Matt Beers and Curt Malawsky Bring Pro Pedigree to Langley Thunder
July 14, 2025 - National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Vancouver Warriors News Release
This summer has been a full-circle moment for Vancouver Warriors Head Coach Curt Malawsky and defenceman Matt Beers.
Beers stepped into a new role as Head Coach of the Junior A Langley Thunder, with Malawsky by his side as Assistant Coach. The dynamic is a reversal from their long-standing relationship, where Malawsky coached Beers at nearly every level. Now, Beers is the one with the whistle - a shift he admits felt unusual at first.
"Early on at one of our first practices, I looked at Curt and said, 'I'm genuinely nervous,'" Beers recalled. "Curt said, 'What do you mean?' I said, 'Well, you're Mouse, you're someone I look up to, and I'm the one with a whistle. It's a big step for me.' He just laughed and said, 'Don't worry about it, I've been in the system before.'"
Having Malawsky in his corner has brought Beers confidence, and the duo has taken the Langley Thunder an 8-9 record, up from 0-18 last season.
"He's been an amazing mentor and a lot of help to me in my first year coaching Langley," Beers said. "For me to have the ability to learn from him, I think, is an invaluable thing. He's such a team-oriented person and knows his role so well - we're co-coaching, he's just as much the head coach as me, it's very much a give and take."
Beers brings his ideas and player personnel decisions to the table and leans on Malawsky for input.
Malawsky gives Beers full marks for his approach to coaching.
"Beersy's so great. He's very passionate about it and puts a ton of time in, which you need to do, and he cares a lot about his players, and he's got a good mind for it," Malawsky said.
Through Beers' journey from minor lacrosse to the professional ranks, Malawksy remembers moments they've shared like it was yesterday. Sitting in Tim Hortons, telling Beers over coffee he'd be named captain of the 2010 Coquitlam Adanacs team that would then go on to win the Minto Cup. Now, Malawsky sees Beers stepping into a mentorship role of his own, coaching and raising a young family, just as he did.
Malawsky, who has experience as an assistant with the Calgary Roughnecks and Team Canada's gold-medal winning squad at the 2019 World Indoor Lacrosse Championships, understands how to empower a head coach and be the support system they need.
With Langley, he's enjoying the change of pace - cracking jokes at practice, chirping the players and bringing a bit of levity to the group.
"When you're the assistant coach, there's a time and place to be serious, but you can joke with the young guys and let them know that you're not a hard ass all the time and have fun," Malawsky said.
The two are very sympatico - Beers managing the defence and Malawsky taking charge of the offence - making for a seamless collaboration because they've been through many games together and have similar philosophies.
"We just kind of naturally gravitate towards our roles," Beers said. "At the end of the day when it's an offensive play, he's got full rein, that's why I say we're very much co-coaching. He's got all the confidence in the world in me to do all that stuff on the back end, so we kind of split the gate."
Beers dipped his toe in the coaching waters when he started playing in the NLL with the Washington Stealth in 2010. He's always been inspired to give back and helped coach camps and travel teams as an early pro. He spearheaded the Warriors Elite Academy, and this year, in addition to coaching U9, he's leading the Thunder.
"I've always had a bug for it," Beers said.
Last summer, when he was sidelined from playing with the Ladner Pioneers due to injury, he coached the defence - helping guide the team to a President's Cup. The 35-year-old realized that coaching was a great way to stay involved in lacrosse in the summer and that he could use the rest and focus on building strength for the following season.
His decision to look for a team to help coach this offseason came last summer when he watched the Minto Cup that was hosted in Coquitlam.
"It's the nostalgia of when I was playing at that age and how important and special that time was in my life," Beers said. "I have the ability to do that with a group of kids and be a part of their journey, the same way Curt and Dan Perreault, were part of mine. Those people are very influential in my life, and hold a special place in my heart."
Beers has had Hall of Famers coaching him since Bantam lacrosse, like Malawsky. Not only were they great examples as to how to play the game the right way, but they also showed him the importance of giving back and sharing knowledge and experience with the next generation of players.
"Curt's always been about bettering lacrosse, whether it be Team BC or anything like that, and I think that's something that he instills in a lot of the players and a lot of the Warriors players. You look down the roster that we have now, pretty much everybody gives back in some capacity, whether it be volunteering or coaching. I think everybody's trying to leave the game better than you found it. He's definitely brought good people into the organization," Beers said.
As Beers takes the next step in his coaching career, he's doing so with the guidance of someone who's shaped his lacrosse journey from the start - and together, they're helping shape the next generation.
National Lacrosse League Stories from July 14, 2025
- Matt Beers and Curt Malawsky Bring Pro Pedigree to Langley Thunder - Vancouver Warriors
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