Alabama Hammers

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Alabama Hammers
AlabamaHammers.PNG
Founded2010 (2010)
Folded2016 (2016)
Team history
  • Alabama Hammers (2017–present)
Based in Huntsville, Alabama
at the Von Braun Civic Center
Home arena
MascotSlammer the Hammer
League Southern Indoor Football League (2011)
Professional Indoor Football League (2012–2015)
ColorsGreen, gold, silver, white
    
NicknameHammers
Personnel
Head coachScott Sharp
Team presidentJoe Stroud
OwnersSouthern Sports and Entertainment LLC (Jeff Knight, CEO)
ChairmanJeff Knight
Championships
League titles (1)PIFL: 2013
Playoff appearances (1)
PIFL: 2013

The Alabama Hammers were a professional indoor football team based in Huntsville, Alabama. The team played in the Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL) from 2012 to 2015. The Hammers originally began play as an expansion team in the Southern Indoor Football League in 2011. The Hammers are the fourth indoor football team to play at the Von Braun Center; these were the Alabama Vipers of the AFL (2010), the Tennessee Valley Vipers of the af2 (2000–2004 and 2006–2009), and the Tennessee Valley Raptors of the United Indoor Football league (2005). [1] The owner of the Hammers is Southern Sports Entertainment, LLC. The Hammers play their home games at the Von Braun Center. Their name comes from the Yellowhammer, the state bird of Alabama.

Contents

Franchise history

2011

On November 5, 2010, it was announced that indoor football was to stay at the Von Braun Center in the form of the Alabama Hammers who would be playing in the Southern Indoor Football League (SIFL). [2] The nickname "Hammers" was chosen due to the state bird of Alabama being the yellowhammer. [3] On December 19, 2010, the Hammers announced that Marty Hammond, who had coached the Rio Grande Valley Dorados from 2006 to 2009, as their first ever head coach. [4] On March 19, 2011, the Hammers took the field for their first ever game as a franchise, losing 20–67 to the Columbus Lions. [5] The Hammers achieved the first victory in forfeit fashion, as the Mobile Bay Tarpons forfeited their April 29 game. [6] The Hammers finished the regular season with a 4–8 record, failing to qualify for the postseason. [7]

2012

Before the season began, the Hammers joined the Professional Indoor Football League after the Southern Indoor Football League dissolved. The Hammers went 3–9 in 2012, failing to making the playoffs.

2013

For the 2013 season, the Hammers hired former Alabama Vipers coach Dean Cokinos to be their head coach. [8] The Hammers have achieved the level of success expected of coach Cokinos, who has a great winning percentage in lower level indoor football. They won their first championship when they won the PIFL title over the Richmond Raiders 70–44. [9]

2014

The Hammers did not return to their championship form in 2014, losing their first 4 games of the regular season. After the Hammers seemed to have righted the ship with 3-straight wins, they went on another 4-game losing streak. The Hammers finished the season 4–8, tied for 4th placed in the American Conference, failing to qualify for the playoffs.

2015

During the offseason, Cokinos took a job as the head coach of the New Orleans VooDoo of the Arena Football League. He was replaced with Cosmo Dematteo, who had coached the filler team, Georgia Fire in 2014. However, in January 2015, Dematteo stepped down due to family issues before coaching a game for the Hammers. Scott Sharp was named the new Hammers' head coach on January 27, 2015. [10]

In 2015, the Hammers folded upon the league folding.[ citation needed ]

Notable players

See Category:Alabama Hammers players

Awards and honors

The following is a list of all Hammers players who won league awards:

SeasonPlayerPositionAward
2013 Mico McSwain WR Most Valuable Player
2013 Mico McSwain WR Offensive Player of the Year
2013 Jake Trantin LB Defensive Rookie of the Year

Head coaches

NameTermRegular seasonPlayoffsAwards
WLTWin%WL
Marty Hammond 2011–2012 7170.29200
Dean Cokinos 2013–2014 13100.56520PIFL Coach of the Year (2013)
Scott Sharp 2015 570.41700

Season-by-season results

League ChampionsConference ChampionsDivision ChampionsWild Card BerthLeague Leader
Season Team League Conference Division Regular season Postseason results
FinishWinsLossesTies
2011 [11] 2011 SIFL EasternSouth3rd480
2012 [12] 2012 PIFL 5th390
2013 2013 PIFL1st920Won PIFL Semifinals 61–46 vs. Albany
Won PIFL Cup II 70–44 vs. Richmond
2014 2014 PIFLAmerican4th480
2015 2015 PIFL6th570
Totals25340All-time regular season record
20–All-time postseason record
27340All-time regular season and postseason record

References

  1. ↑ McCarter, Mark (March 25, 2015). "Von Braun Center has celebrated much sports success, but also been graveyard for some franchises". The Huntsville Times . Huntsville, AL: Advance Publications . Retrieved April 3, 2015.
  2. ↑ Bryant, Bill (November 4, 2010). "Indoor football to return to Von Braun Center next spring". The Huntsville Times . Archived from the original on October 4, 2012. Retrieved November 5, 2010.
  3. ↑ Bill Bryant (November 13, 2010). "Hammers officially Huntsville's latest indoor football team". www.al.com. Alabama Media Group. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
  4. ↑ Reggie Benson (December 19, 2010). "Alabama Hammers name Hammond head coach". www.al.com. Alabama Media Group. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
  5. ↑ Bill Bryant (March 19, 2011). "Alabama Hammers routed by Columbus in SIFL opener". www.al.com. Alabama Media Group. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
  6. ↑ "Former Viper QB Eakin Now a Hammer". www.oursportscentral.com. OurSports Central. April 27, 2011. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
  7. ↑ "Hammers end 2011 SIFL season with loss at Albany". www.oursportscentral.com. OurSports Central. June 11, 2011. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
  8. ↑ McCarter, Mark (October 4, 2012). "Dean Cokinos returning to Huntsville as head coach of Alabama Hammers' football team". The Huntsville Times . Archived from the original on February 1, 2016. Retrieved October 12, 2012.
  9. ↑ "Alabama Hammers roll impressively to PIFL championship by dismantling Richmond (Updated) (Gallery)". July 9, 2013.
  10. ↑ Daniel Boyette (January 27, 2015). "Scott Sharp makes preps-to-pros jump to become new Hammers coach". www.al.com. Alabama Media Group. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
  11. ↑ "SIFL - 2011 Regular Season, Alabama Hammers". The Stat Guys.[ dead link ]
  12. ↑ "PIFL - 2012 Regular Season, Alabama Hammers". The Stat Guys. Archived from the original on September 13, 2012. Retrieved October 12, 2012.
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