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CPIFL Sioux City Bandits

Sioux City Bandits Hire Former AFL Iowa Barnstormer's Coach as Head Coach

November 10, 2003 - Champions Professional Indoor Football League (CPIFL)
Sioux City Bandits News Release


The Sioux City Bandits of the National Indoor Football League today are pleased to announce the hiring of Art Haege as Head Coach/Player Personnel Director for the 2004 season. Haege replaces Carl Reinhardt who resigned on October 24.

Art Haege brings a wealth of experience to the Bandits. Haege has been involved in coaching football at every level from high school to professional for over 35 years. Haege has coached a total of 10 seasons in the Arena Football League. In 1993 and 1994 he served as Interim Head Coach for the Milwaukee Mustangs, taking for the Lou Saban four games into the season. Art was Defensive Coordinator and Director of Player Personnel for the Iowa Barnstormers from 1995 to 2000. In 2001, he was Head Coach of the AF2 Iowa Barnstormers and in 2002; he was Assistant Coach for the AFL New York Dragons. Coach Haege was instrumental in the success of the Barnstormers by bringing in top talent, including St. Louis Rams Andy McCollum and Kurt Warner. Art began his coaching in Chicago in 1961; he went on to rebuild several high school programs including State Championships in three different states at St. Ignace in Michigan, Two Rivers, Wisconsin, and Virginia, Minnesota. His college coaching experience includes; Northern Michigan University where he coached with Jerry Glanville, in 1966, University of Wisconsin, Hibbing (MN) Community College, Vermillion (MN) Community College, Drake University and Westmar University in Le Mars, IA during the 1989 to 1992 seasons. Art is a 1961 graduate of St. Ambrose University in Davenport, IA where he was a four-year football lettermen, he was named to the St. Ambrose Hall Of Fame in 1992. Art played professional football for three years before a shoulder injury ended his career in 1963 while playing for the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the CFL.

Art lives in Iowa Falls with his wife Josie, they have two sons, Michael and Matt. Haege has two other sons, Dan and Frank. Frank Haege is the Head Coach of the Las Vegas Gladiators of the Arena Football League.

His son Frank had this to say about his dad, "He will do a great job bringing in some talented players to Sioux City. I coached with my dad when he was the coach of the Milwaukee Mustangs, I coached against him when I was with Quad City and he was with the Barnstormers, and he coached for me at Las Vegas, those experiences I will always remember. I'm glad he got back into coaching, since it has been a big part of his life and he's good at it."

Art coached with John Gregory with the Barnstormers who had this to say, "Art is a strong personnel man and a tremendous recruiter. He has vast experience at all levels of football, especially in his 10 years of Arena Football. Art was largely responsible for the success we had with the Barnstormers because of his recruiting. He will do a great job for the Bandits in Sioux City." John Gregory is the Assistant Head Coach for the Carolina Cobras in the AFL.

Former Bandits player Erv Whitehead played for Coach Haege at Westmar University, quoting, "I came to Westmar as a track athlete, Coach Haege convinced me to go out for football when I got to Westmar. He worked with me on my speed on the football field and it worked out for a good football career at both Westmar and for the Bandits. I have a lot of respect for Art Haege as a coach and a person, he will do a great job for the Bandits."

The Bandits will have a 2004 schedule to release to the press next week. Over the next month we will release the coaching staff and information on try-out camps, plus season ticket information.

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Champions Professional Indoor Football League Stories from November 10, 2003


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