Former Washington Stealth head coach Chris Hall announced his retirement a little over a month ago and already he’s a Hall of Famer.
Hall won election to the National Lacrosse League Hall of Fame last week, earning the honor in his first year of eligibility. Hall received votes on 77 percent of the ballots cast. In order to win induction, finalists must earn at least 75 percent of the overall vote or at least 75 percent of votes cast by current members of the NLL Hall of Fame. Ballots are cast by teams, current members of the Hall of Fame and senior members of the media that covers the league.
Hall coached Calgary from 2002-2007 and the Stealth from 2009-2014. The Stealth relocated from San Jose to Everett prior to the 2010 season and moved from Everett to Langley, British Columbia, and became known as the Vancouver Stealth in 2013.
Hall, who led the Stealth to the NLL title game in three of the four seasons the team played in Everett, retired as head coach June 3 citing health-related concerns. He was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2011 and took a leave of absence from his coaching duties. He returned midway through the 2012 season.
Hall coached in the NLL for 12 seasons and ranks third all-time in regular-season victories with 85 and fourth in playoff victories with 11. In 2010, he became the second coach in league history to win a championship with two different teams when the Stealth defeated the Toronto Rock at Comcast Arena in Everett to capture the franchise’s first title. Hall also won a championship as head coach of the Calgary Roughnecks in 2004.
Of this year’s five finalists, just Hall and former NLL defenseman Pat Coyle won induction. The date of the induction ceremony has not been announced.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
