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Jim Stagnitta, Chris Bates

Stagnitta vs. Bates: Battle of the PLL’s best coaches

By Topher Adams | Sep 12, 2024

Coaching is never the first thing people notice in professional lacrosse. Teams filled with All-Americans, Tewaaraton winners and future Hall of Famers seemingly run themselves. 

But the best coaches in the PLL are able to implement a strong team culture and on-field identity. Few coaches do a better job of that than the two whose teams will square off in the 2024 Cash App Championship on Sunday.

Jim Stagnitta and Chris Bates have been coaching the Maryland Whipsnakes and Utah Archers, respectively, since the league started in 2019. In the six years since, they’ve been the gold standard of success — but more importantly, consistency.

They’re the only coaches in PLL history with 40 or more wins. Despite being two of the longest-tenured coaches, they also boast the best (Stagnitta) and third-best (Bates) winning percentages in league history.

That regular-season success has translated to the biggest moments, as well. The Whipsnakes won the first two PLL championships, and they’re playing in the title game for the fourth time in six years.

After years of knocking on the door in the Cash App Playoffs, Bates’s Archers broke through with their first championship last season. 

Now the league’s two most consistent forces on the bench will face off for a chance at another title. Here’s what makes Stagnitta and Bates two of the best coaches in the league, and what to expect from this chess match in Philadelphia:

Shorties and Constant Evolution

Stagnitta shares one key trait of all great coaches across sports: a willingness to evolve with the times. When the league started, his Whipsnakes teams embraced the changes that came with it like the shorter field and two-point arc.

Maryland’s always been an excellent transition team with a stable of two-way midfielders. Shooters like Mike Chanenchuk have always been emboldened to let it fly from range. 

In recent years, Stagnitta has continued to make changes to keep the team at or near the top of the league. This year, Maryland’s maximized the 32-second shot clock after faceoff wins by putting more offensive wings alongside a dominant Joe Nardella at the stripe.

Stagnitta was blessed with a loaded roster when the league started six years ago, but his ability to navigate a rapid retooling of the old core has been impressive. This year’s team took off thanks to rookies and young stars being put in prominent positions.

But even as the faces change and certain things get tweaked over the years, the core of the Whipsnakes’ offensive approach is the same: attack short sticks. It’s simple and fundamental lacrosse, but Maryland’s been better at it than just about everybody for the last six years.

The Whipsnakes dominate short-stick defensive midfielders in the pick game and off the dodge. A hallmark of their offense is creating a big-little matchup with a short stick and an attackman. It’s a key reason behind TJ Malone’s dominant rookie campaign.

If the matchup is right, Maryland likes to attack shorties off the dodge. Against the Denver Outlaws in the quarterfinals, rookie Adam Poitras inverted against the non-Ryan Terefenko short stick and dominated in doing so.

Whether it’s Poitras, Ryan Conrad or another midfield weapon, isolating short sticks is the central pillar of Stagnitta’s offense. 

Pick your poison

In many ways, Bates’s scheme in Utah is very similar to Stagnitta’s. There’s always been an emphasis on the pick game and attacking short sticks. It’s no coincidence that the two most consistent teams are always great at the same simple, yet effective, approach.

For most of the last six years, the Archers have had something of a two-quarterback system because of Tom Schreiber’s one-of-one ability as a midfield playmaker. Having dynamic playmaking above (Schreiber) and below (Grant Ament) provided a baseline for everything else to build from.

That’s changed this season. For one, Ament moved to midfield after years missing time with injuries. The other big change was losing Schreiber to injury late in the regular season. But even as faces – even irreplaceable ones like Schreiber – change, the philosophies stay consistent.

When Utah is executing, the offense is built around creating space for playmakers to attack. The beauty of the Archers roster is that it’s really hard to shut down one player’s strength, because that opens up opportunities for someone else.

Utah’s offense thrives on the understanding of space and utilization of unique skill sets. Between Ament, Connor Fields and Matt Moore, the Archers have ball-dominant dodgers who can win matchups and create chaos.

However, they all dodge slightly differently from different spots. The supporting cast is also always filled with capable shooters and tertiary initiators. It’s never an easy decision to slide, but it’s also never an easy decision to stay. 

This is the central bind Bates’s offense puts teams in. 

When the picks are working and the top stars are delivering up to their level, there’s no right answer for a defense. Even without Schreiber, the offensive depth with guys like Tre Leclaire and Dyson Williams gives Utah the weapons to force defenses into bad decisions.

The matchup

Despite their numerous successes, Bates and Stagnitta have never met in the postseason. The Whipsnakes have a 4-3 edge in the regular-season series, but this is the first time they’ll face off with the pressure of the Cash App Playoffs.

Their offensive schemes will have to face stout defenses and elite goaltenders, all with the weight of a PLL championship hanging in the balance. And when one of these teams is raising the Cash App Championship Trophy on Sunday night, its coach will have a near unbeatable resume for the best coach in the PLL era.

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