The New York Saints have named Pat McCabe head coach, it was announced this evening.

McCabe, an member of the Saints' defensive unit for the last decade, replaces Sal LoCascio, who posted an 11-19 record as the Saints' head coach the past two seasons.

"It's a tremendous honor to be given such an opportunity," McCabe said. "I've grown with this organization for the past decade and I'm thrilled to coach a team with all the talent that this club possesses."

"I've been in the trenches with these guys and we've been through the same highs and lows," he added. "I know this team and they have a lot of fight in them. I have no doubt that this is a playoff caliber team."

In eleven seasons with the Saints, McCabe has scored 23 goals and dished out 61 assists and scooped a franchise all-time best 635 loose balls in 114 regular-season games. In five career playoff games, McCabe was held without a point, but grabbed 26 loose balls.

"There is no question in my mind that Pat is an absolute leader both on and off the field," Saints owner Mike Gongas said. "He has been with the organiation from his first day back in the MILL [Major Indoor Lacrosse League] and he was natural selection to succeed Sal as our head coach."

"Pat is a first class guy and I would have no one else represent and lead our team than he."

McCabe has not yet officially retired as a player, leaving the door open for him to both play and coach. Neither he nor Gongas commented on that possibility, however.

McCabe's first official duty is to assess the major trade the Saints made today. Forwards Scott Self and Jason Clark, plus New York's first dispersal draft pick (fifth-overall), go to Ottawa for the Rebel's top three entry draft picks (seventh-, ninth- and fifteenth-overall).

The trade brings New York back into the opening round of the entry draft, after trading the fourth-overall to Columbus in a trade a year ago for Kris Bryde. New York had earlier swapped spots with New Jersey, moving the Saints from fifth to fourth.

The seventh- and ninth-overall picks are in the first round of the draft, and the fifteenth-overall pick is early in the second round.

Ottawa, meanwhile, adds a pair of young Canadian stars in Self and Clark. In fifteen games with the Saints in 2002, Self posted six goals and five assists and scooped up 58 loose balls. The much-travelled Clark totalled fifteen goals and twenty assists in thirteen games last season with the Philadelphia Wings, Buffalo Bandits, and Saints.

Perhaps more importantly to Rebel management is the dispersal pick. Ottawa's new coach is Terry Sanderson, who last season was at the helm of the Montreal Express. It is Montreal's players being dispersed in Saturday's closed-door allocation.

The Rebel already had the second and fourth selections, and Sanderson has made no secret of his desire to bring many of his former players over from Quebec.