IFL Lehigh Valley Steelhawks

Steelhawks Head Coach Thompson Announces Staff

Published on January 26, 2012 under Indoor Football League (IFL)
Lehigh Valley Steelhawks News Release


Bethlehem, PA: Lehigh Valley Steelhawks first year head coach Chris Thompson has announced his coaching staff for the 2012 season. Returning to the Steelhawks sideline for their second year are coaches Bob Kohler, Kevin O'Hanlon, and James Parham. New to the Lehigh Valley coaching staff are coaches Al Stokes, John Zima, and Preston McKnight.

Coach Kohler, Assistant Offensive Coordinator/Special Teams, will be returning for his second year with the Steelhawks, working mainly with the wide receivers, quarterbacks, and running backs, while also assisting with the defensive secondary, along with co-coordinating with the Special teams with emphasis on the kick-off return and the kick-off coverage teams. Kohler has a vast experience in coaching in all levels and areas of the game. He has 38 total years of coaching experience including three years at the high school level, 35 years at the college level (Kutztown University, Moravian College, Muhlenberg College), and three years with Arena Football programs. He has coached various positions including wide receivers, running backs, quarterbacks, tight ends, defensive line, linebackers, defensive backs, and kickers. His specialty is coordinating the Offense and Kicking game.

This will also be Coach O'Hanlon's second year with the Steelhawks, where he will be Defensive Coordinator. Before joining the Steelhawks last year, O'Hanlon coached the Lehigh Valley Outlawz for two years. He has also owned and coached the Philadelphia Patriots, a semi pro team, and more recently the South West Philadelphia Falcons. His other coaching experience includes four years at the high school level in Delaware as well as several years coaching youth programs.

Also entering his second year as a member of the Steelhawks coaching staff is Coach Parham, who will sever as Offensive/Defensive Line Coach. He will be working closely with both of the coordinators. Before he began coaching, Parham played many years of indoor football including stints in the AFL, AF2. In college, he was an All American and All Conference offensive lineman for Texas A&M University Kingsville. Parham is local to the Valley, hailing from Bethlehem and is a graduate of Bethlehem Catholic. He still resides in Bethlehem, PA where he is a Union Ironworker Local 36 and lives with his son, James III.

New to the Steelhawks coaching staff but not to the organization is Coach Stokes, Assistant Offensive/Defensive Line Coach. Last season Stokes was the Steelhawks starting left guard before he suffered a season ending injury. He also played three years with the indoor football team, Lehigh Valley Outlawz where he was an All-Star nose guard. He has played the last three years with the #1 nationally ranked minor league football team, Central Penn Piranha, where he is a starting lineman. He currently lives in Allentown, works at Plantique landscaping, and has a four year old daughter named Zaira.

Coach Zima is beginning his first season with the Steelhawks coaching staff as Kicking Coach and Assistant Special Teams coach. Zima has coached at the high school level in Berks County over the past eight years where he was responsible for special teams, kickers, and punters. During his coaching career he has produced an All-County punter and an All-State Place Kicker at Kutztown High School. Zima also runs "Kick It" a skill development camp for high school kickers, punters, and snappers. Besides coaching, Zima was employed with Dun & Bradstreet for 25 years in various management positions. He resides in Kutztown, PA with his wife of 29 years, Kathy, whom he has two children with, Katelyn Moll, 25, and Zach, 21.

The last addition to the coaching staff is Coach McKnight, Quality Control Consultant. McKnight has been coaching football for more than 26 seasons; he has worked at the NCAA Division II and III level as a Defensive Coach, as well as a Quality Control Coach. He coached on the defensive staff at Kutztown University in 2005-06 and worked in quality control for the Golden Bear offense in 2007-08. In 2008, McKnight was the architect and Defensive Coordinator for the AIFL Northern Division Champion Reading Express. In 2009, McKnight continued as Defensive Consultant for the AIFL National Champion Reading Express. He has continued his career in football as the founder of the Knight Group which provides football analysis and quality control in the AFL as well as the NCAA Division II and III levels. He has been married to his wife Maryellen for 20 years and has two sons, Colin, 16, and Nathan, 13.

Head Coach Chris Thompson is excited and confident about his staff. "Any head coach knows that you have to surround yourself with great people and knowledgeable football coaches in order to accomplish a championship season. These 6 guys fit that category in every aspect and we are excited to put the final pieces of our coaching staff together for the 2012 season. I am excited to work with them as we try to develop a football program here in the Lehigh Valley so that everyone will want to be a part of the black and gold nation."

Thompson was named head coach of the Steelhawks in November and has been busy making some big moves in the offseason to prepare for the 2012 season. Before he was with the Steelhawks, Thompson was a part of the Reading Express organization for four years. He will make his Steelhawk coaching debut in Chicago on February 24th. He makes his home coaching debut March 11th, 4pm at Stabler Arena against Bloomington.

The Lehigh Valley Steelhawks last open tryout before the start of the 2012 season is on January 21st at BucksMont Indoor Sports Complex. Stay tuned as the Steelhawks continue to add talent for the 2012 season!

The Steelhawks will be bringing back the fast paced, exciting action of Indoor Football to Stabler Arena at the beginning of 2012. Season tickets are now available. For more information about tickets, please call the Steelhawk Office at 610-282-3100 or by email at tickets@lvsteelhawks.com.

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