Who says nice guys finish last?

Lacrosse is an intense game and not for the faint of heart, but the old adage doesn't apply here. Albany Attack head coach Bob McMahon is one of the truly good guys in the game of lacrosse. Despite that, he led his team to the best record in the league, 14-2, and a semifinal win against the Rochester Knighthawks. The win allows Albany to host tonight's championship game against the Toronto Rock.

I ran into Bob earlier in the season after a home game and he was being philosophical about the contest, the game of lacrosse in general, and life itself. He was talking about how the things that really matter are your kids, your family, and the relationships you build with others. He talked about how all the rest, including lacrosse, was just a bonus because it paled in comparison.

I found two things interesting about his comments. First, his team had just won! Most of the times you hear people talking like that are when they're trying to find a way to console themselves after a tough loss. Second, if you've ever talked to this guy you know how much he loves the game. He just has things prioritized and that's one of the qualities that keep him so grounded.

Another thing that helps is his attitude that coaches shouldn't take themselves too seriously because the game is about the players. He's seen a number of guys fall into that trap. After the last game of the regular season, I tried to congratulate him, but he would have none of it. He deflected all the credit, referring to his players and saying, "They deserve it. They worked hard."

He is a big believer in the notion that good people make up good teams. He takes that from his playing days. He was part of the Senior B team in Orangeville, Ontario -- along with fellow NLL coaches Lindsay (Ottawa Rebel), Shane (New York Saints assistant) and Terry Sanderson (Montreal Express), plus current NLL referee Chet Couture -- that won the 1984 President's Cup. McMahon says that the vast majority of the players from that team give back to the game by coaching kids teams. He coaches his son's team in the summer and brings him along to all the games the rest of the year. I've even seen that he lets him "negotiate" with prospects when he's scouting college games. He feels that there are a lot of takers from the game and there must be enough givers to even it out.

He coached his first team with Shane Sanderson right after his playing days. That was the Midget team in Orangeville. Many of the kids that played in that league are now playing in the NLL. He later followed Shane to Detroit, to coach the Turbos of the old MILL, and then to Brampton, where he lead the Excelsiors to a Mann Cup in 1998. He came to Albany with Terry Sanderson two years ago and took over this year when Terry moved on to the Express.

I asked him about what changes he made when he took over. The most notable was the move to strictly offensive and defensive roles on the team. He says everyone has a job and comes away knowing they contributed. Terry was a fiery coach who got players motivated that way. Bob is more laid back. He uses a different type of motivation, getting players to play for one another and building chemistry.

McMahon wasn't an exceptionally big, strong, or fast player. He wasn't one of the athletically gifted players who could pick a bad pass out of the air, run over two guys, and throw it in the top corner. Not many players are and his approach is well suited for the group he inherited. His lineup doesn't have a Gait, Grant, or Kelusky in it. Mike Regan is probably the best pure athlete on the team but is still learning the box game. He believes in using the players' strengths instead of trying to force them to fit into a different role. He equates coaching to teaching but practice time is limited in this league so it can be difficult to focus more on the X's and O's.

He takes pride in the fact that he has never lied to anyone about where they stand as a player in his estimation. He calls that a cornerstone of his coaching philosophy. He talked about that before the season started when camps were opening. He didn't think it was fair to bring a hundred guys in and get their hopes up when they weren't going to get enough of a look because time was short. Too often coaches will avoid the tough conversations or make excuses, but Bob believes you can be both honest and respectful.

He talks about his coaching partner, Bob Hamley, as a co-coach, not an assistant. "Hammer," he says, deserves a tremendous amount of credit for instilling confidence in the players and being positive by rewarding them for their play, not their reputation. He says Hammer has helped the offense especially with constant tips because he was a very good offensive player before his coaching days.

McMahon does have some frustration at the way people have criticised his boys for having a soft schedule of opponents. No one talks about their travel schedule and what a disadvantage that is compared to the other playoff teams. They have to travel eight hours on a bus for their home games. Their home games. Toronto, by comparison, is flying into town this morning. Well, the Attack beat Philadelphia, Washington, and Rochester. They've earned their chance and if they beat Toronto, too, they'll be very deserving champions.

Oh, by the way, Bob McMahon was named the National Lacrosse League's Coach of the Year earlier this week. It couldn't happen to a nicer guy.