The New York National Lacrosse League (NLL) team announced today that Lance Basler has been named Assistant General Manager and Director of Lacrosse Operations for the franchise. Basler, the former General Manager, National Teams for US Lacrosse, is the first hire for Head Coach and General Manager Regy Thorpe’s staff. The New York NLL team was awarded to live events and sports media entertainment company GF Sports and its affiliates (GF Sports) in December 2018 and will begin play this December with home games at the newly renovated NYCB LIVE.
“I couldn’t be more excited to welcome Lance to our organization. Having someone with his background and winning pedigree on our team is a huge pick up as we build out our staff,” said Thorpe. “He shares our vision to build the team with a strong commitment to the community at our core, and Lance’s tireless work ethic and organization will be a great fit as we look to hit the ground running.”
Basler will oversee all lacrosse operations for the team as well as development and management of the team’s grassroots initiatives, which is a key area of focus for the new team as they work to establish strong ties in the area through partnerships with the existing lacrosse community as well as other key youth sports organizations. In addition, Basler will support Thorpe with scouting, player signings, trades and contract negotiations. “This is an incredible opportunity, and I am thankful to Regy, Gary Fuhrman and the whole team at GF Sports for the chance to be a part of not only building this New York franchise, but also supporting their commitment to continuing to grow the sport of lacrosse at all levels,” said Basler. “After working with Regy the past two years for Team USA, I have great respect for him and everything he has accomplished in the sport. I am excited to work alongside him to create a team that embraces the community and spirit of New York.”
Basler and Thorpe will be on hand to officially unveil the name and logo for the team at a special event at NYCB LIVE on February 17 on the final day of the New York Open, an annual men’s professional ATP tournament owned and operated by GF Sports. To help determine the name, the team surveyed fans on their website for feedback. In addition, the team plans to host a lineup of lacrosse clinics throughout the tennis tournament in the exhibition hall (February 9 – 17).
Basler has worked in sports operations since 2011, most recently as General Manager, National Teams for US Lacrosse. In that role, he led the administration and operations for the national teams program, which includes both men’s and women’s senior and under-19 teams, as well as the men’s indoor team. During his four years at US Lacrosse, Basler was part of three world champion teams – the U.S. Men’s National Team in 2018, U.S. Women’s National Team in 2017 and the under-19 U.S. Men’s National Team in 2016. Prior to US Lacrosse, Basler was Director of Football Operations for Louisiana Tech University where he managed the program’s day-to-day operations. In addition, he previously served as Director of Player Personnel for the football program at Middle Tennessee State University. Basler has a B.A. in Business Administration from University of Washington and an M.B.A. in Sports Business Management from San Diego State University.