Lacrosse champion returning to Lakers as assistant coach
Mat Giles named to Mike Hansen’s staff 12 years after helping team win a Mann Cup
Mat Giles is returning to the Peterborough Century 21 Lakers 12 years after he raised the Mann Cup as captain in his final Major Series Lacrosse game. The 48-year-old is not making a comeback; he’s joining the Lakers coaching staff as an assistant. Lakers head coach Mike Hasen said Giles and offensive coordinator Tracey Kelusky will run the offence, while he and defensive coach Bobby Keast will handle the backdoor.
Giles served alongside Hasen as an assistant coach with the National Lacrosse League’s Rochester Knighthawks for three seasons before stepping away two years ago. Giles and Kelusky are former Lakers teammates, but also worked together on the Merit Precision junior-A Lakers coaching staff when Giles served as their head coach for six years until 2014. While in that capacity, Giles coached a number of the current Lakers veterans, including captain Robert Hope, Holden Cattoni, Turner Evans, Thomas Hoggarth and Jake Withers.
Hasen first approached Giles when there was some doubt whether Kelusky could commit to another season, but even when the latter confirmed he would be returning, Hasen wanted to bring Giles into the fold.
“Mat’s another great mind,” said Hasen. “He’ll help keep the staff in check and support the players and get them to continue to buy in. It’s a fresh perspective for us, which is going to be good for us as well as the players.”
Giles was part of the generation that restored the Lakers to prominence, winning their first Mann Cup in 20 years in 2004. He ended his career as captain by winning his fifth Mann Cup in a nine-year span.
“When all our guys were young guys they remember who played and who bled for the organization, so when he speaks, it’s going to hold more weight in their eyes,” said Hasen. “They already look up to him and respect him.”
Giles left Rochester as it was becoming difficult to balance the travel and demands of professional lacrosse with raising his son Colton — now 13 and also playing sports — as a single father running his own contracting business. The Lakers schedule fits much better.
“It’s a great opportunity to give back to the game a bit and get back involved,” said Giles. “Being here in town it’s a lot easier and a lot less travel.”
A Toronto native, Giles adopted Peterborough as his home during his Lakers days.
“We really changed the culture there in 2004 when we started winning Mann Cups and it’s great to see it carry on. It’s something we’re looking to get back to,” he said.
He looks forward to working with Kelusky again.
“I really enjoyed coaching with him. I think he has one of the best offensive minds in the game today,” said Giles.
He’s never been too far away even if not directly involved with the Lakers.
“For the last 10 years, I’ve still been going down to most of the games. Any chance we get, Colton and I will go down to the games because, obviously, any time the Lakers play, there’s going to be some high-end lacrosse,” he said.
Chad Campbell, a veteran minor lacrosse coach and the Lakers’ statistician last season, is expanding his role, said Hasen, who assumed the GM’s role this year after Paul Day retired. Campbell is now in charge of player development, player relations and lacrosse operations.
“He’s working with us on a more structured basis,” said Hasen.
Campbell will also work to strengthen the link between the Lakers and junior and minor lacrosse.
“When you think of the Lakers organization, you think of the three-year-old to the 40-year-old all being in tune. That’s my memory of the Lakers. He’s going to try to make sure that will last,” said Hasen.
It’s a fresh perspective for us, which is going to be good for us as well as the players.
MIKE HASEN LAKERS HEAD COACH