Author’s Note – FLN was able to conduct an interview with new Florida Launch Head Coach Tom Mariano yesterday and the author was able to also speak with Coach Mariano after the Supplemental Draft yesterday, which was after these questions were furnished to him.  Coach Mariano is looking forward to his new role as he steps up from MLL Assistant to his first MLL Head Coaching spot.  Coach Mariano is planning on being in town for the Launch’s High School Coaching event in Boca Raton over the weekend of January 7th.  Thank you to him and we look forward to covering his tenure going forward.

    Coach, first welcome to the Florida Launch.  What was it that drew you to the position and the franchise? The opportunity to coach 1 of 9 teams in the MLL and help grow a franchise were a huge factor.  The Florida Launch is a team that has talent and huge potential to become a great team.  The players have tremendous enthusiasm for the Launch and helping the team get better.   In your position at Sacred Heart you did recruit in Florida, as I believe Corey Etcheverry of Saint Andrew’s was a recruit for you.  How do you see Florida as a lacrosse market in general? Florida is tremendous market for lacrosse and has continued to improve every year.  Great coaching and energy for the sport in Florida   The team has certain issues that have cropped up over the three years down here that are not easy to plan for . . . the issue of players not living in the area, the issue of travelling South during summer when flight connections can be difficult and the issue of it being a warmer climate. How do you see yourself planning to work through those issues? The key is to make sure we are organized in everything we do in terms of operations.  Travel and logistics are important elements to being successful in this league.  The organization is committed to be being the best we can be.  It’s important to control the things you can control and not lose focus over the other things that are going to happen.   How much did you follow the Launch during the season?  Was there something that you saw that led you to think ‘this could be an interesting team to coach’? Being in the MLL you get a chance to see everyone and keep up on the other teams.  There is core group of players that are committed to the Launch and have tremendous talent.  I have always enjoyed watching a bunch of the players on this team and I’m excited to coach them.   As a college coach how do you view the differences between coaching college kids at the Division 2 level and then having to move into coaching professional players? I have always looked at coaching as coaching, doesn’t matter the level.  The exciting thing is the pros can do everything that you ask them to do.   Could you describe your general lacrosse philosophy as far as what type of game you like to play?  Up tempo or ball control (obviously within the confines of the shot clock)?  Do you favor two-way middie play or more of a platoon approach?  Man to man on defense or as much zone as you can in MLL?  Do you design your approach to fit what you want to play or are you more likely to adapt what you do to the roster players you have? We want to play an up-tempo style that will be tailored to the personnel we have.  I think its key to have a strategy that is going to utilize your players to the best of their ability   The first overall pick in the College Draft belongs to the Launch.  What type of criteria will you use when you think about making that pick?  Fill the need or best player available?  Or something else?  Given your own MLL experience how do you think through availability issues of players? The key is to use our college picks to make the Launch a better team.  The key this year is the draft will be later so we have time to evaluate the available players and our current team as well.  

(Author’s Note – MLL has not set it’s draft date yet but it will certainly not like in past years when it was held at the US Lacrosse Convention in January.  It might even be as late as Memorial Day weekend, when injuries, senior year performance and early season MLL needs become more apparent.  By pushing back the Draft it might even make trading of players and picks more frequent.)

  As you get to know the players on the roster what thoughts will you have as far as how you want to evolve the roster? We want to build a team that is going to win a championship.  

Supplemental Draft Thoughts Our goal in the supplemental draft was to add character, athleticism and a high level of compete.  We accomplished that today by adding a group of men that are hungry to compete for the MLL.

  Thank you Coach for taking the time!