Hammond, Stone Return To Lead Dorados In 2008
November 12, 2007 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Rio Grande Valley Dorados News Release
Hidalgo, Texas --- The Rio Grande Valley Dorados of arenafootball2 (af2) today announced that Head Coach Marty Hammond and Associate Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator Cory Stone will return to the team for the 2008 season.
"We couldn't be more pleased with the job that Marty and Cory did in 2007," said Dorados General Manager Grant Buckborough. "They are both committed to putting another winning team together and we are excited to have them both as part of our organization for the 2008 season."
Hammond returns for his third season as the Head Coach and Director of Football Operations, while Stone is back for his second season. The pair helped lead the Dorados to a 15-1 record and the Southwest Division title.
Hammond's all-time record as a head coach is 22-10 with a 1-1 playoff record. He oversaw a remarkable turnaround for the team in 2007 after a 7-9 season in his rookie campaign. He came to the team after serving as the Offensive Coordinator/Receivers Coach for Tennessee Valley from 2003-04 and receivers coach in 2002.
He played wide receiver at the University of West Alabama from 1992-95 and was a teammate of former Dorados coach Kevin Guy. Hammond graduated in 1996 with a degree in computer science. As a freshman, he was named the Gulf Coast Conference Rookie of the Year after catching 39 passes for 339 and two touchdowns. A native of Lexington, Ala., he was an All-State pick and MVP for Lexington High School. Hammond is familiar with the Dorados, having served as a training camp coach for the Dorados during the 2005 preseason. In 1998 he served as an Assistant Coach at Spanish River High School in Boca Raton, Fla., then moved on as an Assistant Offensive Coordinator at Santaluces High School in Lantana, Fla., in 1999.
For the second straight season, Stone's defense was the best in af2. The RGV D allowed a league-low 32.8 points per game, while the team smashed the af2 sack record with 66.
Stone, a Memphis native, played at the University of Tennessee (UT) and lettered in 1993 and 1994 for the Volunteers as a defensive tackle. Stone played eight years in the Arena Football League, beginning in 1996 and ending in 2005 with the Philadelphia Soul. He was a starter for a New York Dragons team that holds the record for the most points (99) ever scored in an Arena Football League Game.
His coaching career began in 2006 with the Bakersfield Blitz of af2. He helped coach the Blitz to their best season ever and helped lead the team to their first playoff victory ever. The Blitz were the only team in 2006 that had three players ranked in the top 10 for sacks, and tackles for losses, while the defensive line finished second in total sacks (42). The team included the 2006 af2 lineman of the year Jerry Turner. Stone's defense finished the 2006 af2 season ranked number one in total defense.
The Dorados finished 15-1 in 2007 and won the Southwest Division title. The team kicks off their fifth season in arenafootball2 at Dodge Arena in April of 2008.
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