Steve Dietrich will be embarking on his eighth 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.

Troy Cordingley enters his second season as assistant general manager and director of scouting after serving as the team’s head coach for five seasons. In this role, Cordingley oversees scouting duties at both the NLL and amateur levels and assists General Manager Steve Deitrich with player evaluations and transactions.

Prior to assuming his new role, Cordingley spent five years as the head coach of the Bandits. During his tenure with the team, Cordingley led the Bandits to three straight playoff appearances (2014-2016), including a berth to the 2016 Champions Cup Finals. During the 2016 season, Cordingley was named a finalist for the Les Bartley Head Coach of the Year Award after guiding Buffalo to a 13-5 record.

Cordingley joined the Bandits after serving as head coach of the Toronto Rock for four seasons. Under his guidance, the Rock won the East Division twice (2012, 2013) and reached the Champions Cup Finals twice (2010, 2011), winning the title in 2011. In his last season with the Rock, Cordingley guided the team to a league-best 10-6 record, earning his second Les Bartley Award.

The Oakville, Ontario native began his head coaching career in Calgary in 2008 after first serving as an assistant coach for the Bandits. In 2009, Cordingley was named the NLL’s Head Coach of the Year after guiding the Roughnecks to their second Champions Cup title.

Prior to becoming a coach, Cordingley played nine seasons of professional lacrosse from 1993 to 2001, spending his first seven with the Bandits. He won two championships with the club and currently ranks in the top 10 in Bandits history in goals (ninth - 96) assists (seventh - 137) and points (eighth - 233).

Scott Loffler is entering his 12th 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, scheduling, and contracts. At the league level, Loffler represents the Bandits on the NLL’s Board of Governors and is a member of the league’s Competition Committee and the Jr. NLL Tournament Committee. Loffler also serves as the Vice President of the WNY Lacrosse Foundation. He was a finalist for the NLL Executive of the Year Award in 2015 and 2016.

From 2004 to 2008, Loffler worked for the Buffalo Sabres in various capacities within the sales department and ticket office. Most notably, he was instrumental in carrying on the Sabres’ youth hockey programs from 2005 to 2008. In addition, Loffler served as an account executive, handling group, mini-pack, and season ticket sales for both the Sabres and Bandits. Prior to working for the Sabres, he also worked for the Buffalo Bills in their ticket office during the 2003 season.

Born and raised in Ogdensburg, N.Y., Loffler is a 2003 graduate of Ithaca College, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Sports Management. He went on to obtain his Master of Science in Sports Administration from Canisius College in 2005. Loffler also serves on the Board of Directors for the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame.

John Tavares enters his fifth 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.

Rusty Kruger is in his eighth season as assistant coach for the Buffalo Bandits and his second assisting head coach John Tavares behind the bench. He spent the previous six seasons as an eastern scout in addition to his coaching duties. This will be his first year heading up the Bandits’ offense. The Orangeville, Ontario native and 11-year NLL veteran forward spent the 2008 season as a member of the Bandits. Kruger was a member of the 2008 Bandits’ championship team along with the Toronto Rock team that won in 2005. He scored 242 points (125+117) in 115 NLL games before retiring in 2008. The former forward also won the Mann Cup with the Brampton Excelsiors in 2002 and 2008. Kruger has won three Canadian junior men’s lacrosse Minto Cup Championships (1993, 1995 and 1996) with the Orangeville Northmen, and was also named MVP of the 1995 championship. He also went on to win the Minto Cup with the Orangeville Northman as an assistant coach in 2008 and 2009.

Anthony Cosmo will be entering his third 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 second 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 seventh 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.