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New Faces in New Places - Coaching Changes in 2016
2016-02-11
Mi'kmaq Warriors Head Coach Chet Koneczny announced his resignation, resulting in four new head coaches on the bench in the ECJLL in 2016. Read on for an overview of the changes made this offseason.
Colin Beiswanger
Head Coach Chet Koneczny and Assistant Brandon Sanderson have resigned from their posts with the Mi’kmaq Warriors over the weekend, marking an unprecedented level of turnover this offseason in the East Coast Junior Lacrosse League. This, in addition to the Dartmouth Bandits introducing Luke Parker on draft day to lead their organization after the resignation of Mitch Hanniga, has four of the six ECJLL teams with new Head Coaches heading into 2016.
The Dartmouth Bandits welcome Luke Parker to the club, after spending last year as an Assistant Coach under Mitch Hannigan. Luke played minor lacrosse locally for the Northwest Rebels, and significant experience playing in the U.S. as well as in Europe. He is a mainstay on the Senior Men’s Privateers club that represents Nova Scotia at the The Aleš Hřebeský Memorial tournament.
A club returning many of their star players will welcome Luke, a team that needs a disciplined coach to bring the team to the finals in 2016.
As mentioned in a previous column, The New Brunswick Mavericks Jr A lacrosse team announced that Matt Mallett has been appointed as their new 2016 head coach.
Matt brings abundant experience to the team as an alumni player with the Mavericks and Assistant Coach. He also has experience playing and coaching in the Maritime University Field Lacrosse League with the University of New Brunswick.
The Mavericks played close games against the 2015 champ Hurricanes, Warriors, and Wolves to close out last season, and with Mallett's experience and guidance will be looking for progress in year two after a brief hiatus from the league.
The Mi’kmaq Warriors announced Brian Knockwood as their interim stopgap as they begin the search for a new coach to start the 2016 season. Brian is the elder of budding second-year star Bryson Knockwood who finished second in ECJLL rookie scoring in 2015. He represented Nova Scotia on the 2014 North American Indigenous Games Team NS as an assistant coach, and has been around the game for many years.
Brian leads a Warriors team looking to build off the momentum gained in their first year of play in the ECJLL, making the playoffs in their first year as an organization.
Finally, as mentioned in a separate column to the Mavericks announcement, Jon Goguen announced his resignation and signaled assistant Colin Algee will be taking over duties for 2016 for the Halifax Southwest Hurricanes.
The Hurricanes are four-time repeating ECJLL Champions, and Algee takes over a club with a solid young core of talent primed to make another run at the championship this year.
Algee has multiple years experience coaching with the Hurricanes Junior squad, and has been an advocate for the association at the grassroots level for a number of years.
That leaves mainstays Tyler James and Jay Titchmarsh as the lone Head Coaches remaining from 2015. They both have a good young nucleus of talented and benefitted greatly in the 2016 ECJLL Midget Entry Draft.
Despite major losses on offense, expect the Northwest Marley Lions to once again compete and be in the championship discussion. I’d also bet the Sackville Wolves will be making a playoff appearance, and that has to be the goal heading into this season.
Head Coach Chet Koneczny and Assistant Brandon Sanderson have resigned from their posts with the Mi’kmaq Warriors over the weekend, marking an unprecedented level of turnover this offseason in the East Coast Junior Lacrosse League. This, in addition to the Dartmouth Bandits introducing Luke Parker on draft day to lead their organization after the resignation of Mitch Hanniga, has four of the six ECJLL teams with new Head Coaches heading into 2016.
The Dartmouth Bandits welcome Luke Parker to the club, after spending last year as an Assistant Coach under Mitch Hannigan. Luke played minor lacrosse locally for the Northwest Rebels, and significant experience playing in the U.S. as well as in Europe. He is a mainstay on the Senior Men’s Privateers club that represents Nova Scotia at the The Aleš Hřebeský Memorial tournament.
A club returning many of their star players will welcome Luke, a team that needs a disciplined coach to bring the team to the finals in 2016.
As mentioned in a previous column, The New Brunswick Mavericks Jr A lacrosse team announced that Matt Mallett has been appointed as their new 2016 head coach.
Matt brings abundant experience to the team as an alumni player with the Mavericks and Assistant Coach. He also has experience playing and coaching in the Maritime University Field Lacrosse League with the University of New Brunswick.
The Mavericks played close games against the 2015 champ Hurricanes, Warriors, and Wolves to close out last season, and with Mallett's experience and guidance will be looking for progress in year two after a brief hiatus from the league.
The Mi’kmaq Warriors announced Brian Knockwood as their interim stopgap as they begin the search for a new coach to start the 2016 season. Brian is the elder of budding second-year star Bryson Knockwood who finished second in ECJLL rookie scoring in 2015. He represented Nova Scotia on the 2014 North American Indigenous Games Team NS as an assistant coach, and has been around the game for many years.
Brian leads a Warriors team looking to build off the momentum gained in their first year of play in the ECJLL, making the playoffs in their first year as an organization.
Finally, as mentioned in a separate column to the Mavericks announcement, Jon Goguen announced his resignation and signaled assistant Colin Algee will be taking over duties for 2016 for the Halifax Southwest Hurricanes.
The Hurricanes are four-time repeating ECJLL Champions, and Algee takes over a club with a solid young core of talent primed to make another run at the championship this year.
Algee has multiple years experience coaching with the Hurricanes Junior squad, and has been an advocate for the association at the grassroots level for a number of years.
That leaves mainstays Tyler James and Jay Titchmarsh as the lone Head Coaches remaining from 2015. They both have a good young nucleus of talented and benefitted greatly in the 2016 ECJLL Midget Entry Draft.
Despite major losses on offense, expect the Northwest Marley Lions to once again compete and be in the championship discussion. I’d also bet the Sackville Wolves will be making a playoff appearance, and that has to be the goal heading into this season.