The Ottawa Rebel today officially named Terry Sanderson as its head coach, replacing younger brother Lindsay.

The hiring is not a surprise, having been reported two weeks ago by the Canadian Press and speculated about for several months.

Lindsay Sanderson had been head coach and general manager of the Rebel since January, when he replaced Marty Cooper in early January. He will retain the latter of those titles.

Ironically, when Lindsay Sanderson took over in Ottawa, he left his position with the Montreal Express, where he was an assistant coach on his brother's staff.

The elder Sanderson is now coaching his third NLL team in as many seasons, coming off a one-year stint as head coach and general manager of the Express, finishing 8-8 and missing the playoffs on a tiebreaker.

Prior to his time in Montreal, he had been been head coach of the Albany Attack in 2000 and 2001, compiling an overall record of 11-15.

The Express suspended operations last month, making Sanderson available to switch clubs in the three-team Brad Watters operations. Watters owns the Rebel, is president of the Express, and serves as governor of the Toronto Rock.

"I am looking forward to this new challenge of coaching the team in Ottawa," Sanderson said. "I've been in Ottawa coaching against the Rebel, and I always enjoyed the atmosphere.

"The fans always struck me as being very knowledgable and excited about the game."

Sanderson officially joins the Rebel just two days after winning the Mann Cup as head coach of the Brampton Excelsiors, his second as a coach and third overall. Brampton defeated the Victoria Shamrocks in seven games for the Canadian senior lacrosse championship.

Matt Sawyer and John Lovell have been hired as assistant coaches for the Rebel.

Sanderson becomes the eighth coach in team history, and the fourth since the team relocated from Syracuse after the 2000 season. Others to skipper the team include Cooper, Kevin Alexander, Freeman Bucktooth, Patrick Donahue, Steve Scaramuzzino, and Mark Vitarelli. Vitarelli was the team's first coach in Ottawa.