Seven teams to get new coaching direction in 2005
Published on October 8, 2004 under Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I) News Release
NEW YORK â Seven of the 17 Arena Football League teams will have a new face on the sidelines when the 2005 season kicks off. Arizona (TODD SHELL), Columbus (CHRIS SPIELMAN), Georgia (DOUG PLANK), Grand Rapids (SPARKY MC EWEN), Las Vegas (RON JAMES), Nashville (PAT SPERDUTO) and New York (WEYLAN HARDING) recently named new head coaches for 2005.
NEW COACHES:
SHELL: The Rattlers named Shell the second head coach in franchise history, replacing DANNY WHITE. Shell spent the previous two seasons as head coach of the New York Dragons, winning the 2003 AFL Coach of the Year Award. In six AFL coaching seasons, he has compiled a 47-40 record. Shell played five seasons in the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers and was a member of two Super Bowl championship teams.
SPIELMAN: The Destroyers tabbed Spielman as general manager and head coach, while former coach EARLE BRUCE was named vice president of football operations. In 2004, Spielman served as the Director of Football Operations, while Bruce was general manager and head coach. Spielman earned four Pro Bowl selections during his 11-year NFL career.
PLANK: The Force hired Plank as the team's new head coach replacing interim coach BOB KRONENBERG. Plank heads to the Force from the Arizona Rattlers, where he spent the last three seasons as the club's defensive coordinator. Plank played eight seasons in the NFL with the Chicago Bears where he played in BUDDY RYAN's famed "46 defense" which was named after his jersey number.
MC EWEN: McEwen was the Rampage's offensive coordinator during the team's best three years on the field (2001-03), which included winning ArenaBowl XV in his first season. During those three years, the Rampage's offense scored more points and gained more yards than any team in the AFL. In 2004, McEwen was the assistant head coach/offensive coordinator for the Okalahoma City Yard Dawgz of arenafootball2.
JAMES: The Gladiators named James head coach to replace FRANK HAEGE. James spent the last three seasons as the Gladiators assistant head coach/defensive-offensive line and special teams coach. This is his first head-coaching assignment.
SPERDUTO: Sperduto spent three seasons as head coach of the Kats from 1999-2001, produced a 32-18 record, three playoff appearances and two ArenaBowl berths. As a player and coach, Sperduto has advanced to the ArenaBowl on five occasions. He won three AFL championships with Tampa Bay as a player.
HARDING: Harding joins the Dragons from Columbus, where as the Destroyers' defensive coordinator he established a reputation as a highly-regarded defensive coach. Harding replaces Shell who went to Arizona to fill their head coaching position. Harding played seven seasons in the AFL, including ArenaBowl X while with the Iowa Barnstormers in 1996.
ARENA FOOTBALL LEAGUE HEAD COACHES
TEAM COACH
ARIZONA Todd Shell*
AUSTIN Skip Foster
CHICAGO Mike Hohensee
COLORADO Mike Dailey
COLUMBUS Chris Spielman*
DALLAS Will McClay
GEORGIA Doug Plank*
GRAND RAPIDS Sparky McEwen*
LAS VEGAS Ron James*
LOS ANGELES Ed Hodgkiss
NASHVILLE Pat Sperduto*
NEW ORLEANS Mike Neu
NEW YORK Weylan Harding*
ORLANDO Jay Gruden
PHILADELPHIA Michael Trigg
SAN JOSE Darren Arbet
TAMPA BAY Tim Marcum
* - New coach for 2005
Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from October 8, 2004
- SaberCats sign local product Fernandez - San Jose SaberCats
- Seven teams to get new coaching direction in 2005 - AFL I
- Rattlers Ink Evan Hlavacek - Arizona Rattlers
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