Cincinnati Commandos

Last updated
Cincinnati Commandos
Established 2009
Folded 2013
Played in Cincinnati, Ohio
at the Cincinnati Gardens
CincinnatiCommandos.PNG
League/conference affiliations
Continental Indoor Football League (2010-2011)

United Indoor Football League (2012)

  • North Division (2012)
Current uniform
Team colorsArmy green, kelly green, red, light gray
    
CheerleadersCommando Cuties
Personnel
Owner(s)Dennis Whitman
Paul Napier
General managerJason Buckley
Head coachBilly Back
Team history
  • Cincinnati Commandos (2010–2012)
Championships
League championships (3)
Conference championships (0)
Division championships (1)
Playoff appearances (3)
Home arena(s)

The Cincinnati Commandos were a professional indoor football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. The team suspended operations for the 2013 season, with hope of returning in 2014. They began play in 2010 as an expansion team in the Continental Indoor Football League before moving to the United Indoor Football League in 2012. The Commandos then left the UIFL after winning Ultimate Bowl II and re-joined the CIFL, but never took the field after its announcement. The Commandos were the fifth arena or indoor football in Cincinnati, after the Cincinnati Rockers (Arena Football League 1992–93), Cincinnati Swarm (af2 2003), Cincinnati Marshals (National Indoor Football League 2004–2006), and Cincinnati Jungle Kats (af2 2007). The owners of the Commandos are Dennis Whitman and Paul Napier. The Commandos played their home games at Cincinnati Gardens.

Contents

Franchise history

Play begins: 2010

The Commandos posted a 9–1 regular season mark in the 2010 season, winning their first nine games before losing the final one at Wisconsin. After a three-week break, Cincinnati defeated Miami Valley, 48–24, in the CIFL Semifinals, and then defeated the Wisconsin Wolfpack, 54–40 in the 2010 CIFL Championship Game, on June 26, to claim Cincinnati's first ever professional football championship.

2011

Head Coach Billy Back returned for the 2011 season, Brian Wells, former head coach of the Miami Valley Silverbacks, was hired as assistant head coach / special teams coordinator / offensive line coach. For 2011 the Commandos have announced the signing of: Tyler Sheehan (QB), Derrick Crawford (defensive line), Maurice Lee (WR), Corey Clarke (WR), Brandon Harrison (WR), and Peter Warrick (WR) [1] Cincinnati opened up defense of its 2010 CIFL Championship with a convincing 53–7 victory over Chicago on March 5. Cincinnati unveiled its championship banner at The Gardens that same night and gave its fans a memorable evening. Cincinnati dominated the game from start to finish jumping out to 21–0 lead and 27–7 halftime lead. Cincinnati scored just once in the third quarter before adding three more scores in the final stanza. Cincinnati was led by two quarterbacks. Starting quarterback Tyler Sheehan was 11 of 20 for 135 yards and two touchdowns. Fellow quarterback and 2010 CIFL MVP Ben Mauk was nine of 15 for 102 yards and four touchdowns. The passing was spread around to seven receivers. The top receiver was Keynes Mincy with six receptions for 64 yards and two touchdowns. Other receivers include Brandon Boehm wo had three catches for 50 yards; George Murray had four receptions for 44 yards; and Greg Moore had two catches for 35 yards. The leading rusher was Greg Moore with 24 yards on nine carries. On March 19, quarterback Tyler Sheehan broke a Commandos record, by throwing 8 touchdown passes against the Indianapolis Enforcers. The previous record had been 7, which Mauk achieved twice in the 2010 season. [2] On May 29, 2011, the Commandos completed their first ever undefeated regular season, with a 50–20 win over the Marion Blue Racers, in what was a battle for first place and home field advantage throughout the CIFL Playoffs. Once again, the season ended with the Commandos as CIFL Champions, defeating the Blue Racers 44–29.

2012

After an initial report that stated the Commandos would join the Stadius Football Association, [3] on July 11, 2011, the Commandos announced they were leaving the CIFL to join the Ultimate Indoor Football League. [4] On August 23, 2011, it was announced that Bill Back would return as head coach for a 3rd season with the Commandos [5] On July 2, 2012, the Commandos completed their third straight league championship, defeating the Florida Tarpons 62–44 in the UIFL's Ultimate Bowl II. The Commandos had won the CIFL Championship the previous two seasons. [6] [7]

2013

The Commandos left the UIFL after winning its third championship in a row. On August 3, 2012, they re-joined the CIFL. [8] In September 2012, head coach Billy Back told the Commandos that he was not returning to pursue a higher level coaching position in professional football. [9] The team named receivers coach, and former Arena Football League receiver, J.C. Baker as Back's replacement. [9] In November 2012, the Commandos announced that they would suspend operations for the 2013 season, and re-organize for their future success. [10] However, seeing as though ownership thought they could not win with anyone other than Back, the team never returned and disappeared.

Statistics

Season-by-season results

League ChampionsConference ChampionsDivision ChampionsWild Card BerthLeague Leader
Season Team League Conference Division Regular season Postseason results
FinishWinsLossesTies
2010 2010 CIFL 1st91Won CIFL semifinals (Silverbacks) 48–24
Won 2010 CIFL Championship Game (Wolfpack) 54–40
2011 2011 CIFL1st100Won CIFL semifinals (Knights) 71–13
Won 2011 CIFL Championship Game (Blue Racers) 44–29
2012 2012 UIFL Northern1st102Won UIFL semifinals (Explosion) 62–40
Won Ultimate Bowl II (Tarpons) 61–44
Totals293All-time regular season record (2010–2012)
60-All-time postseason record (2011–2012)
353All-time regular season and postseason record (2010–2012)

Head coaches' records

NameTermRegular SeasonPlayoffsAwards
WLTWin%WL
Billy Back 2010–2012 2930.90660Co-CIFL Coach of the Year (2010)
J.C. Baker 2013 Did not play

Players

Final roster

Cincinnati Commandos roster

Quarterbacks

Running backs

  • 23Derrick Moss
  • 33Andy Stuckert

Wide receivers

  • 12Brandon Boehm
  • -- Eric Hicks
  •  5Shawn McGarity
  •  3Kyenes Mincy
 

Offensive linemen

  • 79Richard Deutch
  • 80James Howard
  • 88Frank Straub

Defensive linemen

  • 99D'arrell Brown
  • 95 Terrill Byrd
  • 55Thomas Claggett
  • 51James Spikes
 Linebackers
  • 37Antwone Canady
  • 10Tony Longo
  • 37Santino Turnbow

Defensive backs

Kickers

  • currently vacant
Injured reserve
  • currently vacant

Exempt list

  • currently vacant

Practice squad

  • currently vacant

rookies in italics
Roster updated September 19, 2012
22 Active, 0 Inactive, 0 PS

Awards and honors

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

SeasonPlayerPositionAward
2010 Dominick Goodman WR Offensive Player of the Year
2010 James Spikes DL Co-Defensive Player of the Year
2010 Ben Mauk QB CIFL MVP
2010 Ben Mauk QB CIFL Championship Game MVP
2011 Tyler Sheehan QB Offensive Player of the Year
2011 Tyler Sheehan QB CIFL MVP
2011 Tyler Sheehan QB CIFL Championship Game MVP
2012 James Spikes DL UIFL North Defensive Player of the Year
2012 Derrick Moss RB 1st Team All-UIFL North
2012 Phillip Barnett WR 1st Team All-UIFL North
2012 Kyenes Mincy WR 1st Team All-UIFL North
2012 Frank Straub OL 1st Team All-UIFL North
2012 James Frazier DL 1st Team All-UIFL North
2012 James Spikes DL 1st Team All-UIFL North
2012 E. J. Underwood DB 1st Team All-UIFL North
2012 Mack OgletreeAll-Purpose1st Team All-UIFL North
2012 Tyler Sheehan QB Honorable Mention All-UIFL North
2012 Brandon Boehm WR Honorable Mention All-UIFL North
2012 Richard Bailey OL Honorable Mention All-UIFL North
2012 Richard Deutch OL Honorable Mention All-UIFL North
2012 Terrill Byrd DL Honorable Mention All-UIFL North
2012 Santino Turnbow LB Honorable Mention All-UIFL North
2012 Jeff Demary DB Honorable Mention All-UIFL North
2012 Corry Stewart DB Honorable Mention All-UIFL North

Other notable former players

Staff

Cincinnati Commandos staff
Front office
  • Co-Owner – Dennis Whitman
  • Co-Owner – Paul Napier
  • General manager – Jason Buckley
  • Director of corporate sales – Hank Reed
  • Public and community relations – All-Star PR LLC
  • Director of gameday operations – Mike Hershey
  • Assistant Director of gameday operations – Andrew Pifer
  • Equipment manager – Colin Lapp

Head coach

  • Head coach – J.C. Baker
 

Offensive coaches

  • Running Backs - Keith Brooks
  • Offensive line – Josh Newren

Defensive coaches

  • Defensive coordinator – Chris Taylor
  • Defensive line – Sean Middlebrooks
  • Linebackers –
  • Secondary – Kelly Sims

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References

  1. ↑ "Niet compatibele browser". Facebook. Retrieved 2011-03-18.
  2. ↑ cincinnaticommandos.com http://cincinnaticommandos.com/website/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=10%3Ahow-do-i-localise-joomla-to-my-language&catid=1%3Anews-archive&Itemid=54 . Retrieved 17 January 2022.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  3. ↑ SFA Press Release. "FireHawks joining new league". Wane.com. Archived from the original on 2012-03-20. Retrieved 2011-11-05.
  4. ↑ "Two-time CIFL champion Commandos joins UIFL". Theuifl.com. 2011-07-11. Archived from the original on 2011-11-19. Retrieved 2011-11-05.
  5. ↑ "Commandos re-sign Back as head coach". Theuifl.com. 2011-08-23. Archived from the original on 2011-11-19. Retrieved 2011-11-05.
  6. ↑ "Mincy accounts for nine touchdowns as Cincinnati claims title". www.uiflfootball.com. UIFL.
  7. ↑ "3-PEAT IS SWEET – COMMANDOS UIFL CHAMPS | Cincinnati Commandos". Archived from the original on 2012-10-12. Retrieved 2012-07-03.
  8. ↑ "Commandos Return Home to CIFL". www.oursportscentral.com. OurSports Central. August 3, 2012. Retrieved August 3, 2012.
  9. 1 2 "Wide Receivers Coach J.C. Baker Takes Over Command of the Commandos". www.oursportscentral.com. OurSports Central. September 5, 2012. Retrieved September 10, 2012.
  10. ↑ "Commandos Suspend Operations for 2013". www.oursportscentral.com. OurSports Central. November 6, 2012. Retrieved November 6, 2012.
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