Jim Stagnitta is no stranger to success.

A two-time PLL Champion (2019, 2020) with a 64.6% winning percentage since the league's inception in 2019, he’s earned a reputation as one of the game’s top coaching minds. Before his success in the PLL, he guided the 2013 Denver Outlaws to the first perfect regular season (14-0) in MLL history — another milestone in a career defined by winning.

Yet, after failing to capture a victory in the inaugural 2023 Championship Series, Stagnitta is set to return with even more experience. 

“We don’t want to overthink this. It's not that complicated. There are just some things that we need to do well, and consistently well,” the Maryland Whipsnakes head coach said. “I think we learned as a staff as much about what not to do as there is what to do our first time around, so I feel like we are a little better prepared in that regard.”

Luckily for Stagnitta, he is not the only member of the Whipsnakes with prior experience in Sixes.

Midfielder Colin Heacock was on the 2023 Chrome LC team that hoisted the trophy in the inaugural Championship Series. 

Maryland is also eagerly awaiting Brad Smith's return. Smith missed the entire 2024 PLL season but gained valuable Sixes experience in 2023, when he led the team with 16 scoring points. 

“Brad played in the Sixes, and he played really well for us last time around and probably was our brightest spot,” Stagnitta said. “He brings leadership and experience, and then you throw [Ryan] Conrad and TJ [Malone] into it, and Heacock, who have all played in the Sixes for the USA team, I think it gives us a little more of a foundation and a level of experience than we had last time around. …

“They’ve all done this, so they are going to be on the floor, they are going to be the guys that sort of help the younger guys, and they are going to be the guys to help us in practice to prepare for the games.”

One of the most significant changes from field lacrosse to Sixes is the versatility needed to be a two-way threat and guard opponents one-on-one on the defensive end. 

“This time around, we have more kinds of offensive guys, and a lot of them have two-way ability,” Stagnitta said. “Conrad can survive on defense. As much as you look at him, TJ played midfield for two years in college, and he can play and hold his own on the defensive end.” 

Conrad, Malone, Heacock and Smith will need to be leaders on the field if the Whipsnakes are to capture their first Championship Series win in club history, and that starts with the trust created as a team in practice.

“Once you are out there, we have guidelines and non-negotiables that we will execute and work on in practice, but once the game starts, it is so fast,” said Stagnitta, who coached the Whipsnakes to a runner-up finish in the 2024 summer season. “There are three timeouts now, so I think you can coach in those situations, but at the end of the day, it falls on the guys and the decisions they make.”

The Championship Series emphasizes the importance of practice and preparation to adapt to Sixes, a game with a fast-paced nature and limited clock stoppages that restrict the amount of control a coach can have.

Even with the increase from 12- to 13-man rosters to allow one player to rest each game, every field player is expected to be prepared to step on the field and play two ways at all times. While being an offensive threat is helpful when looking to rack up points, the games will be won and lost on the defensive end of the field. 

No matter how well they prepare in practice, what concepts coaches develop, or the veteran leadership, the most essential quality of every field player will be their stamina and hustle to transition to playing aggressive defense. 

“It's a group effort. You need 10 guys to be in shape,” Stagnitta said. “At the end of the day, the key to all this is how good of shape and how well they show up.”

“From a preparation standpoint, we've been meeting once a week, and we started by taking input and thoughts from our guys who played in the Sixes,” Stagnitta added. “We've leaned a lot on our guys who have experienced it, and they have been certainly very helpful from their hands-on experience.”

The Whipsnakes will get their first chance for redemption at the 2025 Lexus Championship Series when they take on the New York Atlas at The St. James in Springfield, Va., on Tuesday, February 11 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN+.