LB3 Lacrosse is expanding to Jacksonville, Florida and hiring Patrick Harnett LB3 Lacrosse has announced a new partnership with the Jacksonville Lacrosse Club and the hiring of Patrick Harnett to manage LB3 Jacksonville. The Jacksonville Lacrosse Club (JLC) was founded in 2009, the same year that Jacksonville University announced its plans to launch the first men’s Division I lacrosse program in the state of Florida. Patrick Harnett, the Founder and Executive Director of JLC, was an original member of the Jacksonville University Men’s Lacrosse staff serving under former JU Head Coach Matthew Kerwick in 2010 and 2011. In 2012, Coach Harnett served as assistant coach for the professional indoor lacrosse franchise the Jacksonville Bullies. Harnett says he feels the time was right for the North Florida lacrosse community to join forces with LB3 and that JLC and LB3 working together will be a positive force in the development of lacrosse in the North Florida region. “LB3 does things the right way.” stated Harnett, “I have known (LB3 Founder and CEO) Liam Banks for a long time and I know getting him and his staff involved in our community will be a great thing for everybody. Most importantly it will bring more resources to the kids playing lacrosse in Jacksonville and throughout Florida. More coaches, more opportunities, more quality lacrosse, that’s what it is all about.” Harnett played his college ball at NCAA DI Hofstra University under current Duke University head coach John Danowski. A standout defenseman originally from Worthington Ohio, Harnett was an alternate for the 2003 US U19 National Team. As the director of JLC Harnett has operated camps, leagues, clinics and club teams in the greater Jacksonville area and has helped spur the development of lacrosse in the region. Harnett also currently serves as the lacrosse program director for The Episcopal School of Jacksonville and will continue in that role. Based in Atlanta, GA, LB3 was started by Liam Banks outside of Philadelphia PA in 2005. The past year has seen LB3 expand to Peachtree City GA, St Louis MO and Greensboro NC as well as launching a girls division. Banks maintains that his primary goal is not to grow LB3 but that opportunities present themselves and sometimes the right choice is obvious. Quality over quantity seems to be Bank’s guiding principal when it comes to expansion. “Our expansion continues to be about partnerships with good people.” said Banks “In North Carolina we had Dan Cetrone and now Patrick in Jacksonville. We get calls everyday about opportunities in other cities and most times we have to pass. However, when we have the chance to work with someone like Patrick Harnett and add the support of LB3 to a program like the Jacksonville Lacrosse Club the decision is not hard to make.” Banks and Harnett say that they are working on the transition process and still making choices about what programs will be run in Jacksonville for 2013/2014 year but that folks should start seeing more LB3 coaches at JLC events as soon as this fall.