Albany FireWolves General Manager and Head Coach Glenn Clark, whose experience in the sport and vision for the franchise has led to one of the most pronounced one-season turnarounds in National Lacrosse League (@NLL) history, today earned the League’s highest honor for both positions as he was selected as the NLL “Les Bartley Award” (Coach of the Year) and NLL General Manager of the Year.
Clark’s FireWolves, after finishing last with a 3-15 record in 2022-23, went 11-7 this season to earn the No. 3 seed in the NLL Playoffs. Albany has since won its first two playoff rounds and will have home floor advantage against the defending NLL champion Buffalo Bandits in the 2024 NLL Finals presented by AXIA Time, beginning Friday (7 p.m., TSN, TSN+, ESPN+) at MVP Arena.
Clark was a standout defenseman from 1998 to 2006, mostly with the Toronto Rock, where he won five NLL Championships, before being named the team’s head coach following the 2006 campaign. After a three-year run in Toronto, he returned to the League in 2015 as head coach of the New England Black Wolves, winning his first Les Bartley Award in 2016. He then accompanied the franchise in its move to Albany prior to the 2021-22 season.
He is the first dual winner of both awards since Paul Day of the Philadelphia Wings was selected for both honors in 2020. Other dual honorees include Derek Keenan with the Portland Lumberjax (2006) and Edmonton Rush (2010 and 2014), and the Arizona Sting’s Bob Hamley (2005).
Below are the all-time winners of the NLL Les Bartley Award (Coach of the Year):
The all-time winners of the NLL General Manager of the Year Award:
The NLL will continue to announce its award winners throughout the week, in advance of Friday’s Game 1 in Albany.
2023-24 NLL Awards announcement schedule and summary:
Monday, May 13
Executive of the Year – John Catalano, President and Chief Executive Officer, Halifax Thunderbirds
Tom Borrelli Award (/Media Person of the Year) –, Adam Levi, NLL.com, Inside Lacrosse
Tuesday, May 14
Sportsmanship Award – Lyle Thompson, Georgia Swarm
Teammate of the Year (via NLLPA) – Zack Greer, Las Vegas Desert Dogs
Wednesday, May 15
Les Bartley Award (Coach of the Year) – Glenn Clark, Albany FireWolves
General Manager of the Year – Glenn Clark, Albany FireWolves
Thursday, May 16
Offensive Player of the Year
Defensive Player of the Year
Transition Player of the Year
Goaltender of the Year
Friday, May 17
Most Valuable Player and the All-NLL First and Second Teams
Rookie of the Year and the NLL All-Rookie Team
Finalists for each award, announced last week, as well as selection criteria can be found here.