The OSC interview: Austin Wranglers Head Coach Skip Foster
by Fran Stuchbury
September 7, 2005 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Detroit Drive
OurSports Central correspondent Fran Stuchbury recently talked with Austin Wranglers head coach Skip Foster at ArenaCup in Bossier City, Louisiana. Foster is entering his third season with Wranglers where he has complied a 14-18 record. He previously coached af2's Tulsa Talons and had a 44-10 record with them. He led the Talons to an ArenaCup Championship in 2003.
Fran Stuchbury: How important was it to re-sign some of your core players like QB John Fitzgerald, OL/DL Tom Briggs and others prior to them being free agents?
Skip Foster: It was no question it was important to get those guys signed in the early period. To do that we try to give them fair offers, offers that would be competitive in the market if they would go out in free agency. We think we did that and feel really good about that.
FS: Are you going be aggressive in the free agent market in October?
SF: We're going be as aggressive as anyone in the league because we know playing in the Southern Division and where we are right now, we think we have a good opportunity to be competitive next year, but that is going come from by bringing in more quality players and adding to the good players we already have. That will take us to that next level where we can be competitive with the best teams in the league.
FS: Are you happy with the jobs team President Doug MacGregor and General Manager Glyn Milburn have done?
SF: The thing that Austin has going for us is we have 100 percent autonomy within our organization. That's the thing that Doug brought us. He doesn't really have a sports background but has solid management skills. The thing that he has brought to the Austin Wranglers is our entire organization - from the ticket sales side, corporate sponsorships, to the football side - we're all going in the same direction. The communication lines are open. I think Doug and Glyn have both provided a great amount of leadership from that part of it.
FS: As for Glyn Milburn, was it more on the job learning or did his football background make him ready to be a general manager?
SF: The thing that Glyn had an advantage on was he was a football guy. He's been a professional football player. Glyn is a very intelligent guy, he really has embraced the Arena League. I think the thing that has been positive is he has really accepted AFL and bought into what the AFL has been doing. He's learning the Arena game for what it is and the management and player personnel side for what it is.
FS: Do you scout af2 closely as far as bringing in players?
SF: No question! I coached in Tulsa from 2001 to 2003 so I'm an af2 guy and believe there is a certain percentage of guys from the af2 that we will recruit every year to come to the AFL.
FS: Were you pleased with the first ever-neutral site ArenaBowl in Las Vegas this past season? Was that good for the league?
SF: I really liked it. I went out there and stayed in Las Vegas for three to four days. I thought the league did a good job in setting up the ArenaBowl out there. I thought overall it was a big success.
FS: Do you feel you have a tough challenge in playing in possibly the toughest division in the AFL?
SF: We're in a very tough division. I'm not sure if I am the one to say it's the toughest, but we certainly think it's the toughest. We have embraced that. Everything that we set out in our organization is for us to be competitive and win in the Southern Division. We were competitive with the better teams down there at certain times last year, but we feel we need to take a big step forward this year to be a team in the hunt come playoff time.
If you have any questions or comments about this interview feel free to drop me an email at arenazone@yahoo.com and I will be more than happy to get back to you.
• Discuss this story on the Arena Football League (1987-2008) message board...
Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from September 7, 2005
- Las Vegas High School's Jamal Lomax named Gladiator's Ironman of the Week - Las Vegas Gladiators
- Kats To Partner With Velocity Sports Performance - Nashville Kats
- Kats To Partner With Velocity Sports Performance - Detroit Drive
- Kats To Partner With Velocity Sports Performance - Detroit Drive
- The OSC interview: Austin Wranglers Head Coach Skip Foster - OSC Original by Fran Stuchbury
- The OSC interview: Austin Wranglers Head Coach Skip Foster - OSC Original by Fran Stuchbury
- The OSC interview: Austin Wranglers Head Coach Skip Foster - OSC Original by Fran Stuchbury
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer(s), and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
