Strengthening a winning team
Former Greyhounds athlete lends support to the tennis and lacrosse programs
When Chris Kaltenbach, ’88, recalls his Loyola University Maryland experience, he’s grateful for the relationships and friendships he made through Loyola’s athletics program.
Kaltenbach played tennis his first two years at Loyola. Although he didn’t play lacrosse, his many friendships with members of the lacrosse team made him feel like he did.
Even the lacrosse coach at the time, Dave Cottle, went out of his way to make Kaltenbach feel like a member of his squad.
One of Kaltenbach’s fondest Loyola memories is when Cottle secured a job interview for him after graduation—an unexpected gesture that propelled Kaltenbach in the right direction for the future.
After graduating from Loyola with a degree in finance, he went on to earn his law degree from Rutgers School of Law in 1993 and MBA from the University of Chicago in 2007.
While he didn’t land that particular job, Kaltenbach will always be thankful to Cottle for helping him. “He didn’t owe me anything, but he went out of his way for me. I really never forgot about that,” he said.
Kaltenbach believes men’s lacrosse head coach Charley Toomey, ’90, and head tennis coach Rick McClure also embody these qualities. Both men are incredibly dedicated coaches, often going above and beyond for their players to ensure their success on and off the field, Kaltenbach said.
“Charlie is a good friend, a great guy, and has done terrific things with the program during his time at Loyola,” he said. “I hope men’s lacrosse continues to thrive.”
Now general counsel for Lesaffre & Red Star Yeast, Kaltenbach lives in Milwaukee with his wife and two sons. He wants to ensure future generations of Loyola student-athletes have the opportunity to better their college experience. This inspired him to make a $50,000 gift to Loyola that will support the Greyhounds tennis and lacrosse programs.
Kaltenbach believes in the power of sports to better individuals through personal achievement and collective teamwork.
“Without its athletics teams, Loyola wouldn’t be the same place,” he said.