Nashville Venom

Last updated
Nashville Venom
Established 2013
Folded 2015
Played in Nashville Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee
NashvilleVenom.png
League/conference affiliations
Professional Indoor Football League (2014–2015)
  • American Conference (2014)
Current uniform
Team colorsGreen, Silver, Black, White
    
MascotFreddie Fangs
CheerleadersSnake Charmers
Personnel
Owner(s)Jeff Knight
Terry Burns
General managerBilly Back
Head coachBilly Back
Team history
  • Nashville Venom (2014–2015)
Championships
League championships (1)
  • 2014
Conference championships (1)
  • 2014
Division championships (0)
Playoff appearances (2)
  • 2014, 2015
Home arena(s)

The Nashville Venom were a professional indoor football team, one of eight franchises of the Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL). [1] Based in Nashville, Tennessee, the Venom were members of the American Conference. The team began play in 2014 as an expansion team. The team played at Nashville Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, which opened in 1962.

Contents

The Venom were the second indoor/arena football team to call Nashville home, and the first since the Arena Football League's Nashville Kats (1997–2001 and 2005–07).

After two seasons and the folding of the PIFL, the Venom ceased operations in 2015.

Franchise history

2014

In November, 2012, it was announced that the Venom would be the eighth and final expansion team of the Professional Indoor Football League for the 2014 season. [2] A few days after being introduced it was announced by Managing Partner Jeff Knight that Billy Back would be the first coach in Venom history. [3] The Venom began their inaugural season on March 29, 2014, in Huntsville, Alabama against the Alabama Hammers. Their first home game was on April 5, against the Harrisburg Stampede. [4] The Venom finished the regular season 10-2, the best record in the league, and won the American Conference regular season title. Their nine All-PIFL selected players were the most of any team. [5] In the American Conference Championship Game, the Venom defeated the Columbus Lions 44-39 to advance to PIFL Cup III. [6] On July 12, 2014, the Venom won their first PIFL Cup Championship, defeating the Lehigh Valley Steelhawks 64-43. [7]

2015

Following the 2015 PIFL season, the league folded and the franchise folded soon afterward.

Players of note

Final roster

Nashville Venom roster
Quarterbacks.
  •  1Charles McCullum

Running backs

  • Vacant

Wide receivers

  • 14Darrell Holmes
  •  4Jordan Jolly
  •  5George Murray
  •  3Dontel Watkins
Offensive linemen
  • 99Stanlee Bradley
  • 55Jeremy Buchanan
  • 72Anthony Jackson]
  • 61Harry John
  • 71Jordan Mosley
  • 85B. J. Taylor
  • --Garrison Ushery

Defensive linemen

  •  8Brian Ellis
  • 90Joseph Dienye
  •  7James Frazier
  • 77Walter Thomas
Linebackers
  • 11Douglas Rippy
  •  6Amius Smith
  • 33Steven Turner

Defensive backs

  •  2Jamie Graham
  • 16Will Johnso
  • 19C. J. Jones
  • 24Jihad Morris
  • 20Corry Stewart
  •  9 Kenny Veal
  • 21Kenny Walton
  • 18Mike Whittaker

Kickers

  • 38Christian Reed
Reserve lists
  • 10 Phillip Barnett WR (Exempt)
  • -- Clay Belton QR (Exempt)
  • 61Harris Bivin OL (Left Squad)
  • 12 Zach Ducker QB/WR (IR Tooltip Injured reserve) Injury icon 2.svg
  • --Terrence McCrae WR (Did not report)
  • -- Mon Williams LB (Left Squad)
  • rookies in italics
  • Roster updated June 9, 2015
  • 28 Active, 6 Inactive

→ More rosters

Awards and honors

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

SeasonPlayerPositionAward
2014 Phillip Barnett WR Offensive Player of the Year

All-League players

The following Venom players have been named to All-League Teams:

Head coaches

NameTermRegular seasonPlayoffsAwards
WLTWin%WL
Billy Back2014–20151760.73921PIFL Coach of the Year (2014)

Coaching staff

Nashville Venom staff
Front office
  • Owner – Jeff Knight
  • Owner – Terry Burns
  • General manager – Billy Back
  • Vice President of Public Relations - Clay Edwards
  • Assistant General Manager/Director of gameday operations – Tyler Bryant

Head coach

  • Head coach/offensive coordinator – Billy Back
 Offensive coaches
  • Fullbacks - Leslie Woodard
  • Wide receivers – Tim Medlin
  • Offensive line – James Jenkins
  • Offensive assistant – Cody Ross

Defensive coaches

  • Defensive coordinator – Terrance Quattlebaum
  • Special defensive assistant – Chris Taylor
  • Defensive Line - Tramont Lawless
  • Secondary – Cromwell Stewart

Season-by-season results

League ChampionsConference ChampionsDivision ChampionsWild Card BerthLeague Leader
Season Team League Conference Division Regular season Postseason results
FinishWinsLossesTies
2014 2014 PIFLAmerican1st1020Won American Conference Championship 44–39 vs. Columbus
Won PIFL Cup III 64–34 vs. Lehigh Valley
2015 2015 PIFL3rd740Lost Semi-Finals 35–54 vs. Richmond
Totals1760All-time regular season record (2014–2015)
21—All-time postseason record (2014–2015)
1970All-time regular season and postseason record (2014–2015)

* Season currently in progress

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References

  1. ↑ Hester, Matthew. "PIFL Sinks Their Fangs Into Nashville." Archived 2013-11-11 at the Wayback Machine Professional Indoor Football League. November 11, 2013. Retrieved November 11, 2013.
  2. ↑ J. R. Lind (November 9, 2013). "Indoor football set to return to Nashville". www.nashvillepost.com. SouthComm Inc. Retrieved December 30, 2013.
  3. ↑ Audra Martin (November 12, 2013). "Indoor football returns to Nashville". www.wkrn.com. WorldNow and WKRN. Retrieved December 30, 2013.
  4. ↑ "2014 Regular Season Schedule." Archived 2014-12-11 at the Wayback Machine Nashville Venom. 2013. Retrieved on November 11, 2013.
  5. ↑ "2014 All-PIFL Teams Announced". www.oursportscentral.com. OurSports Central. July 7, 2014. Retrieved July 14, 2014.
  6. ↑ Lauren Moore. "Nashville Venom advance to PIFL title game". www.tennessean.com. The Tennessean. Retrieved July 7, 2014.
  7. ↑ Lauren Moore (July 13, 2014). "Nashville Venom win first indoor football title". www.tennessean.com. The Tennessean. Retrieved July 14, 2014.
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