The Premier Lacrosse League announced today that Coach Sean Quirk will return as head coach of Cannons LC for the upcoming 2021 PLL season.
Coach Quirk has been a part of the Boston Cannons organization since 2015, and most recently won the 2020 MLL Championship as the team’s head coach. He will continue in his role under a newly branded Cannons LC, which recently joined the PLL as the league’s eighth team by way of a merger with Major League Lacrosse.
“I am extremely excited and fortunate to be leading the Cannons Lacrosse Club,” says Coach Quirk. “With the rich tradition of the Cannons and fan base, we as a team look forward to building a championship caliber culture and team in the PLL. The merger of the MLL and PLL is very positive for our sport and the growth of professional lacrosse. This is an opportunity for the best players in the world to come together and display the highest level of lacrosse.”
As Coach Quirk aims for a PLL championship in 2021, he will do so with a new cast of players. As Cannons LC enters the PLL, Quirk will have the opportunity and challenge to form a team from the combined ranks of PLL and MLL talent. Details regarding the draft process will be announced in the coming weeks from the league.
It will certainly be interesting to see which players from the 2020 Boston Cannons team Coach Quirk is able to bring back. If I was to bet, 2020 MLL Championship-winning goaltender Nick Marrocco and Quirk’s business partner with PeakPro is now almost a guarantee to start in cage for Cannons LC and based on his performance in the past two MLL seasons, he’s most certainly up for the challenge.
Yet, bringing back a majority of the 2020 Cannons won’t be easy given the diverse group of talent joining the league from the five other MLL franchises and the wealth of talent set to be available in the expansion draft. While certainly tough decisions loom, Quirk and his staff will have every opportunity to rebuild a Cannons roster that can compete for another championship in 2021.
PLL Head of Player Experience, Brian Silcott, spoke highly towards Quirk’s capabilities stating “Sean is a builder. He built the program at Endicott, he built a championship team in Boston and I am sure he will build a great squad for the Cannons Lacrosse Club. I look forward to being on the same team again as we all build for the PLL’s success.”
Echoing Silcott’s statements, PLL Head of Competition, Seth Tierney says, “I have followed and admired Sean Quirk’s success from afar. I am very impressed with everything he has said and asked as he prepares for this next challenge. He is exceptionally qualified and I think he will quickly instill the same culture and success that the Cannons name has come to signify.”
What do you think of Sean Quirk returning to coach Cannons LC in 2021? Let us know in the comments or on social media.
