LOS ANGELES – Mar. 2, 2023 – The Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) powered by Ticketmaster today announced that Team USA gold-medal winning coach, Mike Pressler, has been named head coach and general manager of Atlas Lacrosse Club. One of the winningest coaches in NCAA history, Pressler joins the PLL with 37 years of collegiate coaching experience.

Pressler most recently served as head coach at Bryant University, where he led the Bulldogs to six NCAA tournament appearances. He was previously the head coach at Duke University, where he was a three-time ACC Coach of the Year, and the 2005 F. Morris Touchstone National Coach of the Year after leading the Blue Devils to a record 17-win season. Pressler was also named head coach of Team USA, leading the men’s national team to a gold medal at the 2010 World Championships.

“Already proven to be one of the greatest lacrosse coaches of the last two decades, we were thrilled by the readiness, strategic thought process and excitement Coach Pressler brought to the table,” said Paul Rabil, co-founder and president of the PLL. “Coach Pressler’s resumé, led by his gold-medal campaign with Team USA in 2010, followed by his collegiate Coach of the Year awards at Duke, and his ground-building work for the Bryant lacrosse program will all be instrumental to Atlas as they pursue a PLL Championship. I look forward to watching his immediate impact on one of the top-down most talented organizations in the world.”

“The opportunity to coach professional lacrosse is an honor and a privilege. I’m looking forward to building on Atlas’ success in the Championship Series to put together a complete team with eyes on a 2023 Championship this summer,” said Mike Pressler, head coach and general manager of Atlas Lacrosse Club. “I am grateful to my dear friend Paul Rabil, the PLL team, and Coach Brooks and Unterstein for their dedication to building a championship caliber Atlas Lacrosse Club.”

Pressler will be assisted by Steven Brooks and Kevin Unterstein. Brooks served as interim head coach for the Atlas for the 2023 PLL Championship Series and previously served as assistant, after retiring from professional lacrosse in 2019. Unterstein, also a former member of the Atlas, joins from University of North Carolina where he has served as defensive coordinator since 2018, following eight seasons at Hofstra University. 

“I’m thrilled to join Coach Pressler and continue to serve the Atlas Lacrosse Club,” said Steven Brooks, assistant coach of the Atlas Lacrosse Club. “As evidenced by our Championship Series performance, we have an incredible group of players, bought in on pursuing a championship together. I look forward to working with Coach Pressler, Coach Unterstein, and the entire team to bring home the trophy this summer.”

The Atlas put on a dominant performance in the 2023 PLL Championship Series, ultimately falling short in the final to Chrome. Their 2022 season ended in the quarterfinals after going 6-4 in the regular season. The Atlas will make their 2023 debut June 3-4 when the PLL’s regular season kicks off in Albany, NY. View the full season schedule and purchase tickets here. 

An introductory press conference with Coach Pressler and PLL co-founder and president Paul Rabil will be held on Monday, March 6 at 2:00pm ET / 11:00am PT via Zoom. Media interested in attending should RSVP to ghamilton@premierlacrosseleague.com. 

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).