Playing the game is a perfect entre for becoming a pro lacrosse head coach in the Premier Lacross League. In this piece, I identify five guys who are prime candidates for making that transition.
On Monday, Atlas Lacrosse Club head coach Ben Rubeor announced that Ric Beardsley and Steven Brooks will join his staff as assistant coaches in 2020. Brooks recently retired from playing with the Atlas Lacrosse Club, making him the first player-turned coach in PLL history. That got me thinking: Who could be next?
I have five candidates–two offensive, two defensive, and one head coach–whom I believe could succeed as a Premier Lacrosse League coach once their playing days are over.
Note: By no means am I trying to force anyone into retirement!
Here are my offensive picks.
Deemer Class (photo, AthleticDrive)
Deemer Class: Class is the first guy who popped into my mind. He’s one of the brightest, up-and-coming minds in the sport. He also has coaching experiences through his business, First Class Lacrosse, working with youth, high school, and college athletes. He coached high school lacrosse at Loyola Blakefield in Baltimore, too. Currently, Class is an assistant women’s lacrosse coach at the University of Southern California. His high lacrosse IQ and varied experiences make him the perfect candidate for the pros!
Kyle Harrison: Kyle’s resume speaks for itself–#1 draft pick, pro MVP, a Team USA player, and head coach at Serra Catholic High School (CA). He also coaches his K18 club team and works with Charm City Lacrosse. Kyle’s ability to lead and motivate guys–both as a player and coach, and his knowledge of the game–make him ideal for coaching at the pro level. I, along with many in the lacrosse world, would love to see it happen!
Others considered: John Crawley, Matt Danowski, Joe Walters, Greg Gurenlian, Connor Buczek
Now let’s move on to the defensive guys.
Courtesy: DU Athletics
Tucker Durkin: The way Tuck plays has been thinking that he’s already a player-coach! He’s building his resume, too–as a D-1 assistant at Drexel after having had a successful stint at D-3 Bryn Athyn College. Reportedly, Durkin also had offers this year from Notre Dame (coordinator) and LaSalle High school (PA) (head coach). This guy knows his stuff! And that makes him an ideal pro choice.
Eddy Glazner: This pick is an absolute no-brainer! The unquestioned leader on the Redwoods is an excellent communicator who has a knack of putting guys in the right spots. In the pros, it’s more about motivating guys and putting them in the right spots as opposed to developing players’ talents. A team would do itself a favor by giving Glazner a call!
Others Considered: Matt McMahon, Scott Rodgers, Joel White, Joe Fletcher, Scott Ratliff, Kyle Hartzell
Now, here’s my head coach choice.
John Galloway: The PLL will expand, and that means building a team from the ground-up. There’s nobody better to do that than John Galloway. He has done that already at Jacksonville University. John instilled a culture at JU and has turned the Dolphins into a team that has a great shot at winning the Southern Conference championship. He could do the same thing with a PLL expansion franchise.
Others Considered: Matt Danowski, Paul Rabil, Kyle Bernlohr
