Derek Keenan steps down as Rush head coach, remains general manager

Saskatchewan Rush General Manager Derek Keenan announced today that he will step down from his role as the club’s head coach and turn over the bench boss responsibilities to Jeff McComb.

Keenan spent eight years as head coach of the Rush, coaching them to three NLL championships in 2015, 2016 and 2018. He won coach of the year awards in 2006, 2010 and 2014, along with becoming the NLL’s all-time leader in coaching wins in 2017-2018. Arguably Keenan’s greatest honour includes being inducted into the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2012.

Keenan will continue to be the general manager of the Rush. He had received NLL GM of the year honours in 2006, 2010 and 2014.

The Rush have also bolstered their coaching staff with the return of former team captain Jimmy Quinlan, who will take McComb’s former role as assistant coach – offence. Jeremy Tallevi remains in his role as assistant coach – defence.

“I had a pretty good idea going into the 2020 season that it would be my last one behind the bench, but I didn’t talk about it a lot except with my coaches, my wife and my family. Ideally, I would have rode off into the sunset with a championship, but fairy tale endings rarely happen which is a little unfortunate,” Keenan said in a release on Friday.

“I’ve been doing this a long time. Since 2004, every weekend I’ve been on a plane going somewhere. On top of that, I coached kids for 10, 12 years and junior ‘A’ so it’s been a lot of games, a lot of pre-game speeches. I feel very comfortable with the succession plan we have in place with the Rush. Jeff and I have worked together for a long time. He’s very smart, he’s innovative and he’s well-respected. I feel really good about the direction we’re going.”

Prior to joining the Rush, Keenan was an assistant coach in Toronto and then a head coach in Anaheim and Portland.

This will be McComb’s first head coaching position in the NLL, but he has been with the Rush for eight seasons and alongside Keenan at various levels for more than 17 years.

“It’s very exciting, but I also recognize it’s very big shoes to fill,” said the 51-year-old from Pickering, Ontario.

“Derek is the best to ever do it in this business and he’s the most-respected as well,” McComb said. “This is a great situation for me to come into. Derek’s job as the GM speaks for itself especially with the resources we have going forward.”

McComb added that it’s going to be a challenge going into next year, but that he’s thankful to have a core group of veteran players and leadership going into next season.