Brian Carney: An Officer and an Athlete

by Erin Donohue

Some sons would balk at growing up under the guidance of a father who was an officer in the United States Marine Corps. For Brian Carney, his father set the standard of what he wants to achieve.

Brian Carney was a captain on the men’s lacrosse team in 2014.

Judging by the younger Carney’s academic and athletic achievements—and his own personal drive—he is well on his way.

“I was raised on the belief that there is no prouder or more honorable title you can earn than United States Marine,” he said. “My dad taught me that and I still believe it today.

“The Marines have a long history, 239 years, and a hard-earned reputation of being the world’s elite fighting force, and my dad, and the other Marines before me, have inspired me to join the ranks and live up to that legacy.”

Brian Carney took another step in achieving his goals this summer when, for the second straight year, he attended the Officer Candidates School in Quantico, Virginia, and completed the Platoon Leader Class Seniors. His experiences were invaluable. After he receives a B.A. in History this December, he will be commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Marines and head to The Basic School in Quantico for six months. There, he will learn the art and science of being an officer of Marines.

At the Officer Candidates School, Carney was evaluated on leadership, academics and physical training, areas in which  he excelled at Adelphi. Carney supplemented his studies with a remarkable career on the men’s lacrosse team. Athletics was a prime reason why he chose Adelphi.

“Adelphi provided me with the opportunity to play lacrosse for an accomplished, storied program,” he said. “Being able to keep my GPA above a 3.5 while juggling athletics and academics—and being voted captain of the lacrosse team by my teammates—were my proudest accomplishments.”

Last season, the men’s lacrosse team captured the Northeast-10 Conference regular season title, set a program record in wins (17) and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division II tournament.

“Brian has been a leader on the lacrosse team for four years,” coach Gordon Purdie ’88 said last spring. “This year he was selected as captain and has led the Panthers to an 11-0 [conference] record. He is respected by his teammates and his coaches, he leads by example and we are all proud that he will be serving our country.”

Looking back on his time at Adelphi, Carney says playing in a national championship game in 2011 and making great memories with his classmates are among the many highlights. He also credits his history professors for much of his success both on and off the field.

The late Professor Patrick Kelly, Ph.D., who died in April 2013, was a longtime friend of the men’s lacrosse team.

“You could always count on Professor Kelly to be on the sidelines with the team at every game,” Carney said. “It was nice having a professor who I could chat with not only about class material, but about how the lacrosse season was going.”

When asked about his future being a soldier, Carney says he looks forward to becoming a commander of an infantry platoon and being a part of the expeditionary unit, where he will travel and train in other countries. After the military, he hopes to join the police force in Nassau County or New York City.

He feels Adelphi has prepared him for his future plans.

“Balancing schoolwork and lacrosse has taught me time management and responsibility…lacrosse has taught me teamwork,” he said. “My experience as a team captain is invaluable considering my goal of leading a platoon in the Marines. My time at Adelphi has instilled in me a work ethic that will drive me in the future.”