Coaches Calls

I bet you didn’t know that Mike Keenan’s first ever coaching gig was the high school lacrosse coach at Toronto’s Don Mills Collegiate. He grew up playing lacrosse in Whitby/Oshawa and the rest is history. Mike Keenan is one of the most successful coaches ever. He began his hockey coaching career at Forest Hill Collegiate in Toronto, and his star ascended rapidly. He won an Ontario championship in junior with Peterborough, a Canadian university championship with the University of Toronto, and a Calder Cup in the AHL with Rochester. In the NHL, he took Philadelphia (twice) and Chicago to the Stanley Cup final before he led the New York Rangers to the title. Along the way, he led Team Canada to two Canada Cup victories, and later in his career won a Kontinental Hockey League championship in Magnitogorsk, Russia. He is still coaching today, with the Italian national team. Mike Keenan coached some of the greatest stars in hockey and is remembered as one of the game’s most colourful personalities.His book Iron Mike is out now, and, on this podcast, we talk about what he brought to hockey from lacrosse, line juggling and experimentation on the ice, if his methods would work today and why Gretzky to Lemieux was such a wild concept back in the day.You can find Iron Mike, My Life Behind the Bench wherever you buy books. Or here --> Follow on X @BradChall and Instagram @BradChallonerEmail [email protected]

This one’s for the defensive minds.Former National Lacrosse League champion defender and current Georgia Swarm assistant coach Alex Crepinsek joins the podcast for a conversation about the modern box game — how it’s played, how it’s coached, and how teams are building identity behind the scenes.Crepinsek talks about the transition from player to coach and how the Swarm have developed their fast, aggressive defensive style. He shares insight into the culture inside the organization, the influence of owner John Arlotta and his family-first philosophy, and how young players like Brett Dobson are growing within a veteran-driven locker room.The conversation also digs into how technology is changing the game — from video review and challenges to the analytics and tools that are starting to shape coaching decisions and player development across the league.And like any good lacrosse story, it goes back to junior. Crepinsek looks back at his days with the Burlington Chiefs and their historic Minto Cup win, and the coaches who helped push that group past expectations.A conversation about defense, culture, preparation, and where the game is headed next.Follow on X @BradChall | Instagram @BradChalloner

Maybe the youngest coach in the National Lacrosse League, Brett Hickey is the offensive coordinator for the Las Vegas Desert Dog and Raiders LC of the Rocky Mountain Junior League, bringing his own system-driven style and a fresh perspective to both teams. Not far removed from his own playing career where he scored over 200 goals playing under some of the game’s best coaches. In this episode, Hix takes us inside the evolution of the Vegas offense… how complementary pieces matter more than star power… and coaching players who see the game three steps ahead — like Jeff Teat, whose strategic mind has changed the way Brett coaches. And yeah — we get into the “12 round fighter” mentality, the push toward the Minto Cup, and what happens when young players finally stop memorizing answers and start solving the game. Follow on X @BradChall | Instagram @BradChalloner

Randy Mearns wiped his Instagram clean recently — a sure sign of rebirth.Last summer, Mearns was let go as head coach of St. Bonaventure’s men’s lacrosse program — a team he helped build from scratch over nine years, just as it was gaining momentum and producing NLL talent year after year.So what’s next?Mearnsi Lacrosse and a new role with the Greek National Team chasing a spot at the 2028 LA Olympics in Sixes. And the same lifelong mission: developing better players, teammates, and humans.From 17 seasons as head coach at Canisius to five Mann Cups as a player, a Minto Cup with St. Catharines, captaining an NLL champion Knighthawks team, and helping Team Canada win multiple world championship golds — Randy Mearns has done it all.In Part One of this conversation, we dive into coaching at every level — NCAA, Team Canada, U19, and Team Greece — recruiting, the Olympic dream, and what comes after getting fired from the program you built.Follow on X @BradChall | Insta @BradChalloner Guest @CoachMearns | @CoachMearns

What if you took a lifetime of lacrosse lessons and turned it into a blog to inspire and motivate people to live a more purposeful and present life? That’s what Marty Dinsdale is doing with Zero Zero. A multiple NLL champion, Minto Cup winner, and one of the cleanest players to ever suit up (28 penalty minutes over 10 seasons — never a major), Dinsdale played the game the right way. Since retiring from the NLL in 2023, he’s embraced new challenges: a career shift, raising two kids, pushing himself, and sharing his mindset through thoughtful, motivating writing.In this episode we unpack the philosophy behind Zero Zero — a mindset rooted in the idea that the score is always 0–0. No matter what just happened, the next play is all that matters in lacrosse and in life. We talk culture, leadership, parenting, personal growth, and what it really means to live deliberately, not perfectly.Follow Marty’s journey at The Zero Zero Mentality on WordPress or via Instagram @dinsdale.matt Follow on X @BradChall | Instagram @BradChalloner or email [email protected]