VooDoo Mourns the Loss of AFL Legend Tim Marcum
December 6, 2013 - Arena Football League (AFL)
New Orleans VooDoo News Release
NEW ORLEANS (December 6, 2013) - The New Orleans VooDoo is saddened to announce that AFL Hall of Famer and former VooDoo Associate Head Coach Tim Marcum passed away from a lengthy sickness, Thursday afternoon.
As many of you know, Marcum had been an AFL fixture since the league's inception in 1987, holding a 211-99 career coaching mark that is coupled with 7 ArenaBowl Championships out of the 10 times his teams had reached the big game.
New Orleans VooDoo Head Coach Pat O'Hara, although deeply saddened by the death of his long-time friend Coach Marcum, is proud to have known such an inspiring individual.
O'Hara tweeted this statement this morning.
"Lost a great friend/mentor and the AFL lost a legend yesterday...heartbroken. RIP #Tim Marcum."
O'Hara played for Marcum in Tampa Bay from 2003 to 2006, transitioning into the team's offensive coordinator in his final year of suiting up. O'Hara served as Marcum's offensive coordinator for the 2007 and 2008 seasons before O'Hara took the head coaching position with the Los Angeles Avengers; however, the AFL went on hiatus before O'Hara ever coached a game.
Together, the dynamic duo of O'Hara and Marcum from 2003 to 2008 had a 45-35 regular season record that included three playoff berths and the ArenaBowl XVII Championship.
Marcum's most recent AFL tour of duty took place in New Orleans for the VooDoo's 2012 season. Together again, O'Hara and Marcum would lead the VooDoo to the playoffs for the first time since the VooDoo's inaugural season in 2004.
Before spending time with the VooDoo, Marcum served at the Tampa Bay Storm's head coach from 1995 to 2010. With the Storm, Marcum had a 140-77 regular season record and a 16-10 postseason mark over 15 seasons, winning 5 of the 7 ArenaBowls that he coached in during that span.
His prior stops before settling in with the Storm include the Detroit Drive from 1988 to 1993 and the Denver Dynamite in the League's inaugural season in 1987.
The Snyder, Texas native is a two-time AFL Coach of the Year recipient, winning the award in 1987 and 1998. In 1998, he was named Coach of the Year and he was also inducted into the AFL Hall of Fame. Marcum stands as the only coach in the League's history to lead three different franchises to ArenaBowl appearances.
"The AFL lost its most valuable ambassador with the passing of Tim Marcum," said New Orleans VooDoo Owner Dan Newman. "No one impacted the game like Coach. He helped to shape the game he loved from its birth and was instrumental in its rebirth in 2010. He was not just Coach. He was my friend. He is sorely missed."
Very few have ever been as synonymous with the Arena Football League as Coach Marcum, and for that, he will always be remembered as the greatest man to ever coach Arena Football.
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Arena Football League Stories from December 6, 2013
- VooDoo Mourns the Loss of AFL Legend Tim Marcum - New Orleans VooDoo
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