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Former NFL Pro Bowl Player Coates Named Head Coach/GM Of AIFL's Carolina Sharks

November 8, 2004 - American Indoor Football Association (AIFA)
Carolina Ghostriders News Release


The Carolina Sharks of the Atlantic Indoor Football League have announced the signing of former NFL Pro Bowl tight end Ben Coates as the team's head coach and general manager. Coates played 11 seasons in the NFL, mostly with the New England Patriots (1991-99), who selected him out of Livingstone College with the 13th pick in the 5th round of the 1991 NFL Draft.

His final season was in 2000 with the Baltimore Ravens, where he had nine receptions for 84 yards in 16 games and won a Super Bowl ring as the Ravens defeated the NY Giants 34-7 in Super Bowl XXXV in Tampa, FL. Coates caught three passes for 30 yards.

He also played in Super Bowl XXXI in 1997 where the Patriots lost to Green Bay 35-21 at the Superdome. In that game, he had six receptions for 67 yards and a touchdown.

His best NFL season was with the Patriots in 1994 when he caught 96 passes for 1,174 yards and seven touchdowns.

Sharks' owner Theron Davis, owner and CEO of 83 Enterprises in Winston-Salem, NC, is excited to have a person of Coates' background on the sidelines of his team.

"It's almost like being that kid waiting for Christmas morning to come and the good thing is that Ben is even more excited than I am, because he and I both know that his name alone is going to sell a lot of season tickets," said Davis.

"People are going to want to see "Big Ben" down there on those sidelines calling the shots," Davis added.

For more information about the Carolina Sharks, please visit their website at www.carolinasharks.com. Davis can also be contacted at (336) 725-0611 or by e-mail at tdavis@83sports.com.

The Atlantic Indoor Football League is the hottest new professional football league and will kickoff its inaugural season April 1, 2005. For more information about the AIFL, visit www.aiflonline.com or contact Joey Josephs, Director of Media Relations, by phone at (407) 579-6781 or by e-mail at jjosephs@aiflonline.com.



American Indoor Football Association Stories from November 8, 2004


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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