B-Real
10-25-2008, 03:59 PM
(Ruben R. Ramirez / El Paso Times)EL PASO -- El Paso's new franchise in the Indoor Football League took another step toward its inaugural season Thursday, when it named Brian Brents as its head coach.
Brents, 28, has five years experience as a coach in arena football, including a 24-5 record as a head coach.
"I'd like to thank (owner) Brandon Smith for the opportunity," Brents said at a press conference at the El Paso County Coliseum. "It's really nice to get to come home to West Texas, and I'm excited about the future of this team."
Brents was a coach with the Lakeland (Fla.) Thunderbolts of the American Indoor Football Association in 2005 and helped lead the team to a 13-3 record and a division title.
In 2006 and '07, as head coach of the Mississippi Mudcats, also of the AIFA, Brents led the team to records of 12-4 and 12-1 and one conference championship game. He's coached 24 all-conference players and six All-Americans, and four of his players have gone on to play in the CFL and six others have gone on to play in the AFL.
"His record speaks for itself," said Smith, who also owns IFL franchises in Odessa and Abilene. "He was outstanding in Mississippi and Florida, and he's from West Texas. We knew he was the guy for the job."
Tommy Benizio, the commissioner of the IFL and former owner of Odessa's franchise, had Brents on staff in Odessa for a year.
"He's the kind of coach we want in our league," Benizio said. "We want quality guys, and hiring Brian is a huge step in the right direction."
Brents file
Who: Brian Brents, age 28.
About: Crane High School graduate; played at Abilene Christian Univeristy; UT-Permian Basin graduate.
Experience: Mississippi Mudcats (head coach, 2006-08); Lakeland Thunder (head coach, 2005); Odessa Roughnecks (assistant coach, 2004).
Brents, 28, has five years experience as a coach in arena football, including a 24-5 record as a head coach.
"I'd like to thank (owner) Brandon Smith for the opportunity," Brents said at a press conference at the El Paso County Coliseum. "It's really nice to get to come home to West Texas, and I'm excited about the future of this team."
Brents was a coach with the Lakeland (Fla.) Thunderbolts of the American Indoor Football Association in 2005 and helped lead the team to a 13-3 record and a division title.
In 2006 and '07, as head coach of the Mississippi Mudcats, also of the AIFA, Brents led the team to records of 12-4 and 12-1 and one conference championship game. He's coached 24 all-conference players and six All-Americans, and four of his players have gone on to play in the CFL and six others have gone on to play in the AFL.
"His record speaks for itself," said Smith, who also owns IFL franchises in Odessa and Abilene. "He was outstanding in Mississippi and Florida, and he's from West Texas. We knew he was the guy for the job."
Tommy Benizio, the commissioner of the IFL and former owner of Odessa's franchise, had Brents on staff in Odessa for a year.
"He's the kind of coach we want in our league," Benizio said. "We want quality guys, and hiring Brian is a huge step in the right direction."
Brents file
Who: Brian Brents, age 28.
About: Crane High School graduate; played at Abilene Christian Univeristy; UT-Permian Basin graduate.
Experience: Mississippi Mudcats (head coach, 2006-08); Lakeland Thunder (head coach, 2005); Odessa Roughnecks (assistant coach, 2004).