Bill Cragg has been named vice president of the Calgary Roughnecks, team owner and president Brad Banister announced yesterday.

The hiring allows Banister to step aside from day-to-day operations of the Roughnecks, handing control to someone with experience in marketing sports franchises.

The turmoil Banister spoke of presumably includes the differences of opinion he had with head coach and general manager Kevin Melnyk, leading to Melnyk's departure just weeks before the season.

"This should put us in a new light," Banister continued. "We have more time to prepare and I'm confident in Bill's ability."

Cragg brings twenty years of experience to the position, much of which was spent with Calgary teams. He began with the Calgary Boomers in 1980, then soon joined the Calgary Expos baseball team. Later stops have included the Kansas City Blades (International Hockey League) and the Kelowna Spartans (Junior A hockey).

Cragg most recently was vice president of business development for the Pacific Coast League's Calgary Cannons, a position he left on Sunday.

"The way we're going to build [on last year] is with a strong, strong business and corporate department here," Cragg said. "The corporate community of Calgary can expect a call from the Calgary Roughnecks. We're open for business and we really do need corporate partnerships to help get by and thrive in this market."

"There's no magic to this," he added. "Nobody gets paid until somebody buys a ticket. There's been a terrific season ticket base already [better than 3,500] and almost eighty percent is renewed. We have a base but now we have to go beyond the die hard lacrosse fans and get other Calgarians interested."

Getting other Calgarians interested will undoubtedly require an improvement from the Roughnecks' league-worst 4-12 showing in 2001-2002, including a nine-game skid at season's end.

Perhaps a few changes on the coaching staff could help matters. Head coach Chris Hall and assistant Walt Christianson will return to the bench, at least to start the season, but assistants Dave Bremner and Jim Meredith are out. Bremner, who briefly took the field late in the season, has become the Roughnecks' director of player personnel, while Meredith apparently has left the organization.

Banister added that he is looking to hire a general manager for the 2003 campaign, finally filling the position Melnyk vacated. Banister assumed the GM's duties this past season.