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Nov. 2, 2005

By Matt DaSilva, Lacrosse Magazine Online Staff

 

Scott Hiller and Jeff Harvey, who in August assumed respective roles as head coach and general manager of the MLL expansion franchise in Chicago, say they have walked away from negotiations after failing to come to contractual terms with the organization's ownership group.

 

According to a league release announcing the trade that sent Boston's Kevin Leveille to Chicago for Drew Pfarr and Bill Glading after Tuesday's expansion draft, former MLL player Kevin Finneran has already overtaken both positions, though the organization itself would not confirm.

 

"On the Chicago end, the trade was made by newly named head coach and general manager Kevin Finneran," the release stated. Finneran could not be reached for comment.

 

Chris Brennan, a stakeholder in the Chicago Lacrosse Group, LLP, said the organization would make an official announcement regarding Finneran's hiring within a week. He declined further comment on the conditions leading to the departure of Hiller and Harvey.

 

The MLL announced Aug. 21 its plans to expand to Chicago, Denver and San Francisco in addition to Los Angeles, at which time league commissioner David Gross confirmed to Lacrosse magazine that Harvey was to be Chicago's general manager.

 

In an article published the same day in the Boston Globe, Hiller said he was leaving Boston - where he led the Cannons to a 10-2 mark a year ago - and that he had signed on to become the head coach in Chicago.

 

Both Hiller and Harvey said then that they had taken a stake in the Chicago Lacrosse Group, an ownership label comprised of local investors and partially founded by the two men. Hiller resigned from Boston and Harvey spent the week leading up to the Aug. 21 MLL championship game observing league operations and implementing early initiatives, including hiring a public relations firm and securing bids on potential stadium sites.

 

But according to the league and Harvey, those positions were announced under pretenses of an "assumed agreement." When Hiller and Harvey insisted they have more control over personnel and a larger stake in the organization's finances, talks stalled and they walked.

 

"We were brought in by the league to find those guys (investors). We had not signed any contracts but we were operating in those positions," Harvey said. "The investor group has not changed. We just decided not to work with them. It's the league's business, now. We've washed our hands of it and moved on to other things."

 

"It's my mistake," said Hiller, who was looking forward to taking his lacrosse career to Chicago, where he and his law practice reside. "As a lawyer I should have had more documents signed and in place. As it got to the later stages, it was just apparent that it wasn't going to happen."

 

"Jeff and I wanted to control this thing, but as negotiations went on it seemed the group wanted more and more control over the structure of the organization," Hiller added, saying the relations began to fray in September. "We put the group together, somewhat, but then they brought some other people in, and it just got a little hairy. It's unfortunate."

 

The ownership "group" to which Hiller refers includes Brennan, Dave Connolly and Chip Kenyon, a team of North Side investment associates with strong connections to the Chicago market.

 

In Hiller, they lose a two-time MLL Coach of the Year and one of the professional game's most recognizable figures. The two sides were trying to reach an agreement as recent as last week, Hiller said.

 

"They wanted me to be the guy to run the organization," he said, "but just not the way I wanted to do it."

 

As of Wednesday, Hiller had no intentions of rejoining the league in an alternate capacity.