Rogers steps down as head coach of Chicago Machine
November 14, 2007 - Major League Lacrosse (MLL)
Chicago Machine News Release
CHICAGO - The Chicago Machine announced today that Lelan Rogers will step down as head lacrosse coach but remain with the team in an advisory capacity. Rogers recently accepted a full-time assistant coaching position at Syracuse University in addition to his current duties as Director of Lacrosse Operations.
"We wish Lelan the best at Syracuse and we certainly understand that it's an opportunity he couldn't pass up," said John Meister, President and General Manager of the Machine. "We are sorry to lose Lelan as our head coach but are pleased to have him remain a part of our staff, where he will continue to work with me as we move forward both as a team and as a professional sports enterprise."
Rogers, who was named head coach of the Machine for the 2007 season, helped Chicago rebound from a winless inaugural 2006 campaign by posting a 3-9 record.
"We were thrilled with the strides we took under Lelan," said Chicago part-owner David Connelly. "Last year we were three one-goal games from being .500. He put us on a track that we feel very good about."
Rogers also viewed Chicago's 2007 campaign as a success.
"As a whole, I think the organization moved forward by leaps and bounds," he said. "In any situation, you want to leave in a better position than when you arrived. I don't think there's any question we did that. We were playing very well at the end of last season and we felt that if we could have extended the season another few games, we would have been in the thick of things."
The Machine plans to call upon Rogers's expertise for future team dealings, including the upcoming Major League Lacrosse supplemental and collegiate drafts.
"I want to stay as involved with the team as much as possible," said Rogers. "We made significant strides and I want to see that success continue. It's only going to get better."
Meister also said that he hoped to have an announcement of Rogers replacement soon after the Thanksgiving holiday.
• Discuss this story on the Major League Lacrosse message board...
Major League Lacrosse Stories from November 14, 2007
- Rogers steps down as head coach of Chicago Machine - Chicago Machine
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
