Steve Dietrich will be embarking on his 10th season as general manager for the Buffalo Bandits after a career in professional lacrosse that has included a Hall-of-Fame nod and a full complement of coaching and front office positions. This will also mark his first year taking on a dual role as an assistant coach, heading up the team’s defense.
The four-time All-Pro selection was named the NLL’s GM of the Year after a 2016 campaign that saw the Bandits win the East Division and reach the Champion’s Cup Finals for the first time since 2008. He became the second general manager to win the award for Buffalo, after Kurt Silcott was given the honor in 2003.
Dietrich was named the NLL's General Manager of the year for the second time at the conclusion of the 2019 season after helping to build a Bandits team that advanced to the NLL Finals for the first time since 2016. The team's six-win improvement from the 2017-18 to 2019-20 season was the best season-to-season improvement in franchise history.
Dietrich joined the Bandits in 2012 after spending two seasons as an assistant coach for the Toronto Rock. He also spent five seasons as general manager for the Kitchener-Waterloo Kodiaks of Major Series Lacrosse prior to coming to Buffalo.
Dietrich played 18 seasons in the NLL, with stops in Baltimore (1992), Detroit (1994), Rochester (1995-2001), Buffalo (2002-2007), Calgary (2008), Edmonton (2009) and Toronto (2009-2010). He won a league championship in 1997 with Rochester, and was named the Most Valuable Player of the championship game after the 15-12 win over Buffalo.
In 2006 he won the League’s Most Valuable Player Award, becoming the first – and to this date, the only – goaltender to ever win the award. He had one of the best statistical individual seasons for a goaltender in league history that year, posting a save percentage of .808 and a goals against average of 9.97, leading Buffalo to the Champions Cup Finals. Dietrich became the first person to win the Goaltender of the Year Award in back-to-back seasons when he earned the honors in 2005 and 2006. He notched a career record of 60-47, while making 5,531 career saves and playing more than 8,300 minutes throughout his 18 seasons. His accomplishments in Buffalo earned him a spot on the Bandits All-Time Team as part of the franchise’s 25th anniversary celebration.
In addition to his work with the Bandits and NLL, Dietrich is the general manager of the Six Nations Chiefs of Major Series Lacrosse.
Dietrich was inducted into the NLL Hall of Fame in 2012.
Scott Loffler is entering his 15th season as senior director of lacrosse operations for the Buffalo Bandits. In his position, Loffler oversees all aspects of the team’s day-to-day business operations including budgeting, team staff, payroll, travel, public and community relations, youth programs and initiatives, scheduling, and contracts. At the league level, Loffler represents the Bandits on the NLL’s Board of Governors as an Alternate Governor and is a member of the league’s Competition Committee, Scheduling Committee, Marketing Committee and the Jr. NLL Tournament Committee. Loffler also serves as the Vice President of the WNY Lacrosse Foundation.
During his tenure with the Bandits, the team has enjoyed great success, qualifying for the postseason nine times in 12 seasons, including five division titles and three trips to the NLL Finals. Off the field, Buffalo has led the NLL in attendance eight times and has never finished below 2nd since Loffler joined the organization in 2009. As well, he was the driving force behind the implementation of Tucker Out Lymphoma Night, the Buffalo Bandits School Program, the Jr. Bandits Box Lacrosse League and travel teams, the Buffalo Bandits Wheelchair Lacrosse Team and the Upstate Collegiate Box Lacrosse League. A finalist for the NLL Executive of the Year Award in both 2015 and 2016, Loffler was also a recipient of Native American Community Service’s “Bundled Arrows Award” in 2014.
Born and raised in Ogdensburg, N.Y., Loffler is a 2003 graduate of Ithaca College, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Sports Management and followed that up with a Master's degree in Sports Administration from Canisius College in 2005. He and his wife, Amanda, reside in Plymouth, MI with their six-year old son, Harry, newborn daughter, Helen, and their golden doodle, Fred.
John Tavares enters his 7th season on the Bandits’ coaching staff and second as head coach. Tavares finished his first season as head coach with a 14-4 regular-season record and was the recipient of the NLL’s Les Bartley Award as the league’s top head coach. He joined the coaching staff on September 25, 2015 following an illustrious playing career.
After being acquired from the Detroit Turbos prior to the 1992 season, Tavares played in Buffalo for the next 24 years, and eventually concluded his career as the NLL’s all-time leader in games played (306), goals (815), assists (934) and points (1,749), and finished second in league history in loose ball recoveries (2,169). He was named to the NLL All-Pro team a record 19 times and appeared in 10 All-Star Games, tied for the most by any player. He also won the league’s Most Valuable Player award in 1994, 2000 and 2001.
The native of Mississauga, Ontario served as an alternate captain for the Bandits for 18 seasons before being named captain prior to the 2013 season. He led the team in scoring in 17 of his 24 seasons with the franchise, including 10 consecutive seasons from 1999 to 2008. While he was a player, he served as the team’s representative to the Professional Lacrosse Players’ Association.
Tavares was a part of four Bandits championship teams (1992, 1993, 1996 and 2008), and tops the NLL’s all-time playoff list in games played (38), goals (84), assists (116) and points (200). As part of the 25th anniversary celebration, Tavares was also named to the All-Time Bandits Team.
On September 27, 2016 he was enshrined in the NLL Hall of Fame, and on March 11, 2016 his number 11 jersey was retired to the rafters of KeyBank Center. He was also elected to the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame on November 4, 2015 as a part of the 25th anniversary class.
Tavares is also an assistant coach for Major Series Lacrosse’s Six Nations Chiefs.
Anthony Cosmo will be entering his 5th season as goaltender coach for the Buffalo Bandits after announcing his retirement prior to the start of the 2017-18 season. He appeared in 258 regular-season games with a record of 98-81, totaling more than 11,182 minutes and posting a career goals-against average of 10.96. His 7,222 career saves led the NLL at the time of his retirement. Cosmo played 4,381 minutes with the Bandits, posting a 12.20 goals-against average, a 38-31 record, and also adding 45 assists. The five-time NLL All-Star ended his playing career as the Bandits’ all-time leader in games played by a goaltender (97) and saves (3,043). 
Eric Vinc is entering his 4th year as a video coach and scout for the Buffalo Bandits. The St. Catharines, Ontario, native spent 11 years with the St. Catharines Athletics prior to joining the Bandits organization. Vinc most recently served as the general manager for the Athletics’ Junior A team for three seasons (2011-2013) after spending three seasons as the team’s head coach (2008-2010). As head coach of the Athletics, Vinc led the team to a 45-27-2 record with three straight playoff appearances. Vinc started his career as the assistant coach for the Athletics’ Junior A team from 2001 to 2003 before being promoted to the head coach of the Junior B team, a role that he held for two seasons (2004-2005).
Rob Buchan will be entering his 10th season as a western scout of the Buffalo Bandits. Buchan is also currently the Vice President and General Manager of the Western Lacrosse Association’s Langley Thunder. He played 13 seasons in the WLA for the Langley Thunder and is the team’s all-time leader in goals, assists and points. Buchan won the Canadian Minto Cup Championship in 1994 with the New Westminster Salmonbellies.
Executive Staff
| Owner | Terry Pegula |
| President | Kim Pegula |
| EVP & General Counsel, PSE | Gregg Brandon |
| EVP of Creative Services, PSE | Frank Cravotta |
| EVP, PSE | Ron Raccuia |
Legal
| Vice President Legal Affairs/Govenor | David Zygaj |
Ticket & Merchandise Service
| VP of Sales and Service | Frank Batres-Landaeta |
| Director of Ticket Operations | Marty Maloney |
| Merchandise Director | Mike Kaminska |
Arena/Game Operations
| Vice President of Arena Operations | Stan Makowski |
| Director of Game Presentation | Kelsey Barrick |
| Public Address Announcer | Chris Swenson |
Communications/Social Media & Marketing
| Senior Marketing Manager | Cara Murphy |
| Senior Social Media Editor | Kelsey Sweet |
| Marketing Manager | Mike Whitney |
| Manager of Digital Content & Strategy | Chris Ryndak |
| Digital Marketing Coordinator | Colin Greenway |
| Chief Photographer | Bill Wippert |
| Sideline Reporter | Dave Buchanan |
| Radio – Color | Randy Mearns |
| Radio – Color | Steve Bermel |
| Radio Play-by-Play | John Gurtler |
Medical
| Medical Director and Head Orthopedic Surgeon | Micahel Rauh, MD |
| Team Orthopedic Surgeon | Geoffrey Bernas, MD |
| Team Orthopedic Surgeon | Benjamin Levy, MD |
| Head Team Medical Doctor | Michael Jordan, MD |
| Team Medical Doctor and Director of Emergency Medicine | Heidi Suffoletto, MD, FACEP |
| Team Chiropractor | Jon Beck, DC |
