During his playing days in the National Lacrosse League, Glenn Clark was known as the professor.

“It's pretty cool. I mean, it fit," Clark said. "I was a high school teacher in the area at the time, and it's sort of the way I approached the game.”

What You Need To Know

  • Game 1 of the NLL Finals gets underway Friday at 7 p.m. at the MVP Arena

  •  The Buffalo Bandits are the defending NLL champions

  • The FireWolves swept the Bandits during the regular season

The physical education teacher by day was just a coach in the making by night. He won five NLL championships as a player along the way with the Toronto Rock.

“It's a very hard thing to transition into, especially as being as fresh as I was from a player,” said Clark, on moving from player to coach. “So a lot of learning on the job, a lot of the mistakes that I made then, have helped me get to where I am now.”

Those experiences as a player and early challenges as a new coach has gotten Clark to the NLL Finals. He’s now just two wins away to claim his first NLL title as a head coach with the Albany FireWolves.

And on Wednesday, the National Lacrosse League (NLL) announced Clark has been named the winner of a second Les Bartley Award (coach of the year) and general manager of the year.  

“We knew last year was going to be pain, to some extent,” said Clark, whose Firewolves are currently in their third season in Albany. “But we had this vision in mind of we got to get young and build this thing back up.”

From 3-15 to the doorstep of a championship, Clark has led one the biggest turnarounds in league history. It was done by tearing the roster down to the studs, rebuilding, and doing what he does best: teach.

“It was more about we've got these young guys, we want to get them in the league, we want to teach them how to be pros,” Clark said. “And they've certainly exceeded expectations.”

Players like rookie forward Alex Simmons and veteran goaltender Doug Jamieson will try to continue exceeding expectations when they take on the Buffalo Bandits in a best-of-three series for the championship. Game 1 is Friday at 7 at the MVP Arena.

“[Clark] knows the game better than anybody,” said Simmons, who is leading the league in the playoffs with 19 points (nine goals, 10 assists). “I was told when I was coming in here, Clark, has this great way of coaching younger talent, and it shows.”

“Those are my guys,” said Jamieson, who is a finalist for goaltender of the year. “So we're kind of in it together, to win a championship with them”

Clark says beating the Bandits will come down to execution. That’s what the professor is focused on.

“I get excited this time of year. I like the challenge and like going after something,” Clark said. “So that's kind of the way I look at it and view it.”