Les Moss (American football)

Last updated

Les Moss
Bay Area Panthers
Position:Assistant Head coach
Career information
High school: Poca (WV)
College: UCF
Career history
As a coach:
Career highlights and awards
Head coaching record
Regular season:70–50 (.583)
Postseason:7–4 (.636)
Career:77–54 (.588)

Les Moss is an American football coach and current assistant head coach of the Bay Area Panthers in the Indoor Football League (IFL). He was the head coach of the Jacksonville Sharks of the Arena Football League (AFL) from 2010 to 2016 and the assistant head coach of the Albany Empire of the AFL from 2018 to 2019. He was the head coach of the IFL's Iowa Barnstormers for the 2021 season and the head coach of the IFL's Northern Arizona Wranglers from 2022 to 2024. He is the son of former NFL, AFL, CFL and NCAA head football coach Perry Moss, who is enshrined in the AFL Hall of Fame.

Contents

Early life

Moss grew up in Lexington, Kentucky, until he was in eighth grade when his family moved to Poca, West Virginia, where he attended Poca High School. He was a member of the football team playing offensive end. [1]

Professional career

Moss was head coach of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers of Af2, where he was Coach of the year. In 2010, Moss was named AFL Coach of the Year after compiling a 12–4 record with the Jacksonville Sharks in their inaugural season. [2] On October 4, 2012, The Sharks announced that Moss had been re-signed through the 2014 season. [3] He was fired by the Sharks on July 18, 2016, after a 5–9 start to the season. [4] He was tight ends coach for the XFL's Orlando Rage.

On November 28, 2017, Moss was named the assistant head coach of the AFL 2018 expansion team, the Albany Empire. [5] He was with the Empire in their 2019 season when they won ArenaBowl XXXII. The entire league ceased operations after that season.

In 2021, he was named the head coach of the Iowa Barnstormers of the Indoor Football League. [6] The Barnstormers finished 6–6 and were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. Moss was released in September 2021. [7] He was then hired by the IFL's Northern Arizona Wranglers as head coach for the 2022 season. [8] In his first season as head coach, Moss would lead the Wranglers to a remarkable turnaround, a 12–4 record and clinching a playoff berth, just one season after the team went 1–13 in its inaugural season. The Wranglers would go on to win the 2022 IFL National Championship, defeating the Quad City Steamwheelers 47–45. [9]

On September 9, 2024, Moss was named Assistant Head Coach of the Bay Area Panthers. [10]

AFL head coaching record

TeamYearRegular seasonPostseason
WonLostWin %FinishWonLostWin %Result
JAX 2010 124.7501st in AC South01.000Lost to Orlando Predators in AC First Round
JAX 2011 144.7781st in AC South301.000 ArenaBowl XXIV Champions
JAX 2012 108.5561st in AC South11.500Lost to Philadelphia Soul in AC Championship
JAX 2013 126.6671st in AC South11.500Lost to Philadelphia Soul in AC Championship
JAX 2014 711.3893rd in AC South––––
JAX 2015 108.5562nd in AC South21.666Lost to San Jose Sabercats in ArenaBowl XXVIII
JAX 2016 59.357Fired––––
Total [11] 7050.58374.636

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References

  1. ↑ Stevens, Rich (August 21, 2011). "Poca's Les Moss knows how to win". Charleston Daily Mail . Archived from the original on January 21, 2013. Retrieved October 5, 2012.
  2. ↑ "Les Moss: Coach of the Year 2010". www.arenafootball.com. Arena Football League. November 1, 2010. Archived from the original on January 6, 2012. Retrieved October 5, 2012.
  3. ↑ Coble, Don (October 4, 2012). "Jacksonville Sharks Coach Les Moss receives two-year extension". The Florida Times-Union. Retrieved October 5, 2012.
  4. ↑ "Jacksonville Sharks fire Les Moss, only coach in franchise's history". jacksonville.com. July 18, 2016. Archived from the original on July 18, 2016. Retrieved July 18, 2016.
  5. ↑ "Albany AFL Names Les Moss as Assistant Head Coach". arenafan.com. November 28, 2017. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
  6. ↑ "Barnstormers Name Les Moss as Head Coach". OurSports Central. April 5, 2021.
  7. ↑ "Iowa Barnstormers Part Ways with Head Coach". OurSports Central. September 17, 2021.
  8. ↑ "Northern Arizona Wranglers Name Les Moss Head Coach". OurSports Central. October 5, 2021.
  9. ↑ "Northern Arizona Wranglers Win 2022 IFL National Championship". Indoor Football League. August 15, 2022.
  10. ↑ "Panthers Name Les Moss as Assistant Head Coach". Bay Area Panthers. September 9, 2024.
  11. ↑ "Les Moss Coaching Record". ArenaFan.com. Retrieved July 7, 2014.
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