College Pathway Network

Real guidance from athletes and coaches who know the game.

Any family can email a college coach. Our relationships make sure the right coaches pay attention.

Meet the Team

Joe Edell headshot

Joe Edell

Director of Recruiting Advisory & Co-Founder

  • NCAA DI Athlete
  • 40+ years playing and coaching
  • Team Mexico U20 assistant

Joe leads CPN’s Recruiting Advisory, working directly with athletes and families through the entire recruiting process. A former Division I player at Michigan State and a coach since 2003, he has helped hundreds of athletes reach the NCAA level.

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Joe leads the Recruiting Advisory business at College Pathway Network, working directly with student-athletes and families through the end-to-end recruiting process. He played NCAA Division I lacrosse at Michigan State University. He has coached since 2003 at numerous clubs, camps and clinics, developing youth athletes and guiding high school athletes and families through the recruiting process. As Owner and Director of Coaches and Player Development at Fox Valley Lacrosse Club, he built a program averaging 600 athletes a season while hiring and training its coaching staff.

In 2024 and 2025 he was an assistant coach for Team Mexico's U20 National Team. Hundreds of the athletes he has coached have gone on to play at the NCAA level. Before lacrosse became his full-time focus, Joe spent 24 years at DHL Express, retiring as Senior Director of Operations, and served in the United States Army. As a father of three college lacrosse players, he has lived the recruiting journey himself and channels that experience into strategies that get athletes seen, evaluated and signed.

Colin Bathory headshot

Colin Bathory

Director of Boys Recruiting Advisory

  • All-American, Haverford
  • Former Head Coach, Haverford
  • 30+ years in the game

A 3-time captain and All-American at Haverford, Colin spent more than a decade as Haverford’s Head Coach and also coached at Auburn and Hampden-Sydney. Having recruited from the coach’s side of the table, he knows what college programs look for.

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Colin brings more than 30 years of playing, coaching, recruiting, and athlete-development experience to College Pathway Network. A 3-time captain, All-Conference selection, and All-American at Haverford College, Colin went on to spend more than a decade coaching at Haverford as Head Coach. He also coached at Auburn University and Hampden-Sydney College and has extensive experience coaching and developing youth and high-school athletes.

Having recruited and evaluated student-athletes from the coach's side of the table, Colin understands what college programs are looking for and what athletes need to do to stand out. He combines that perspective with firsthand experience navigating the recruiting process to help athletes and families build a clear, realistic pathway to the right college opportunity.

Devin Cruz headshot

Devin Cruz

Director of Boys Recruiting Advisory

  • 2x All-American, Belmont Abbey
  • MLL and Puerto Rico National Team
  • College recruiting coordinator

A two-time All-American at Belmont Abbey, Devin went on to play in the MLL with the Ohio Machine and for the Puerto Rico Men’s National Team. He has since coached college lacrosse as a defensive and recruiting coordinator and directed club programs in Illinois and North Carolina.

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Devin brings a decade of playing, coaching, recruiting, and club-building experience to College Pathway Network. A Long Island native out of Comsewogue High School, he played long-stick midfield at Belmont Abbey College and became one of the most decorated defenders in program history: a two-time captain, a four-time All-Conference selection with three first-team honors, and a two-time USILA All-American. In 2015 he was named Conference Carolinas Defensive Player of the Year, the first in the program's history, and he closed his career as the Marty Thomas Award winner before graduating in 2016 with a B.A. in Business Management. He went on to play professionally in the MLL with the Ohio Machine and represented the Puerto Rico Men's National Team in 2018.

Devin began coaching at the college level as Defensive Coordinator at Benedictine University and returned to his alma mater at Belmont Abbey, where he served as defensive and recruiting coordinator. Having sat on the receiving end of athlete outreach, he knows which emails and film get opened and which get passed over. Alongside the college game he has spent most of a decade building club programs, directing True Lacrosse in Illinois and later in North Carolina, developing players and moving them into college rosters. He pairs the coach's view of what programs are actually looking for with the club director's view of how an athlete gets seen in the first place.

Kere Harper headshot

Kere Harper

Chief Operating Officer & Director of Women's Recruiting

  • 35+ years in women’s lacrosse
  • 20+ years coaching
  • Collegiate academic advisor

With 35+ years in women’s lacrosse and 20+ years of coaching, Kere develops the tactical and mental skills athletes need at the next level. She pairs that with a corporate branding background and nearly a decade as a collegiate academic advisor.

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Kere brings a powerful combination of on-field coaching leadership and high-stakes executive strategy. With over 35 years of involvement with women's lacrosse, 20+ years of coaching high school, youth, travel, Kere specializes in developing elite tactical systems and the mental visualization techniques required to compete at the next level. She also drives the curriculum for the 3D Ascend program, specifically preparing committed high school athletes for the rigorous transition to college lacrosse.

With an extensive career in enterprise account management and strategy for industry giants like Salesforce and DocuSign, plus experience developing go-to-market strategies for branding platforms, she understands exactly how to build and distribute a compelling brand. She combines this corporate marketing expertise with nearly a decade of experience serving as a collegiate academic advisor, ensuring CPN’s female athletes are not only marketed perfectly to college coaches, but are fully prepared for academic and athletic success once they arrive.

Bret Withey headshot

Bret Withey

Co-Founder

  • Ithaca & Arizona lacrosse
  • 4 businesses built & exited
  • 10+ years coaching

A lifelong lacrosse player and coach who played collegiately at Ithaca College and the University of Arizona, Bret has spent 25+ years founding and scaling companies. He leads CPN’s strategy, partnerships, marketing, and media and technology platforms.

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Bret is a seasoned entrepreneur and business builder with more than 25 years of experience founding, scaling, and leading companies across multiple industries. He has built and successfully exited four businesses and co-founded a multi-state operating company. A lifelong lacrosse player and coach, Bret played collegiate lacrosse at Ithaca College and the University of Arizona and has spent more than a decade coaching and mentoring young athletes.

Playing and coaching gave him a firsthand understanding of the player, parent, and coach perspectives throughout the recruiting journey. At College Pathway Network, Bret serves as Chief Strategy Officer, leading corporate strategy, growth initiatives, partnerships, marketing, and the development of CPN’s media and technology platforms. His focus is on building the brand, resources, and strategic relationships that support CPN’s recruiting experts and create a better experience for student-athletes and their families.

How We Open Doors

  1. Find the right programs

    Schools that genuinely match your athlete’s level, academics and goals.

  2. Reach out personally

    Direct to the coaching staff, with film, a profile and a reason to watch.

  3. Prep for the call

    What to ask, what coaches listen for, and how to follow up.

  4. Keep it warm

    We stay in the loop and keep the relationship going through the cycle.

Why Families Trust Us

400+
All-time NCAA commitments
200+
Current active NCAA commitments
75+
Current active NCAA DI commitments

The Specialists We Bring In

  • Academic Advising

    Test prep, transcripts and applications.

  • Performance & Training

    Strength, speed and sport-specific coaching.

  • Health & Wellness

    Nutrition, recovery and mental performance.

  • Media & Production

    In-house film that coaches actually watch.

  • College Coaching Network

    Relationships with coaches in every division.