NLL Insider

Adam Mueller has had some rough years as a head coach in the National Lacrosse League.  As a rookie bench boss in 2002 he finished 8-8 with Wings squad that was defending its championship and got knocked out in the first round of the playoffs.  Things got worse and he was fired after the 2004 season with a 23-25 record. 

Philly is not the place you want to be when things go bad.  The franchise had made the playoffs in each of their 17-year existence.  They expect to win.  So when you loose, the ownership group of MILL founders Russ Cline and Chris Fritz, along with legendary box and field player Mike French will let you know what you’re doing wrong. 

You could see the stress that Adam was under, and as one of the nicest guys in the business, it was tough to watch.  I wouldn’t have been surprised if that experience crushed his will to coach in the NLL.  But along with exiled GM Marty O’Neill, Adam resurfaced in Minnesota.  In case you are looking to buy and expansion team, you need to look no further than St. Paul for your blue print for success.  They had a plan.  They stuck to it.  And here they are 4 years in as one of the top teams in the East having made the playoffs in years two and three.  

Fast forward to the present … and it appears that Mueller’s Plan is starting to pay dividends in New York.  Saturday night in Trenton the Titans were firing on all cylinders.  They annihilated the first-place Wings and seemed to match Philly’s athleticism that has given so many teams trouble this year. The Titans neutralized Geoff Snider and actually won the face-off battle, going 19-37 on the shoulders of Jamie Hanford and the N.Y. ball team.  What stood out was their ability to score 5 on 5 goals.  Vinc was stellar and the Titan defense was tight with rookies John Orsen, Mitch Belisle and Rory Smith in the line-up.  After starting the season 1-4, they have won 5 of their last 6 games.  You’ve got to credit Mueller for sticking with his guns and following through on his master plan.

In building a team you set out with a particular model and system.  At what point do you start to doubt it and think about going back to what other teams are doing?

“You pick the best guys for the system.  What was available in Minnesota versus New York was different.  There happened to be more quality Americans available in New York.  In both situations we went through some tough spots.  You have to look at, are we committed to playing the system?  If we are committed and failing then you have to make a change.  If you are still learning … how can you give up?  In Minnesota people thought we were crazy.  But Marty wouldn’t give in … I wouldn’t give in.  I’ve been canned before … and I am not afraid of it happening again.”

Adam’s success comes as no surprise to those who know him.  He is organized, thorough and puts as many hours in as anyone in the league.  He is willing to teach the game to Americans that are motivated to learn.

How can you explain the rapid progress of your American field players:  John Orsen, Greg Peyser and Mitch Belisle?

“I think they would be the first to admit they have a long way to go;  but we have been pleased with their progress.  John played in 12 games last year and Greg got in 8.  Mitch has played in about that many this year.  We give them a specific way to play but ultimately they are committed to being good box players and learning the game.  We give them 1 or 2 videos a week to study, but it is really a tribute to those guys.”

It takes balls to base the offense of an expansion team around 2 Americans even if their last names are Boyle and Powell.  Although it looked like a PR move, Adam insists it wasn’t.  “When I set out putting the team together, I picked the best players available, based on what they could bring to the table in the long run.  Not whether they were American or Canadian.  We weren’t looking to pick guys to bring in the fans.” 

What is the toughest part about playing in NYC?

We’ve got guys coming in from all over, so the toughest part is getting everyone in.  We need to be prepared in order to make every minute we are together efficient.  We have had a lot of road games and there have been NO COMPLAINTS … NO EXCUSES.  So I guess the toughest part is getting back to New York.”

“The bottom line is how fast can you get guys to believe?  We’ve got guys believing in themselves and handling adversity.” 

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