New Orleans VooDoo Hire Pat O'Hara as Head Coach
August 8, 2011 - Arena Football League (AFL)
New Orleans VooDoo News Release
NEW ORLEANS (August 8, 2011) - It didn't take long for Pat O'Hara to find work after parting ways with the Orlando Predators a week ago, as he signs on to be the new head coach of the New Orleans VooDoo, announced the organization at a press conference on Monday afternoon at the Fox and Hound.
O'Hara has headed up the Predators the last two seasons - both seeing the team go to AFL Playoffs. In fact, his 2010 squad was two points away from going to the ArenaBowl, losing to his quarterback protégé Brett Dietz and the Tampa Bay Storm, 63-62.
"For our organization to have a proven AFL coach and one of the greatest quarterbacks to play between the walls to lead us is a major step in the right direction. No one would have imagined that Pat would be on the market. However, he was and it was a no-brainer that he is the right guy for the job," said Dan Newman, VooDoo owner.
O'Hara's 2011 team posted an 11-7 regular season record, and set new team records in points per game (55.6), while scoring over 70 points twice that included a franchise record 85 in a win over Tulsa.
Orlando quarterback Nick Hill blossomed under O'Hara in 2011, completing 67 percent of his passes, while also setting new franchise records in total offense (5,149), passing yards (4,758), pass completions (387) and passing touchdowns (97). Hill's total offense and passing yards numbers led the AFL.
Also, three of Hill's top receivers finished the season with over 100 catches and 1,000 yards receiving each, which included Bobby Sippio who tied Cory Fleming's single-season record of 33 touchdown receptions.
O'Hara brings with him to New Orleans a 19-15 regular season record and a 1-2 post-season mark in his two-year tenure with Orlando.
"I feel blessed that Mr. Newman contacted me regarding this job. The VooDoo deserves to get back to winning football and I am more than ready for the challenge. My family is eager to get to know the amazing people and fans here," said O'Hara. "The resilience and passion that this city has shown over recent years makes us want to be a part of that energy."
The AFL great's quarterbacking career began between the walls in 1995 with the Predators, and before it ended, O'Hara would lead two different teams to five ArenaBowls that included claiming the crown three times.
The majority of his playing career was with Orlando, spending six seasons with the club that saw the Predators claim ArenaBowl Championships in 1998 and 2000.
O'Hara then ventured off to the Toronto Phantoms in 2001, guiding the team to the second round of the playoffs in just his first season under center.
After two seasons north of the border, O'Hara returned to the Sunshine State to suit up with the Tampa Bay Storm in 2003. In that season, O'Hara came off the bench to lead the Storm to an ArenaBowl victory over the Arizona Rattlers after starter John Kaleo went down with an injury in the second quarter of the championship game.
The Storm won ArenaBowl XVII thanks to turnover-less relief by O'Hara, accounting for three total touchdowns that included 103 yards passing while completing 7-of-13 passes in the 43-29 win.
O'Hara remained with the Storm until the 2006 season, serving as a player-coach under future hall of fame head coach Tim Marcum before completely trading in the cleats for a clipboard in 2007 to become the team's offensive coordinator.
The Storm went to the playoffs in 2007 behind O'Hara's offensive genius that saw the development of Dietz, who went on to be named Co-AFL Rookie of the Year. Dietz completed a rookie record 65.3 percent (196-of-300) of his passes in his first season between the walls, while throwing for over 2,300 yards and 47 touchdowns in only nine games.
After the conclusion of the 2008 season, O'Hara was hired to be the head coach of the Los Angeles Avengers, but the AFL suspended operations before he could call a play. He was then hired to coach the Tri-Cities Fever of the af2 ranks for the 2009 season, taking over a 0-5 team at the time. The Fever managed to win three of its final eight under O'Hara.
O'Hara also brings a wealth of high school coaching experience to the VooDoo as a volunteer assistant at Point Loma High School (San Diego, Calif.) in 1996, an assistant coach at New Smyrna High School (New Smyrna Beach, Fla.) from 1998-2000, and as the offensive coordinator at Olympia High School (Orlando, Fla.) from 2001-03. It was at Olympia where O'Hara coached NFL Pro-Bowl running back Chris Johnson.
In the offseason, O'Hara also serves as a consultant on movies and has worked on The Longest Yard, Invincible, We Are Marshall, and The Game Plan, while appearing in The Waterboy and Any Given Sunday.
O'Hara is a graduate of USC, playing football for the Trojans. He was slated to start his junior season in 1989, but 10 days before the first game of the year, he was hospitalized with torn ligaments in his right knee and a broken leg.
The injuries hampered the rest of his career as a Trojan, and as a senior lost out to freshman quarterback Todd Marinovich. Still, he was drafted in the NFL by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1991, spending one season with the team until latching on with the San Diego Chargers in 1992. He went on to play with the Chargers until 1994 when he went to camp with the Washington Redskins.
After that season with the Redskins, his arena football career began.
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