Las Vegas Night Owls Soar to New Heights with Appointment of Chris Patrick as GM and Steve Deakin as Head Coach

NEW YORK, Aug. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Las Vegas Night Owls of Major League Pickleball (MLP) are thrilled to announce the appointment of Chris Patrick as their new General Manager and Steve Deakin as the team's new head coach. Under their dynamic leadership, the Night Owls are poised to build a championship-caliber team, setting their sights on top-tier competition and cultivating a culture of excellence, teamwork, and community engagement. The move is part of a larger wave of transformation within MLP, as teams across both the Premier and Challenger Leagues strive to elevate their standings and make substantial impacts this season.

Amid these transformative changes, the Las Vegas Night Owls are confident that Chris Patrick's wealth of experience will significantly enhance their prospects for success. As a former Vice President of Basketball at Relativity Sports, Managing Partner at the Sports Law Group, and Deputy Commissioner & General Counsel at the PPA Tour, Patrick's diverse background will make him an asset to the Night Owls' operations. In his new role, Patrick will oversee front office and off-court matters, manage business operations, secure sponsorships, and serve as the key liaison between the players, coach, and ownership group.

"I am very excited to join the Las Vegas Night Owls and look forward to collaborating with our leadership team to build an organization that makes our fans proud on and off the court," said Patrick. "With our talented players and committed ownership, I'm confident we can build sustained success within Major League Pickleball's innovative format."

He added: "One of my first priorities was to secure a veteran coach and leader to guide this team on the court and there is nobody better to do that than Steve Deakin. I look forward to watching this team excel and am happy to be a piece of the puzzle."

Joining Patrick is Steve Deakin, a powerhouse professional pickleball player from British Columbia. Since turning pro in 2019, Deakin has earned a collection of accolades including five PPA Tour medals, nine PPA Senior Tour gold medals, thirty-two APP Tour medals, two US OPEN gold medals, four US National Championship medals, and eight Canadian National Champion titles. As the new head coach, Deakin will be at the forefront of match preparation, team strategy, and on-court coaching. His extensive experience and strategic insight are poised to inject a fresh perspective into the team's gameplay.

"I am truly honored to step into the role of head coach for this remarkable team," said Head Coach, Steve Deakin. "My goal is to build on the existing strengths of this talented group, foster a culture of collaboration and resilience, and drive us towards new heights of success. I'm look forward to working alongside such dedicated athletes and contribute to our shared vision of excellence on and off the court."

The personnel changes take effect immediately, with Patrick and Deakin set to attend all remaining MLP events for the Las Vegas Night Owls this season. With half of the 2024 season still to play, they will have plenty of time to acclimate to their new roles and guide the team towards ongoing success.

"Patrick and Deakin's expertise and enthusiasm perfectly align with our mission to support and grow the Las Vegas Night Owls and pickleball community as a whole," said Co-Owner Kim Clijsters. "We're eager to have them on board as we continue to develop and strengthen our team."

"Hiring Chris was an important move for us as we are looking to build on the foundation laid out by Kaitlyn Kerr, who was such an integral part of this team and its success thus far. We would like to thank her for her enormous energy and passion she brought to the team during her time as general manager." said Tom Wagner, Co-Founder of Knighthead Capital Management LLC. "We would not be where we are today without her and are confident that Chris and his team will help solidify ourselves as an elite, championship contender"

Currently, the Las Vegas Night Owls sit at #5 in the Challenger League standings but hold the highest win percentage at 75%, along with one of the best records in the league. The team's roster features professional players Blaine Hovenier, Judit Castillo Gargullo, Chao Yi (Zoey) Wang, and Rafa Hewett.

The Night Owls' all-star ownership group includes notable celebrities 7x World Champion Tom Brady and former 6x WTA Major Champion Kim Clijsters, as well as an affiliate of Knighthead Capital Management, LLC.

Join us in celebrating a new era for the LV Night Owls. We invite all fans and community members to join us in September 19-22nd 2024 in New York City for the Night Owls next event and follow us on social media @lv.nightowls and @LVNightOwlsMLP.

SOURCE Las Vegas Night Owls