Amherst increasingly reliant on analytics

The Amherst College men's team is going to a more analytical approach to work on improving its game. (Ryan Samson, Sideline Photos)

You bring up analytics in sports, there are a number of reactions that may follow.

Some people roll their eyes and feel no need for "nerds and numbers" to be involved in athletic ventures. Then, there are others who feel that a balance between traditional modes of evaluation and the newer-school types is healthy. And, finally, you'll see coaches who absolutely swear by a more technological-driven approach.

Even after a 2019 season where his team did not struggle to score goals (the Mammoths were held to single-digits just once), you can count Amherst College men's coach Jon Thompson among that middle group with the addition of offensive coordinator Thomas Muldoon.

The two worked together at Brown and have known each other a dozen years, so Thompson was excited to be reunited with Muldoon to start with. However, Muldoon's modern methods are what seem to have Thompson even more jacked.