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Steelhawks Announce Coaching Staff for 2017...

December 23, 2016 - National Arena League (NAL)
Lehigh Valley Steelhawks News Release


Coaching Staff Returns to Finish What They Started

Allentown, PA: The Lehigh Valley Steelhawks are pleased to announce that a staff full of veteran coaches will be returning to the sidelines in Lehigh Valley for the 2017 season. Head Coach Chris Thompson has brought back the same group of coaches that led the 'Hawks to their winningest season in in team history, for the upcoming season: Ken Miller - Offensive Line Coach/Special Teams Coordinator, Bob Kohler - Defensive Coordinator/Director of Player Personnel, Dan Kelly - Wide Receivers Coach/Offensive Asst., Todd Shimko - Defensive Line Coach.

Coach Bob Kohler resumes his role of Defensive Coordinator and Director of Player Personnel. This will be his fourth season with the Steelhawks, but he has coached in the Lehigh Valley for more than 40 years. He spent three years at the high school level and 38 at the college level (Kutztown University, Muhlenberg College, and Moravian College); coaching all positions throughout his career. He has coached 12 All-Americans, scores of All-Conference players, coached in nine NCAA Division III National Championship Tournaments, and four Eastern Collegiate Conference Division III Bowl games. Kohler has spent six years coaching at a professional arena level with the Lehigh Valley Outlawz, New Jersey Revolution, and Trenton Freedom where he was the defensive coordinator.

In 2013 and 2014, he also served as the Head Coach for the Lehigh Valley Storm Minor League football team where he amassed a 22-5 record, two Conference Championships, and advanced to the National Championship game in Memphis, TN. Kohler currently serves as the Offensive Coordinator for the Bangor High School football team, and he was recently inducted into the Lehigh Valley Sports Hall of Fame. He has a son and daughter, as well as three grand children; and he is a retired Public School Teacher/Administrator from the Allentown School District and now works as an Educational Consultant for TURNING STONE choice in Voorhees, NJ.

Coach Ken Miller returns as Offensive Line Coach and Special Teams Coordinator. He has been a part of the Steelhawks staff since 2012. He has more than 20 years of experience at all levels of football from high school to professional. Coach Miller's career achievement has been five Divisional Championships, two Conference Championships, and one AIF League Championship in the professional ranks. Coach Miller and Coach Thompson have had a prior working relationship, where they spent six years together with the Reading Express organization. There they won multiple championships together and were part of an amazing 73 wins out of 100 games in those six years. The pair were also together when the Steelhawks won the 2014 PIFL National Conference Championship.

Coach Dan Kelly returns as Wide Receivers Coach and Offensive Assistant for his second season. Coach Kelly has played for Coach Thompson in college and spent a number of years together with the Reading Express. He currently resides in the Lehigh Valley area and has been a part of the Allentown Central Catholic coaching staff for a number of years now.

Coach Todd Shimko comes back for his first full season with the Steelhawks as Defensive Line Coach. He is a 1997 graduate of Indiana University of PA with a Bachelors of Science in Education and a 2012 graduate of Wilkes University with a Masters in Education. Shimko began his coaching career at IUP after his playing career was over; he coached the tight ends and offensive tackles. Shimko began his high school coaching career in 1999 at Saucon Valley where he served as an offensive line coach, defensive coordinator and strength and conditioning coordinator. Since then, he has served as an assistant coach on both sides of the ball at Bethlehem Catholic, Freedom High School, Catasauqua High School, and currently at Liberty High School in Bethlehem, PA.

Also joining the coaching staff with a role of Equipment Intern and Offensive Quality Control this season is Vincent Ellskamp, a junior at Kutztown University from Marlton, NJ. Ellskamp previously interned with the Philadelphia Soul during their 2016 championship season.

Head Coach Chris Thompson, in his 6th year with the Steelhawks is happy with those around him on the bench. "The old saying goes, you're only as good as the people you surround yourself with and these coaches are some of the best in the business. Their tireless efforts and dedication to the Steelhawks successes over the years is why we are looking to chase our 6th post season appearance, a second Conference Championship and hopefully our first ever League Championship. I couldn't be happier than to work with each of them again in 2017."

Steelhawks' 2017 season tickets are on sale now with packages starting as low as $48! All Steelhawks' games are played on Embassy Bank Field inside the PPL Center in Allentown.

Stay up to date with the Steelhawks by visiting the team website at www.LVSteelhawks.com.

The Steelhawks are a PROFESSIONAL Arena Football team that plays inside the PPL Center in downtown Allentown, PA. Season ticket packages start as low as $8 per game (or $48 for the full season) and games are an exciting event for people of the Lehigh Valley to attend on weekend nights.

Lehigh Valley Health Network includes five hospital campuses - three in Allentown including the region's only facility dedicated to orthopedic surgery, one in Bethlehem and one in Hazleton, Pa.; 13 health centers caring for communities in five counties; numerous primary and specialty care physician practices throughout the region; pharmacy, imaging, home health services and lab services; and preferred provider services through Valley Preferred. Specialty care includes: trauma care at the region's busiest, most-experienced trauma center treating adults and children, burn care at the regional Burn Center, kidney and pancreas transplants; perinatal/neonatal, cardiac, cancer care, and neurology and complex neurosurgery capabilities including national certification as a Comprehensive Stroke Center. Children's Hospital at Lehigh Valley Hospital, the only children's hospital in the region, provides care in 28 specialties and general pediatrics. Lehigh Valley Health Network has been recognized by US News & World Report for 20 consecutive years as one of America's Best Hospitals and is a national Magnet hospital for excellence in nursing. Lehigh Valley Health Network's Cancer Center is the only cancer center in the region to have been selected as a National Cancer Center Community Cancer Centers Program (NCCCP, 2010-14). Additional information is available at lvhn.org and by following us on facebook.com/LVHealthNetwork and twitter.com/LVHN.

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