Vancouver Ravens Name New Head Coach
July 21, 2004 - National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Vancouver Ravens News Release
The Vancouver Ravens, British Columbia's professional indoor lacrosse franchise, will continue to draw on its west coast roots by naming Walt Christianson of Victoria, B.C. as its new Head Coach.
Christianson, who resigned earlier this week as an Assistant Coach with the Colorado Mammoth, rivals of the Ravens in the Western Conference of the National Lacrosse League, succeeds inaugural Head Coach Paul Dal Monte of Vancouver, who resigned his operational duties Tuesday. Christianson will work directly with Director of Lacrosse Operations & General Manager Dave Evans of Langley, B.C. in leading the Ravens into the 2004-2005 NLL campaign.
"We're delighted to have someone of Walt's lacrosse pedigree, credentials and reputation as our new Head Coach," said Evans. "He's a proven winner in the Western Lacrosse Association and he's a respected contributor as a coach in the National Lacrosse League with both the Calgary Roughnecks and the Colorado Mammoth."
The Victoria resident served with the Roughnecks in 2001-2002 and 2002-2003 before joining the Mammoth last season. A defensive specialist with both Calgary and Colorado, Christianson is considered a players' coach and is regarded as one of the brightest minds in the game.
"I'm very honoured to have the opportunity to serve as a head coach in the National Lacrosse League, particularly here in my own backyard with the Vancouver Ravens," said Christianson. "I'm honored by the chance to build on what's been accomplished here to date and I'm committed to putting a strong and dynamic team on the floor; game in, game out. I think I know what the knowledgeable lacrosse fans of BC are looking for and we'll work hard to give them a lot to cheer about in the coming season."
Christianson doubles as Head Coach of the Victoria Shamrocks of the Western Lacrosse Association. He coached the Shamrocks to the Mann Cup national championship last summer after reaching the seventh game of the finals in 2002. With the Shamrocks leading the WLA with a record of 15-2 going into action tonight at Bear Mountain Arena in Victoria, Christianson is still in contention to pull of the remarkable feat of coaching in three straight Mann Cup championships.
"From the beginning, we've recognized we have many of the best minds in the lacrosse business right here in British Columbia and we're proud of our west coast talent in players, coaches and management," said Tom Mayenknecht, a Governor and Managing Partner of the Ravens, the NLL franchise which is now under a new ownership structure led by Raj Kalra, the principal of Partners Group 1, a Marietta, Georgia-based corporation. "In Walt Christianson, we have someone who has had championship success as both a player and a coach."
Christianson, 45, was a defender with the WLA Shamrocks throughout the 1980s and again in 1999, winning the Mann Cup as a player in 1983 and 1999. He coached the 'Rocks throughout the '90s before returning to the coaching fold in 2002.
Mayenknecht acknowledged that Christianson was recommended by many people close to the franchise, including Dal Monte: "There isn't anyone who follows the WLA and professional lacrosse in the NLL whom I've spoken with, including those who've played or coached with him and against him, who has anything but enormous respect and admiration for Walt's record and his approach to coaching."
Evans and Christianson conducted their first planning meeting Wednesday in Vancouver and will meet again this weekend to begin preparations for the upcoming NLL season, which will begin with training camp sometime in late October or early November. Pre-season games will be held in late November and early December, with the regular season to begin in late December or early January.
National Lacrosse League Stories from July 21, 2004
- Fraser Retires from Professional Lacrosse - Buffalo Bandits
- Athletes tee it up for local childrens charities - Colorado Mammoth
- Athletes tee it up for local childrens charities - Colorado Rapids
- Vancouver Ravens Name New Head Coach - Vancouver Ravens
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