Jim Pfeifer returns to former post as Blaze president

Jim Pfeifer knows the Atlanta Blaze can be a successful Major League Lacrosse franchise, which is one of the reasons why the veteran sports executive elected to return to the team’s front office.

Pfeifer was announced as the Blaze’s president by MLL on Tuesday, returning to the position he held from December 2016 through May 2017.

Pfeifer said his focus will be on helping the Blaze build their brand in the community and grow the fan base.

“It’s exciting to be back and I’m thrilled to get to work,” said Pfeifer, who has more than 30 years of experience in sports administration. “I’m a huge proponent of Major League Lacrosse, and what I saw last year with my opportunity working with the Blaze, was that this franchise could be successful in this market.

“The venue the team plays in, Fifth Third Bank Stadium, is top-notch, and the time of the year for the league, late spring into the summer, is great for having games. And at the youth level, there are opportunities for growth and have families come out to see some of the best lacrosse players in the world in their own backyard.”

Pfeifer spent 12 years in the Atlanta Hawks’ front office, originally as vice president of marketing, advertising and branding, and then as vice-president of partner integration in 2011. He also was the director of marketing for the NHL’s Atlanta Thrashers in 1998 and spent nine years in New York with the NBA’s Knicks and NHL’s Rangers.

One of Pfeifer’s first duties in his return to the Blaze was to retain Spencer Ford as general manager and assistant coach. Pfeifer said they are working together to determine who will take over as head coach following the death of Dave Huntley from a heart attack last month.

“I was extremely saddened by the passing of Dave Huntley,” Pfeifer said. “He was a great man who taught me a lot, and he’ll be missed.

“Spencer’s back to preserve the continuity in the locker room. As general manager, he’ll be doing a lot of the planning stuff. He and I are working on who the new coach will be, and we’ll make that announcement in the future.”

Pfeifer said he wants to hire an offensive-minded coach.

“I’ll be involved with businesses and be in the community and leave the roster moves to the general manager,” he said. “With that said, I love an up-tempo style offense with players with a high demeanor that love to interact with the fans. I think it’s important for us to have a local flavor, too, for us to grow our base here and have a presence in north Georgia going forward.”

Last season, the Blaze were in contention for its first postseason berth until the second-to-last game of the year. Attackman Kevin Rice tied for eighth in MLL in points (47) and was one of five Atlanta players to play in the All-Star Game, joining Matt Mackrides, Adam Ghitelman, James Pannell and former Walton High School standout Scott Ratliff.

The Blaze will begin their third season April 22 at Fifth Third Bank Stadium against the Florida Launch, and Pfeifer’s goal is to bring a MLL championship to Cobb County.

“I know we have a lot of work to do — reassemble the front office staff, be visible in the community, win games and so on,” Pfeifer said. “I’m thankful for the fans we’ve had in the past. I hope they continue to support us, and I’m confident we’ll be able to bring more people on board with us.

“The MLL is committed to the Blaze in Kennesaw at Fifth Third Bank, and Blaze fans should be excited about the things on the horizon for the team.”