Update:  9:28am According to the Boynton Police Department report, Coach Huntley had just finished playing some box lacrosse on the skating rink at Caloosa Park and was sitting in the stands conversing with his wife and the family of Jamie Munro of 3d Lacrosse, and Huntley’s defensive coordinator for the Blaze last season.  Dr. Roger Blumenthal, Director of Johns Hopkins Ciccarone Center (named for former JHU head coach Henry Ciccarone) for the Prevention of Heart Disease was also present according to the report. Just a tough scene for all involved.   Update 8:33am Sources have clarified that Dave was actually in the stands at Caloosa Park in Boynton Beach, not Delray and that it was not a formal event he was in town for but just a vacation get together with friends.  This has been confirmed with the Boynton Beach Police Department’s Public Relations Office.   via the Atlanta Blaze web site – Kellen Klatt  

Author’s Note:  This one hurts.  Besides being only two years older than me, Coach Huntley was someone I started to get to know more as I traveled further into the lacrosse world.  Getting to talk to him on his trips to Boca to play the Launch and at LaxCon events in January (I attended a few of his lectures/sessions about Team Canada and how they statistically approached their games) was a pleasure.  Even as someone without a national following or much experience he treated me just like everyone else in the media and I really appreciated that. My first ‘memory’, if I could call it that, was of his playing days, particularly with the 1978 World Championships, when he helped lead Canada to a stunning upset in the finals over the U.S. team that had crushed Canada in the pool play.  His teammate on that team, Jim Calder, a year ahead of me at Hobart and an author of books on the history of lacrosse that would make a great gift for any lacrosse fan, later told me about Coach Huntley’s effect on that team. Below the article content from the Atlanta web site I posted the entire release I received from Kellen.  You will note that he passed away while coaching a clinic in Florida.  He was in Delray Beach at a box event when the medical condition occurred. (LINK) The entire lacrosse world will mourn his loss and our prayers are with his family.

  Tonight, the Atlanta Blaze learned that we have lost a treasured member of our family: Coach Dave Huntley. We are utterly heartbroken at this unexpected loss. Coach Huntley had been with the Blaze since the beginning, beginning as an assistant and rising to become the head coach. He will be deeply missed by every member of the staff from the front office to the players. In the coming days, you will hear many stories about Coach Huntley from his humorous and at times unpredictable halftime interviews to the time he invited the son of a soldier into the Blaze locker room, and his dedication to his teams at all costs. He made every person who he worked with feel like the most valued member of the team, and as though their effort would be the make-or-break for success; as Spencer Ford, Blaze General Manager and Assistant Coach said, “People talk about being a players coach; Coach Huntley worked for the players.” Coach Huntley coached and played both box and field lacrosse, leaving his mark in every part of the field. He has been described as a genius, a leader, gracious, and loyal. He was an athlete as well as a student of the game. Coach Huntley stepped onto the lacrosse field to win, and he coached for the people around him. Of Dave, Spencer Ford went on to say, “To me, there was Hunts and then there was God.” Our thoughts are with his family, and all those who considered him family.   Kellen’s full release: Kennesaw— Today, the Atlanta Blaze suffered a terrible loss, as Head Coach Dave Huntley passed away suddenly at the age of 60 while coaching a clinic. He was known as a player’s coach first; when reached for comment, General Manager and Assistant Coach Spencer Ford said, “To me, there was Huntley and then there was God.” Coach Huntley, a Toronto native, grew up playing box lacrosse, but played field lacrosse at Johns Hopkins University where he won National Championships in 1978 and 1979. While he was in school, Huntley played for Team Canada and won a World Lacrosse Championship in 1979. He went on to win another World Lacrosse Championship for Canada as a coach. Dave Huntley began his coaching career in box lacrosse, coaching in a precursor to the National Lacrosse League (NLL). When he moved to the NLL he was the General Manager and Head Coach for the Philadelphia Wings, until the team faced injuries and he stepped down in order to play. He went on to coach four more NLL teams. Huntley is a member of the US Lacrosse Hall of Fame, National US Lacrosse Hall of Fame, and Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame, served as Assistant Coach for Loyola and Offensive Coordinator for Calvert Hall HS (MIAA). As an MLL coach, Coach Huntley won the MLL Championship with the Colorado Mammoth, the Chesapeake Bayhawks and Toronto Nationals. He was named Atlanta Blaze Assistant Coach on November 25, 2015, and became Head Coach following the inaugural season. He touched many lives along the way, and has been described as a legend, genius, and the reason that lacrosse is gaining major attention. Coach Huntley (1957-2017) is survived by his wife Nancy and their two children. We ask that you keep his family in your thoughts as they take in this terrible loss.