "However, this is an opportunity I've always wanted--the challenge of being a head coach."

"You're always glad to see others get a chance to move on and move up," Murphy said. "Being a head coach is not only about maximizing players' abilities but also helping assistant coaches reach their full potential."

Bates, a Div. III program, is coming off of a poor 1-7 season, after which Coach Rick Pardy resigned to become defensive coordinator at Marist College.

"I did some investigative work before I took the job," Harriman said. "I wanted to make sure that the program, which had been struggling, was making a commitment to winning. Those questions were answered [during my second visit], and I decided then."

Harriman first interviewed Feb. 12. Bates called him back Feb. 15 and offered him the job the next day. He accepted last Monday, becoming the 19th coach at Bates. The hiring was announced Thursday.

"We're very pleased to have a person of Mark's caliber," said Bates athletic director Suzanne Coffey. "He has Ivy experience, and he is returning to his native state in Maine. He's has had success at both Princeton and Harvard."