Denver Outlaws Team President, Matt Bocklet, announced the hiring of Ken Clausen as the Defensive Coordinator for the Denver Outlaws for the 2020 season.
“Ken Clausen has been a leader in the game both on and off the field for more than a decade,” said Outlaws Team President, Matt Bocklet. “Ken has a unique talent to see and engage players individually and an ability to get the best out of each of them. When playing in MLL he was a top defender, an ever-better teammate, and helped the Outlaws win our first Championship in 2014. Now we have the great benefit of having Ken’s game sense, knowledge and passion on our sidelines.”
Ken Clausen was selected fifth overall in the 2010 draft by the Denver Outlaws. Clausen missed the 2011-2013 MLL seasons due to multiple knee injuries but returned to the Outlaws in 2014. In his career he saw action in thirty-two games across four seasons and scooped up 90 ground balls. Due to yet another knee injury, Clausen’s career ended in 2016.
Before turning pro, Clausen made a name for himself at the University of Virginia. Clausen recorded a ground ball in 68 of his 70 contests. In 2010 Clausen finished eighth in the nation in caused turnovers per game with a 2.06 average. Clausen was a four-time All-American, three-time first team All-American, and a Scholar All-American. A team captain his senior year, Clausen was the co-winner of the William C. Schmeisser Award annually given to the nation’s top defenseman and was a finalist for the Tewaaraton Award in 2010.
Clausen coached locally for Wheatridge High School, from 2015 to 2017, and is currently a coach for Cherry Creek (with Team President, Matt Bocklet), overseeing the team’s defense. Under Clausen, Cherry Creek won the State Championship in 2019 and boasted the #1 ranked defense in Colorado.
Off the field, Clausen has stayed close to the game. He has worked with Warrior Sports for more than nine years, where he currently serves as the Lacrosse Sports Marketing Manager. He also has been a leader in fundraising for cancer charities in the lacrosse community through Lacrosse Mustache Madness. Clausen co-founded Lacrosse Mustache Madness in 2009 and since its inception, this annual campaign has raised over $1,000,000 for the HEADstrong Foundation whose mission is to improve lives affected by cancer.
“I played the majority of my professional career with the Outlaws, and I am now thrilled to again be a part of the team,” said Clausen. “The Outlaws are one of the most successful professional lacrosse franchises because of the culture that has been built over the last fourteen years. I believe in the vision Matt has laid out and it is an honor to coach alongside a hall-of-famer like Coach Seaman. I love our staff and love our team. I am fired up for the start of the MLL season and the chance to work with the best defensive talent in the game.”
