IL Indoor

Haynes (left) and Beisel have both been hired by the K-W Braves this week. (Brampton Guardian)

The Kitchener-Waterloo Braves (Ontario Lacrosse Association Junior ‘A’) announced yesterday that the team had hired Brian Beisel as their new head coach, Randy Tollefson as GM, and Kevin Haynes as an assistant coach.

After a disappointing 6-16, out of the playoffs record ths past summer, the Braves have attempted to overhaul their staff in recent months, even bringing back K-W legend Colin Doyle to the club’s board as they searched for new direction in their leadership group.

Beisel, along with Haynes, were recently released by the Brampton Excelsiors, a team they led to the Minto Cup final just two years ago, the Excels explaining that they too were looking for a change in 2011.

“Brian and Kevin have been the coaches of the Brampton Excelsiors the past seven years and bring with them many years of success in rebuilding the Excelsiors junior program,” the Braves club said in yesterday’s statement. ”They have a great deal of playoff coaching experience and have also coached in the 2009 Minto Cup final against Orangeville.”

Tollesfon, who played Senior ‘A’ lacrosse coincidentally for Brampton in the early 80’s, and even more coincidentally with current Junior Excels GM Bob Burke, the two winning a Mann Cup together in 1980 against the New Westminster Salmonbelllies, “… brings his many years of playing experience at the Junior, Senior and Major level with him as well as his coaching and managing of lacrosse and hockey teams over the past many years.”

The Braves missed the playoffs for the second straight year in 2010, the team without a post-season series win since 1992.

“We have a history here in K-W of producing great players but never great teams,” current board member and former K-W player, coach and excutive Corey Hallman told IL Indoor last month.  “We’re looking for individuals who can recruit and develop talent while building a team that players believe in and want to play for.”

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