Wildcats Hire Derek Stingley as New Head Coach
September 20, 2006 - arenafootball2 (af2)
South Georgia Wildcats News Release
ALBANY, GA- The South Georgia Wildcats arenafootball2 team announced today that they have agreed to terms with Derek Stingley as their new head coach, pending league approval. Prior to joining the Wildcats, Stingley coached the Macon Knights, also of the af2, for two seasons. He began his career with the Knights in 2005 as the defensive coordinator, but was promoted to head coach halfway through the season. Stingley was able to turn around a 2-4 record, finishing the 2005 season at 8-8 and making the playoffs. In the 2006 season, the Knights again finished 8-8, missing the playoffs by one game.
During his 8 seasons playing in the AFL, Stingley was a member of the 1999 Albany Firebird ArenaBowl Championship team, earning All-AFL honors in the same season. Stingley currently ranks ninth All-Time in the league in tackles (443.5) and fifth in pass break-ups (110).
In addition to his professional football career, Stingley also played baseball at Purdue University. He was drafted in 1993 as a center fielder by the Philadelphia Phillies Organization and remained with the team for 2 years.
Stingley is originally from Chicago, Illinois, but currently lives in Baton Rouge, Louisiana with his wife Natasha and children Isis, Nahja, Derek Jr., and Sanaa.
South Georgia Wildcats Managing Partner John Hunt is excited to bring someone with so much experience on board. He says that "this is obviously a very exciting announcement for our organization. Derek Stingley possesses all of the qualities we were looking for in a head coach: head coaching experience, arena football experience, player connections, knowledge of the area, and an unquestionable desire to win."
Wildcats General Manager Darren McPhail agrees that Stingley is the right man for the job. McPhail stated that "after spending substantial time with Derek, we knew he was the coach to take us to the next level. Derek's coaching capabilities combined with his ability to impact the roster were advantages we could not pass up. We feel he is the right coach to produce the winning product the fans deserve on the field."
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