LOS ANGELES – FEB. 6, 2023 – The Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) powered by Ticketmaster today announced the hiring of Brian Holman as head coach and general manager of Cannons Lacrosse Club. Coach Holman has 40 years of lacrosse experience, most recently as head coach of the University of Utah men’s lacrosse team following championship-winning stints at Johns Hopkins University and the University of North Carolina.

“Coach Holman’s decades of coaching and playing experience have earned him the respect of players and coaches across the country,” said Paul Rabil, co-founder and president of the PLL. “Building the Cannons Lacrosse Club back to prominence is Coach Holman’s mission and I look forward to seeing him bring that same passion and success he brought to UNC, Hopkins and Utah to the PLL.”

“I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to lead the Cannons Lacrosse Club. After coaching at every level for the past 30+ years, it’s a dream come true to coach and compete at the highest level of our sport,” said Brian Holman, head coach of the Cannons Lacrosse Club. “Thank you to Seth Tierney, Rachael DeCecco, Andrew Manning, Mike Rabil, Paul Rabil, and the players for choosing me. I cannot wait to get together with our team and compete for a PLL championship. Go Cannons!” 

At the University of Utah, Holman led the Utes to back to back Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association tournament appearances. In 2018, Coach Holman was named Rocky Mountain Lacrosse Conference (RMLC) Coach of the Year after leading the Utes to the RMLC Championship. Holman led the program’s transition from MCLA to NCAA competition, establishing Utah one of just four Division 1 men’s lacrosse teams west of the Mississippi.

Prior to his five year tenure at Utah, Holman was an assistant coach at University of North Carolina from 2009 to 2016 where he helped lead the Tar Heels to a NCAA Championship in 2016, ACC Championship in 2013 and top 10 national rankings all eight years of his tenure. From 1987-1990 Holman served as goalkeeper coach and defensive coordinator at Johns Hopkins University, supporting the Blue Jays to a 1987 NCAA Championship before rejoining the staff in 1999. Holman was a three-time All-American goalkeeper at Johns Hopkins where he made NCAA Championship appearances all four years, winning the NCAA Championship in 1980. 

The Cannons finished the 2022 season 1-9 and did not qualify for PLL playoffs. In 2021, their first season in the PLL, the Cannons finished 3-6, making the playoffs, but losing to Atlas in the quarterfinals. The Cannons are the PLL’s eighth expansion team, and joined the league following the PLL’s merger with Major League Lacrosse in 2020. 

The PLL’s 2023 Championship Series will take place February 22 - 26 at the St. James in Springfield, VA. The Cannons will make their 2023 debut June 4 - 6 when the PLL’s regular season kicks off in Albany, NY. View the full season schedule and purchase tickets here. 

ABOUT THE PREMIER LACROSSE LEAGUE
The Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) powered by Ticketmaster is a men’s professional lacrosse league in North America, composed of eight teams rostered by the best players in the world. Co-founded by lacrosse superstar, philanthropist, and investor Paul Rabil and his brother, serial entrepreneur and investor, Mike Rabil, the PLL is backed by an investment group composed of Joe Tsai Sports, The Chernin Group, Arctos Sports Partners, Brett Jefferson Holdings, The Raine Group, Creative Artists Agency (CAA), The Kraft Group, Bolt Capital and other top investors in sports and media. The PLL is distributed through an exclusive media rights agreement with ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN+. The PLL was named 2020 Sports Breakthrough by the Sports Business Journal, and recognized as a 2021 Best Employer in Sports by  Front Office Sports. For more on the league, visit www.premierlacrosseleague.com and follow on social media: Instagram (@PLL), Twitter (@PremierLacrosse), Facebook (@PremierLacrosseLeague), YouTube (YouTube.com/PLL) and TikTok (@pll).