Veteran Coaches and Former Pro Players Highlight Fleet Staff
October 11, 2018 - Alliance of American Football (AAF)
San Diego Fleet News Release
San Diego, Calif. "" The Alliance of American Football's San Diego Fleet today unveiled their coaching staff under head coach Mike Martz for the 2019 inaugural season.
Jon Kitna joins Martz as his offensive coordinator, Larry Marmie as defensive coordinator and Larry MacDuff will be The Fleet's special teams and linebacker coach. Additionally,Dre Bly will be Martz's defensive back coach, Vince Amey the defensive line coach and Anthony Becht the tight end coach. Matt Kitna will serve as an assistant offensive line coach and Az-Zahir Hakim will be The Fleet's wide receiver coach.
"I have a great deal of respect for what each of these coaches have accomplished and experienced throughout their careers and this group will help ensure that we put the best possible football product on the field each weekend in San Diego," said Mike Martz, head coach, San Diego Fleet. "We have a unique opportunity to provide our players with a dynamic staff that can help shape their careers in ways no other league can provide.
He added, "Just as The Alliance is a opportunity for players to begin, extend or continue their careers, this league also provides the same opportunity for coaches to advance their careers. With my coaching staff taking shape, we are getting closer and closer to bringing pro football back to the great city of San Diego."
Jon Kitna, Offensive Coordinator
Kitna spent 14 years as a quarterback in the NFL from 1997 to 2011 with four teams; Seattle Seahawks, Cincinnati Bengals, Detroit Lions before finishing his playing career with the Dallas Cowboys. Over the course of his career Kitna completed 2,677 of 4,442 passes for 29, 745 yards with 169 touchdowns and 165 interceptions. Following his retirement from playing, Kitna began his coaching career at his alma mater Lincoln High School in Tacoma, Washington where he recorded a 24-8 record as a head coach before taking over the coaching duties at Waxahachie (Texas) High School. While at the helm for Waxahachie Kitna posted a 20-13 record in three seasons for the Indians prior to taking over Brophy (Arizona) Prep in February 2018.
Larry Marmie, Defensive Coordinator
Marmie has more than four decades of coaching and scouting experience, including 19 seasons in the NFL ranks. Most recently, Marmie spent two seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2014-15) as a senior defensive assistant working with the team's nickelbacks Prior to joining Tampa Bay's coaching staff, he spent four seasons with Seattle (2006-09), two seasons with St. Louis (2004-05) and eight seasons with Arizona (1996-03). Marmie also spent two seasons working as a pro scout for the Oakland Raiders (2012-13). Before joining the professional ranks, Marmie spent 28 seasons coaching in the collegiate ranks, beginning his collegiate coaching career at Morehead State (1968-71), before moving on to Eastern Kentucky (1972-76), Tulsa (1977-78), North Carolina (1979-82), Tennessee (1983-84; 1992-94), Arizona State (1985-87, defensive coordinator; 1988-91, head coach) and UCLA (1995).
Larry MacDuff, Special Teams / Linebackers
MacDuff brings over 30 years of coaching experience to the Fleet as he has spent time with in both the collegiate and professional ranks. He has coached a variety of positions at the collegiate level including linebackers, defensive line and special teams while at Stanford (1980-83), Hawaii (1984-86), Arizona (1987-96; 2001-02) and Texas (2007). MacDuff most notably was the architect as the defensive coordinator and linebacker coach at the University of Arizona of the Wildcats "?Desert Swarm' defense during the early 1990's. Under MacDuff Arizona's "?Desert Swarm' defense led the nation in scoring defense (1992), rushing defense (1993) and for four consecutive years (1992-1995) finished ranked in the NCAA Top Ten in total defense. MacDuff also spent 12 years coaching in professional football, including eight years coaching special teams in the NFL for the New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers. While with New York, the Giants won two NFC East Championships and played in Super Bowl XXXV. In addition, Coach MacDuff was the Special Teams Coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers for four years (2003-2006). MacDuff also spent four seasons coaching numerous positions with Las Vegas of the UFL (2009-2012) where he was the Defensive Coordinator/Linebacker coach/ Special Teams Coordinator.
Dre Bly, Defensive Backs
Bly spent 11 seasons as a defensive back in the NFL after being selected by the St. Louis Rams in the second round (41st overall) of the 1999 NFL Draft. During his career Bly appeared in 167 games and registered 484 tackles (423 solo), 43 interceptions, 20 forced fumbles, five sacks, nine fumble recoveries. Bly spent four seasons, 1999-2002, with the Rams which included a Super Bowl XXXIV championship. Following his time with the Rams, Bly signed with the Detroit Lions where he was an All-Pro selection in 2003 while also being voted to the Pro-Bowl following the 2003 and 2004 season. Bly would continue his career with the Denver Broncos during the 2007-08 seasons and then with the San Francisco 49ers in 2009 before retiring after rejoining the Lions prior to the start of the 2010 season.
Vince Amey, Defensive Line
Amey spent 10 seasons playing professional football following a stellar collegiate career as a defensive lineman at Arizona State University. Amey was a four-year letterman for the Sun Devils prior to being selected in the seventh round (230th overall) of the 1998 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders. Amey would appear in four games for the Raiders during the 1998 season prior to being allocated to the Frankfurt Galaxy of NFL Europe during the spring of 1999. Following his time with the Galaxy, Amey would spend time with the Raiders, St. Louis Rams as well as the Las Vegas Outlaws of the XFL before spending six seasons with the Los Angeles Avengers and Arizona Rattlers of the Arena League. Amey started his coaching career at Chaparral High School tutoring the defensive line prior to joining the Arizona Wildcats in a variety of coaching roles including strength and conditioning, Analyst and defensive line
Anthony Becht, Tight Ends
Becht spent 12 years as a tight end in the NFL after being selected in the first round (27th overall) of the 2000 NFL Draft by the New York Jets. Becht would record 188 receptions for 1,537 receiving yards during his career while also playing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2005-07), St. Louis Rams (2008), Arizona Cardinals (2009) and Kansas City Chiefs (2011). Becht saw action in 152 consecutive games, which at the time ranked third amongst all NFL offensive players behind Brett Favre and Peyton Manning. Following his playing career Becht stepped into the broadcasting booth joining ESPN in 2013 as an analyst for college football. In addition to his ESPN college football duties, Becht also is the color analyst for the New York Jets preseason television broadcast.
Matt Kitna, Assistant Offensive Line
Kitna brings a diverse background and vast experience coaching and teaching high school athletes in the hotbeds of football. His football coaching career began in 2011, following a 11 year stretch as a high school basketball coach, when he joined the staff at Lincoln High School in Tacoma, Washington as the offensive line coach a position he held through the 2014 season. Following his fourth season at Lincoln, Kitna was hired as the associate head coach/offensive line coach/run game coordinator at Waxahachie High School in Waxahachie, Texas. While at Waxahachie, Kitna also served as the school's assistant boys track coach. In 2018 Kitna became the offensive coordinator and tight ends coach for Brophy College Preparatory in Phoenix, Arizona, also in 2018 Kitna was named the assistant offensive line coach for the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, which is a post-season college football game which showcases NFL draft- eligible college players, where he helped tutor college linemen under Hall of Fame offensive lineman Jackie Slater.
Az-Zahir Hakim, Wide Receivers
Hakim spent nine seasons in the NFL as a wide receiver and punt returner after being drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the fourth round (96th overall) of the 1998 NFL Draft. Hakim would accumulate 6,172 total yards and 31 touchdowns during his career while also playing with Detroit Lions (2002""2004), New Orleans Saints (2005), Detroit Lions (2006), San Diego Chargers (2006). Hakim a four-year letterman (1994-97) at San Diego State where he concluded his career with 147 receptions for 2,622 yards and 21 touchdowns.
The San Diego Fleet will play home games at SDCCU Stadium. Fans looking to secure tickets early for the inaugural season can purchase season ticket seat deposits for $50 at SanDiegoFleet.com.
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