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Carlson's Interim Tag Lifted, Named Lightning Head Coach

August 13, 2008 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Stockton Lightning News Release


STOCKTON, Calif. - The Stockton Lightning of the arenafootball2 league have announced Chad Carlson has been named Head Coach, Lightning president Dan Chapman announced today. Per team policy terms of the contract were not disclosed.

Carlson, 36, is the third Head Coach in Lightning history after being named to the post on an interim basis on May 27, 2008. He was able to guide the Lightning to a 3-1 finish in their last 4 games, ending the season with a 5-11 record. Carlson's offensive magic helped the team increase its scoring average to 37.8 points, a hike of 7.6 points per game after his hiring. Under his guidance, the Lightning boosted its total offense average to 226.2 yards per game, an increase of 20.2 yards since his arrival.

"In a very short period of time, Chad did a fantastic job in turning around the performance of our team," said Chapman. "We're thrilled to have him return as our head coach and he shares the commitment our entire organization has about bringing the fans of Stockton a winning football team."

"My goal, when I started here in May, was to have us finish strong and get a chance to coach another season; I'm happy to reach that goal," said Carlson. "We have the capability to win a lot of games - all our team has to do is believe in themselves and we'll be on our way. I am honored to return to a town that's very hard-working and tough; it is an image our team should represent with pride."

The Portland, Oregon native enters his third af2 head coaching venture with a lifetime record of 9-16 and previously served as General Manager/Head Coach for the Hawaiian Islanders (2002) and Head Coach of the Bossier City Battle Wings (2003). Following his stint with Bossier City, Carlson served as a Volunteer Coach for the Arena Football League's Colorado Crush for the remainder of the 2003 season.

His swift turnaround of the Lightning offense and end of the regular season was a near-duplication of his time with the Islanders, when Carlson guided Hawaii to a 4-1 finish in the 2002 season after inheriting the team in the middle of the season. Carlson helped the Islanders finish second in the league for red zone offense (83.1 percent), tied for 10th in total offense (4,126 yards) and rank as the af2's leader in rushing offense (852 yards).

After Carlson inherited the Islanders offense that averaged 38 points per game through five contests, his offense went on to score an average of 50.4 points per game and finish 13th in af2 scoring offense.

Following two separate stints in the Canadian Football League with the Edmonton Eskimos (1994) and Ottawa Rough Riders (1996), the Portland, Oregon native spent the 1997 season with the AFL's Portland Forest Dragons as a wide receiver/defensive back and quarterback and was slated to sign with the Los Angeles Avengers of the AFL in 2000, but had his career cut short with a knee injury that he sustained during an indoor football campaign in 1999.

Carlson was a standout receiver at Lewis & Clark College (NCAA) and was named an NAIA All-American as a 1993 senior, leading the nation in yards per catch while creating accolades that still shine in Pioneer lore. Carlson's 209 receiving yards amassed in a game against Central Washington was the second-best single game output in program history and he ranked 13th on Lewis & Clark's all-time list for receptions at the time of his exit.

Season tickets for the 2009 Lightning regular season are on sale now. For more information on season tickets, merchandise, or other information, please call the Lightning at (209) 373-1500 or visit www.stocktonlightning.com.



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