The Atlanta Blaze announced Monday that former Syracuse All-American and U.S. U19 team member Liam Banks will take over as head coach. Banks replaces the legendary Dave Huntley, who died on Dec. 18.
Banks, an Atlanta resident, was an original promoter of the first professional lacrosse game in the state of Georgia in 2013, and helped play a role in bringing both the MLL Championship game to the state (2014, 2015) and the Blaze franchise to Georgia.
In his playing career, Banks helped Syracuse to four final four appearances and he was the MVP of the 2000 national championship game, scoring six goals in victory over Princeton. He finished his Orange career as a three-time All-American.
Banks was also a member of the U.S. U19 team in 1999, making the all-world team and leading Team USA to the gold medal.
After his playing career, Banks led the charge with one of Georgia’s top club programs in Thunder LB3 Lacrosse. The club has helped over 100 players from the South commit to Division I schools.
"This is an incredible opportunity for me to challenge myself professionally at the highest level of coaching with many of the best players in the world," Banks said. "We hope to field a team for the Atlanta Blaze that embodies the same principles we strive to cultivate each day at Thunder LB3 with the goal of bringing home a Major League Lacrosse Championship in 2018. I love the city of Atlanta and I am humbled with the opportunity to be the head coach of the Atlanta Blaze."
It will be Banks’ first team leading an MLL team, but he already has the support of the Blaze front office.
"His knowledge of the sport is unlike others in that he’s working in lacrosse 24/7," Blaze GM Spencer Ford said. "He has a great love for the game, and his ability to develop players at a young age and preparing them to play at a high level is fascinating. I’m excited to see how his IQ translates and how he can take that amazing knowledge and put it to use with our current Atlanta Blaze players. Liam lives and works in Atlanta, and the excitement around bringing a local person into the organization will help us grow in an amazing way. He knows everybody in lacrosse, has familiarity with the surrounding areas, and we have a great feeling that he’s going to be an extremely important part of bringing in the community to watch the sport, something that is needed in MLL."
Banks and the Blaze will get their 2018 MLL season started on April 22 at home, hosting a 2017 playoff team in the Florida Launch.
"Our top two objectives for the 2018 MLL season are to compete for the Steinfeld Trophy and to build the Blaze fan base throughout Georgia, and Liam’s extensive lacrosse knowledge and experience, familiarity of the Atlanta market and boundless energy and drive make him the perfect head coach to lead the Blaze," said Blaze President Jim Pfiefer, who returned to his post last week.