Toronto Rock owner, president and general manager Jamie Dawick announced today that he has relieved John Lovell as head coach of the Toronto Rock.
Lovell was named head coach of the Rock following the 2013 season and had a 28-26 regular season record over three seasons as the Rock’s bench boss. The veteran coach was also named NLL coach of the year after guiding the Rock to a 14-4 regular season in 2015 and a spot in the NLL Champion’s Cup Final.
After a 5-13 season in 2016, Dawick felt it was time for a change in direction for the franchise and cited that the move is not a reflection of John’s performance as a coach with the Toronto Rock.
“I have a lot of respect for John as a head coach as he has been with this franchise since I bought the team in 2010,” expressed Dawick. “I felt like a change in direction with the team was needed and I’m hopeful John will be a part of the future of the Rock in another capacity. John is a true professional and was always tireless in his preparation. I hope he can continue to bring that to the Rock in another role going forward.”
At this point, the search for a new head coach will begin with the goal of bringing a new vision and new direction to the Toronto Rock. Dawick says there is no timeline in place to name a new head coach.
