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The Arena Football League (AFL) was a professional arena football league in the United States. It was founded in 1986, but played its first official games in the 1987 season, making it the third longest-running professional football league in North America after the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the National Football League (NFL) until the AFL closed in 2019.
The Nashville Kats is the name of three separate franchises in the Arena Football League all located in Nashville, Tennessee.
The New Orleans VooDoo were a professional arena football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They were members of the Arena Football League from 2004 to 2015.
The Alabama Vipers were a professional arena football team, that played in the Arena Football League. For most of their history, the Vipers played as the Tennessee Valley Vipers in the now-defunct af2, the minor league for the original Arena Football League, where they won ArenaCup IX in 2008. They played their home games at the Von Braun Center. They were coached by Dean Cokinos.
The Green Bay Blizzard is a professional indoor football team based in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin, founded in 2003. The Blizzard began play in the Indoor Football League in 2010, after having played the previous seven seasons in af2, the now-defunct minor league of the Arena Football League. They play their home games at the Resch Center. The team's logo represents Bruiser, the team mascot.
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers were a minor league arena football team that played in the AF2. The team was part of the East Division in the American conference. The Pioneers were an expansion team for the league's 2002 season, and were the runners-up in ArenaCup VIII and ArenaCup X.
Michael Joseph Stoops is an American football coach and former player, who is the inside linebackers coach at the University of Kentucky. Stoops also served as the head football coach at the University of Arizona from 2003 until his firing during the 2011 season. He previously served as an assistant football coach at the University of Iowa, Kansas State University, and University of Oklahoma. He is the younger brother of Bob Stoops, the former head coach of the Oklahoma Sooners football program, and the older brother of Mark Stoops, head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats football program. He returned to Oklahoma as the defensive coordinator in 2012. He served in the position until he was fired on October 7, 2018. After spending time at the University of Alabama as an analyst, he spent one season as the defensive coordinator of the Florida Atlantic Owls in 2021.
Michael Louis Hohensee is a former professional football quarterback who played in the United States Football League (USFL), Canadian Football League (CFL), National Football League (NFL) and Arena Football League (AFL). He most recently the head coach of the AFL's Portland Thunder. He played college football at the University of Minnesota, and was in the AFL for two seasons, from 1987 to 1988. Hohensee has been a head coach since 1990, beginning at the Washington Commandos. He has served as head coach of eight different arena football franchises, winning ArenaBowl XX with the Chicago Rush in 2006.
Erik Meyer is a former professional American football quarterback and current coach. He is the co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, a position he has held since 2024. He was signed by the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent in 2006. He played college football at Eastern Washington. He was also a member of the Cologne Centurions, Seattle Seahawks. Oakland Raiders, Utah Blaze, Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Spokane Shock, San Jose SaberCats and Washington Valor.
Jay Michael Gruden is an American football coach and former quarterback. He previously served as the head coach of the Washington Redskins from 2014 to 2019 and as offensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals and Jacksonville Jaguars. During his time in the Arena Football League (AFL), he won four ArenaBowls as a player and two more as a head coach. Gruden is the younger brother of former NFL head coach Jon Gruden and was an assistant coach of the 2002 Buccaneers team that won Super Bowl XXXVII.
Michael David Neu is an American football coach and former quarterback. He was the head coach of the Ball State Cardinals from 2016–2024. He played college football at Ball State for Paul Schudel from 1990 to 1993. Neu played in the Canadian Football League (CFL) for one season, in France Championnat Élite Division 1 one season, then in the Arena Football League (AFL) for 2 seasons from 1996 to 1997. He then served as the head coach of the af2's Augusta Stallions (2000), the AFL's Carolina Cobras (2001–2002) and the New Orleans VooDoo (2004–2008). In 2016, Neu returned to his alma mater, Ball State.
Nick Davila is an American former professional arena football quarterback who played in the Arena Football League (AFL). A four-time ArenaBowl champion, and three-time MVP, he played for the Arizona Rattlers from 2010 to 2016 and the Washington Valor in 2018. He also played for the Spokane Shock of the af2 from 2008 to 2009. Davila is of Mexican American descent, and is nicknamed the "Latin Laser".
Robert John Landsee was an American professional football player and coach. He played college football for the Wisconsin Badgers and was selected in the sixth round of the 1986 NFL draft by the Philadelphia Eagles, where he played as a center and guard for parts of three seasons. He later served as head coach and owner of the Milwaukee Mustangs of the Arena Football League (AFL).
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, and the Tennessee Valley Raptors of the United Indoor Football league (2005). 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.
Dean Cokinos is an American football coach. He has held assistant coaching or head coaching positions with UMass Boston, Austin Peay, West Alabama, Noris Rams, Munich Cowboys, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers, San Angelo Stampede, Nashville Kats, Tennessee Valley Vipers, Alabama Vipers, Georgia Force, Alabama Hammers, New Orleans VooDoo, Tampa Bay Storm, Washington Valor, and the Berlin Rebels.
Sean Brackett is a former American football quarterback and current quarterbacks coach for the Massachusetts Pirates of the Indoor Football League (IFL). He played college football at Columbia University.
Ronald R. Selesky Jr. is a former American football center and arena football coach. He played college football at North Central College and was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He also served as the Director of Football Operations for the Birmingham Iron of the Alliance of American Football (AAF), and held the same position with the Tampa Bay Vipers of the XFL in 2020 prior to the league folding.
The 2017–18 Atlantic 10 Conference men's basketball season was the 42nd season of Atlantic 10 Conference basketball. The season began with practices in October 2017, followed by the start of the 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball season in November. League play began in late December and ended on March 3, 2018.
The Albany Empire was a professional arena football team based in Albany, New York, that began play in the Arena Football League (AFL) in 2018. Home games were played at MVP Arena located in downtown Albany.
James Ray Fuller is an American football coach and former defensive back who is currently the offensive coordinator for the San Antonio Gunslingers of the National Arena League (NAL). He played college football at Walla Walla CC and Portland State before being selected in the 8th round of the 1992 NFL draft; he went on to play three seasons with the San Diego Chargers and Philadelphia Eagles while also spending time in the World League of American Football (WLAF) for the Scottish Claymores and Arena Football League (AFL) for the Portland Forest Dragons. He later served as a coach for the Forest Dragons, Bakersfield Blitz, Philadelphia Soul, Dallas Desperados, Dallas Vigilantes, Richmond Raiders, Maine Mammoths, and Jacksonville Sharks.
References
- ↑ "Presbyterian, Carson-Newman Lead SAC All-Conference Football Team; Ellis, Robinson Named Players of Year". www.thesac.com. South Atlantic Conference. November 7, 2005. Retrieved July 28, 2018.
- ↑ Adam Zielonka (May 16, 2018). "Washington Valor fire head coach Dean Cokinos". www.m.washingtontimes.com. Washington Times. Retrieved July 28, 2018.
- ↑ "McDowell Named Valor Head Coach". OurSportsCentral.com. September 10, 2018.
- ↑ "Benji McDowell Coaching Record". ArenaFan.com. Retrieved July 28, 2018.