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Outlaws Retain O'Neal, Hire Herrin

October 30, 2009 - Indoor Football League (IFL)
Billings Outlaws News Release


The Billings Outlaws are proud to announce the re-signing of Head Coach Heron O'Neal and the hiring of a recent graduate from Carroll College as our new Running Back Coach and Assistant Coordinator!

"We're very excited to have Coach O re-joining our ranks after such a phenomenal season!" says Outlaws General Manager and Co-Owner Adam Steadman. "After winning the IFL United Bowl with a 15-2 record, we knew that other teams would come knocking on Coach O's door. I'm excited to be able to announce that we still have the best head coach in the indoor game!"

O'Neal admits that other opportunities were presented, but nothing fit better than his position with the Outlaws. "I've always said that I wouldn't leave Billings unless I had an opportunity to move up. With the demise of Arena 1 this past year, I believe the Indoor Football League is the premiere indoor franchise in America and without a doubt, the Billings Outlaws are top franchise in the IFL. We started building something last year that is very special. We won the United Bowl, which was definitely on our "to-do list", but there's still more to do here."

To help lead the Outlaws to a repeat of the 2009 championship season, Coach O'Neal will be putting on a couple more hats.

"One thing that we learned during the 2009 season is the depth of Heron's coaching ability," commented Steadman. "In addition to coming back as our head-coach, we've also asked him to take on the roles of Offensive and Defensive Coordinator."

O'Neal welcomes the additional challenge.

"There's no doubt that it's going to be a lot more work, but I'm looking forward to the opportunity to increase my skills as a coach. I push my players to work harder and improve their skills every day. It's only fair that I do the same."

To assist Coach O'Neal in his increased capacity, the Outlaws have also hired Helena native and recent Carroll College graduate Sean Herrin as Assistant Coordinator and Running Back Coach. Herrin is a three time NAIA National Football Champion with the Fighting Saints in 2004, 2005 and 2007. He proved to be a multiple-threat at the positions of Running Back, Wide Receiver and Kick Returner and earned 2nd team All Conference Running Back in 2007.

Coach O'Neal has high hopes for Herrin. "He's everything we were looking for. He's young, very talented and hungry to learn. Having Sean on board will also help with our local recruiting efforts. It's always amazed me that we get players from around the world wanting to play for the Outlaws, but it's been difficult to find them in our own back yard."

According to Steadman, Herrin will begin his work with the Outlaws immediately, which is another big step for the franchise.

"Traditionally, our coaching staff has been released at the end of the season, with the exception of Coach O'Neal who recruits heavily in the off-season. We've asked Coach Herrin to help with that recruiting effort on a local level and we're confident that he'll help strengthen our roster with Montana talent."

When asked about making the move from player to coach, Herrin answered that he's ready to take off the pads and embrace the "big picture" side of the game. "I am very excited about the upcoming Outlaws football season and hope to share my football knowledge with Coach O'Neal and the team to help continue the Outlaws' tradition of winning games and, most importantly, championships!

The Outlaws will be hosting an open workout for athletes interested in playing for the team. Tryouts will be held at the Billings Sports Plex on November 21st. Registration information is available on the Outlaws website.

The 2010 IFL schedule is set to be announced on November 20th with an anticipated start date of February 27, 2010.

Make sure you get the latest news and announcements from the Outlaws at www.billingsoutlaws.com.

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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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