Pirates Elevate Griggs to Head Coach
March 9, 2025 - Indoor Football League (IFL)
Massachusetts Pirates News Release
LOWELL, MA - The Massachusetts Pirates have elevated Frederick Griggs to be the Head Coach for the 2025 season. The move was made when acting Head Coach Ameer Ismail declined to start the season in order to pursue other opportunities.
In October of 2024 Griggs was re-hired by the Pirates and named Associate Defensive Coordinator and Defensive Backs Coach for the 2025 campaign after joining the team last season in June as a Defensive Backs Coach. The move paid immediate dividends as the Pirates won back-to-back games over Jacksonville and Quad City which helped the team in its playoff run to the Indoor Football League National Championship game.
For Griggs, this will be his second stint as a Head Coach in the Indoor Football League. Griggs became the interim Head Coach of the Duke City Gladiators in 2022 as the team faced the Arizona Rattlers in the first round of the Indoor Football League playoffs. He remained as Head Coach from 2023 until late in the 2024 season.
Griggs spent seven years with the Duke City Gladiators as a player, General Manager and Head Coach. He helped Duke City to back-to-back Champions Indoor Football titles earning league Defensive MVP and Co-Defensive Player of the Year honors. He later served as General Manager and as Head Coach from 2022 through part of the 2024 season.
Griggs started professional career in the Canadian Football League with the Calgary Stampeders. He transitioned to the indoor game with four teams before joining Duke City. Griggs played with the Cedar Rapids Titans (IFL), the Boston Blaze (CAL), the Bloomington Edge and the Kansas City Phantoms (both in the CIF).
An All-State high school linebacker in Tallahassee, Florida, Griggs became a two-time All-American while playing safety and cornerback at NAIA William Penn University in Iowa.
Indoor Football League Stories from March 9, 2025
- Pirates Sign DL Michael Thompson - Massachusetts Pirates
- Pirates Sign DB Marcis Floyd - Massachusetts Pirates
- Pirates Elevate Griggs to Head Coach - Massachusetts Pirates
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.
