[MEDIA RELEASE]
Lisk departs to become Executive Vice President of GF Sports
UNCASVILLE, CT. (January 7, 2020) – The New England Black Wolves announced today that General Manager Rich Lisk will depart the organization on Jan. 31, 2020. Head Coach Glenn Clark will take on a dual role, adding General Manager duties and Assistant Coach Clem D’Orzaio will also become Assistant General Manager.
Clark enters his fifth season as head coach of the Black Wolves. Since his arrival in 2015, he has helped lead the Pack to the playoffs four straight years. Responsible for one of the biggest turnarounds in the NLL during the 2016 season, Clark took a team that had finished the previous season 4-14 and turned it into a second place finish in the East Division with a 10-8 record. The same year he earned NLL Coach of the Year. Most recently, Clark helped lead Canada to its fifth straight World Indoor Lacrosse Championship. Canada took down the Iroquois Nationals 19-12 for the win. Prior to the start of this 2019-20 Black Wolves season, Clark held an overall regular season record of 36-36. The squad is currently in first place in the East Division with a mark of 3-0.
D’Orazio is in his third season as the assistant coach of New England after serving as the team’s Coordinator of Player Personnel and Manager of Scouting. During his time with the Black Wolves, D’Orazio has helped the team to an 18-18 overall regular season record since 2018.
With assistance from D’Orazio, Clark will oversee all player personnel decisions, scouting and lacrosse operations.
Lisk started his tenure with New England in 2015 when the Philadelphia Wings relocated to Connecticut. He began as the assistant general manager but was quickly promoted to general manager in 2016.
Lisk departs to become the Executive Vice President of GF Sports. GF Sports is a live events and sports media entertainment company created by New York-based private equity firm GF Capital Management & Advisors, LLC. Formed in July 2015, GF Sports owns two of the ATP World Tour’s longest running American tournaments, the New York Open and the BB&T Atlanta Open, as well as the New York Riptide.
“Rich has been the key figure of the Black Wolves franchise since the team’s arrival to Mohegan Sun. He’s not only helped build a championship contender on the field, but he’s been vital to the team’s operation, overseeing every detail to ensure a first-class experience for our coaches and players,” Vice President of Sports Amber Cox explained. “Most importantly, Rich has been the driving force behind the team’s tremendous culture. He will be sorely missed, but his leadership has set us up for continued success. I am excited to have Glenn and Clem step into these new roles and continue leading the charge to bring an NLL Championship to New England.”
New England is currently 3-0 after opening the season with two 12-8 road wins in Toronto and Saskatoon and stunning the New York Riptide, 21-11 in the Home Opener. This marks the best start in Black Wolves’ franchise history. The Pack will have two bye weeks before welcoming the Philadelphia Wings to Mohegan Sun Arena on Saturday, Jan. 18 at 7pm.