The New England Black Wolves of the National Lacrosse League have named Glenn Clark the second head coach in team history. Clark will be joined on the bench by assistant coaches Jim Veltman and Tracey Kelusky.
“We are very excited to have Glenn Clark join our young team as head coach and we are equally enthused about Tracey’s return and the addition of Jim Veltman to the coaching staff,” Michael French said on behalf of the Black Wolves ownership group. “These three coaches bring a wealth of lacrosse knowledge, innovation and experience to our organization. As players, they brought 110 percent effort game in and game out. Team captains who led their respective clubs to a combined 15 NLL championships, they are universally recognized as three of the greatest players/competitors in league history and we look forward to them building a winning culture here in New England.”
Clark brings a wealth of experience to the Black Wolves both as a player and a coach in the National Lacrosse League (NLL). Drafted in 1997 by the Ontario Raiders, he spent his rookie season with the Raiders before the team relocated to Toronto and became the Rock. The defender spent seven seasons with the Rock, winning five NLL championships (1999, 2000, 2002, 2003 and 2005) while appearing in two All-Star Games (2004 and 2005). Clark signed a free agent contract with the Philadelphia Wings and spent the 2006 season with the Wings, earning his third All-Star appearance, before retiring at the end of the season.
Following his playing career, Clark returned to Toronto as the head coach of the Rock. He spent two and a half seasons on the bench for the Rock, compiling a record of 12-19. In addition to his experience coaching in the NLL, Clark has served as an assistant coach for Team Canada since 2011 and earned Canadian Lacrosse League Coach of the Year honors in 2013 while with the Toronto Shooting Stars.
“Along with our staff, I’m excited for the opportunity and challenge of making New England a competitive team in the NLL,” Clark said. “I’ve enjoyed my early interactions with the staff of the Black Wolves and look forward to our continued growth as an organization.”
Inducted into the National Lacrosse League Hall of Fame in 2009, Veltman won eight NLL championships during his 16 year career with the Buffalo Bandits and the Toronto Rock. The first recipient of the NLL Sportsmanship Award in 2002, Veltman was named league MVP in 2004. He captained the Rock for 10 seasons and led the league in loose balls in 14 of 16 seasons played. After retiring in April of 2008, Veltman served as an assistant coach for Clark with the Rock for the remainder of his tenure with the team.
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2000 NLL Entry Draft, Kelusky earned Rookie of the Year honors in 2001 and went on to become a five-time NLL All-Star. The MVP of the All-Star game in 2005, Kelusky won NLL championships with Calgary in 2005 and 2009. He will be in his second season as an assistant coach with the Black Wolves, joining the franchise after retiring in September of 2014. Kelusky is also the owner and founder of Evolve Elite Lacrosse, a youth development program in Canada.
The Black Wolves will return to action at Mohegan Sun Arena in January of 2016. For more information, or to purchase season tickets, call 1-844-LAX-WOLF (529.9653) or visit www.blackwolves.com.
