To no one’s surprise, the Louisville Thunder would make a change after a massively disappointing 0-12 season this past year. HC Malachi Knowles would be let go from his role after just 3 seasons at the helm. Knowles helped the team to improve in his first year going from a 1-11 season to a playoff spot. However, in the last couple of seasons, the team has taken a step back from that point, going 4-20 over the last two seasons. Both OC Paul McMahon and DB Carroll Moss will follow Knowles out the door. To fill the new roles, GM Robbie Wilson would pick Indiana Victors’ OC Lou Granger for the role. Granger has shown some promise as an offensive tactician, helping QB Tom Applewhite in Indiana continue to put up strong stats. Wilson hopes Granger’s tactics will help the Thunder offence get the full use out of their star WRs Casey Coleman and Lloyd Lane. However, there are some concerns from the local media, specifically highlighting the fact that Knowles also arrived in Louisville out of the OC job in Indiana and worry about seeing more of the same.
Granger would go on to pick Thunder RB coach and former NAAF player, Johnnie Stafford to be the new OC, promoting him from his previous position. As for DC, the Thunder would pull over the GLFL’s Cincinnati Centurions DC Gregory Denman for the role. Denman’s defence in Cincinnati has been top 3 in the GLFL in the last 2 seasons, which is a key reason the Thunder targeted him this season.
LONG ISLAND RAIDERS
Long Island would see a change at coach after a pair of tough seasons. HC Kerry Holder, who has been at the helm of the Raiders since 1962, is going to be moving on from the team. Holder had a great run with the Raiders, making it to 3 of 4 McCallister Cups between 1964 and 1967, winning one title in 1965. The move appears to be a mutual decision to part ways with Holder hoping for a new and refreshing opportunity and GM/Owner Wayne Tillman looking to get back to winning after a pair of disappointing seasons. Tillman was pretty quick to find a replacement, pulling over Buffalo OC Levi Bray. Bray started his career in the NAAF with the Raiders as their OC for 6 seasons before he took the Head Coaching Job in Boston in 1967. Bray only lasted a year and a half in Boston, going 7-12 over 19 games. Bray, spent last season with Buffalo, leading the league’s highest-scoring offence and capturing a second ring. The pros with Bray are that he is a very crafty offensive coach that can put together some great offensive schemes, which is evident from last season, and the Raiders are hoping to rejuvenate the league’s worse offence. However, he does sometimes struggle with his own ego, often butting heads with star players if they don’t see eye to eye, which is what happened with QB Nathaniel Braddock in Boston. Regardless, Tillman hopes that the more brash Bray can help whip his team back into shape and get back to winning. Bray would decide to keep DC Theo Espinoza in his role but did make a change at OC letting Andrew Glover go in favour of Benny Schwartz. Schwartz worked with Bray and the Raiders back when Bray was originally with the team and returns there now after spending last season with the Washington Stars of the ACFL.
PROVIDENCE GOLD STARS
After 4 seasons with the current regime, the Gold Stars would make a change. Owner David Maxwell had tried to go for a more of a slow build and conservative approach to building a team with the hiring of Peter Brooks for the role, however, it seems that his patience has run out. While the Gold Stars faithful were excited about the hiring initially, since Brooks was a former star WR for the team, they have slowly soured on it due to a lack of improvement in the last couple of seasons. To replace Brooks, Maxwell has hired Timothy Marsh out of Haynes University. Marsh was a lead recruiter for the program at Haynes and consistently was able to bring in talent while competing with larger schools like New England and Rhode Island State. Maxwell liked Marsh’s ambition and felt he was the right hire to bring back a more aggressive front office.
With Marsh in as GM, HC Garrett Boone’s job was in jeopardy. While Marsh considered continuing with the former Rhode Island State Head Coach, he elected to make a change. He would promote DC Tommie Warner into the new role. Warner was formerly the Head Coach at Haynes University and had worked with Marsh previously, which is the main reason for the hire. Warner is also very popular among the Gold Stars' defensive core, having been a great mentor to a lot of them and developing them into great players. To fill in the now vacated DC role, Warner would bring in Arthur Holmes, also from Haynes University. Holmes was Warner’s defensive coordinator when he was at Haynes, and the two had a great relationship from that time together. Offensively, the team would also let go of Gregory Curtis and replace him with former Long Island Head Coach, Kerry Holder. Holder is regarded as a strong offensive mind with loads of experience in the NAAF, but the Raiders having the league’s lowest-scoring offence last season does create some concern heading into next season.
BUFFALO BLUE WINGS
With OC Levi Bray heading to Long Island and DC Steve Pallard heading into retirement, the Blue Wings needed a new set of coordinators. HC Maurice Evanson would bring in a familiar face for the offence in former Thunder OC Paul McMahon. McMahon has previously worked with Evanson with the Indiana Victors in the late 50s, as well as at the college level before that. McMahon does have a much more simple offensive scheme than Bray, but Evanson is confident he can help the Blue Wings continue to succeed. On defence, the Blue Wings kept it close to home, promoting D-line coach Maurice Sawyer into the role. Sawyer has been with the team for several years now and should maintain a similar defence to what Pallard had in place previously.
INDIANA VICTORS
With OC Lou Granger heading to Louisville, the Victors would decide to make it essentially a trade, hiring Louisville’s former Head Coach, Malachi Knowles, for the role. As mentioned, Knowles previously worked with the Victors as their OC in 1965 and 1966. Knowles is notable for helping QB Lyle Painter earn MVP in 1965 and then helping QB Tom Applewhite breakout into the team’s star QB the next year. HC Urick Wilkins is hoping for more of the same from the coach as he returns to Indy.
OVERVIEW
Buffalo
OUT
OC Levi Bray - Hired LI
DC Steve Pallard - Retirement
IN
OC Paul McMahon - From LOU OC
DC Maurice Sawyer - From BUF DL Coach
Indiana
OUT
OC Lou Granger - Hired LOU
IN
OC Malachi Knowles - From LOU HC
Long Island
OUT
HC Kerry Holder - Not Extended
OC Andrew Glover - Fired
IN
HC Levi Bray - From BUF OC
OC Benny Schwartz - From ACFL WSH OC
Louisville
OUT
HC Malachi Knowles - Fired
OC Paul McMahon - Fired
DC Carroll Moss - Fired
IN
HC Lou Granger - From IND OC
OC Johnnie Stafford - From LOU RB Coach
DC Gregory Denman - From GLFL CIN DC
Providence
OUT
GM Peter Brooks - Fired
HC Garrett Boone - Fired
OC Gregory Curtis - Fired
IN
GM Timothy Marsh - From Haynes Head of Recruitment
HC Tommie Warner - From PRO DC
OC Kerry Holder - From LI HC
DC Arthur Holmes - From Haynes DC
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