Tom Goodhines, the new addition to laavengers.com, writes a weekly column that focuses in on the American Conference.  He is an Arena Football expert and historian.  Goodhines has followed the League since its inception in 1987 and been a member of the media, league office or an executive with a team for more than 12 years.  His resume also includes more than 10 years of radio broadcasting experience and five years as a sports editor.  In addition, Goodhines has a weekly radio show on 88.3 FM WZRD in Chicago every Friday afternoon.


By Tom Goodhines
laavengers.com

AVENGERS COACHING SEARCH SHOULD BE INTERESTING

With the regular season over and postseason ready to kickoff, the Los Angeles Avengers find that their focus shifts to finding a new head coach for 2009.

Expect from the Avengers to move quickly.  The Columbus Destroyers are also in the market for a new head coach and Avengers owner CASEY WASSSERMAN is not one to sit and wait.

First, here’s a list of available candidates or current assistants that might be on the Avengers list:

1.    PAT SPERDUTO – The former Nashville Kats head coach is a winner.  He is a former lineman in the AFL and is known as one of the best defensive-minded coaches in the game.  He led his team to two straight ArenaBowl appearances (2000 and 2001) and has championship rings from his playing days with the Tampa Bay Storm.  The Avengers might want to go with a defensive-minded coach which would be a change in direction from the Hodgkiss era.  Sperduto is an intense, passionate, no-nonsense coach that gets results.

2.    PAT O’HARA – The former USC and AFL quarterback has been an assistant under TIM MARCUM in Tampa Bay for the last three years as offensive coordinator.  He also has three ArenaBowl rings and played in five ArenaBowls.  He was high on many team’s interview wish lists last season, but remained with the Storm in 2008.  The Southern California native is a great offensive mind and a rising star in the AFL coaching ranks.  O’Hara would be a good fit as he has all the makings of a great head coach.

3.    TERRY MALLEY – San Jose’s long-time offensive coordinator is the best in the game over the last six-year spam.  It’s hard to argue with three championship rings.  One of his many strengths is player personnel.  The SaberCats continue to find talent year after year and a large part of that is because of Malley.  Teamed with DARREN ARBET, the two have created an AFL dynasty in the Bay Area.  Malley has strong ties to Northern California area, but if there was one team that could lure him away, it’s the Avengers.

4.    BRIAN SCHWARTZE – Made the interview rounds last season and is ready to get his first head coaching shot.  Rumor has it that Columbus is high on him as well.  He has spent the last five seasons with the Chicago Rush and helped make them one of the elite teams in the AFL.  He wears many hats (assistant head coach and vice president of football operations) in addition to leading one of the league’s best secondaries as the defensive backs coach.

5.    RON JAMES – Solid football guy with AFL head coaching experience.  Known as one of the better line coaches in the League, James is the main reason why the Utah Blaze turned things around in the second half of the 2008 season after adding defensive coordinator duties to his line responsibilities.  He is a very good player personnel guy and has helped recruit and groom some very good young talent (2008 First-Team All-Arena WR HUEY WHITTAKER and All-Rookie DL MAURICE FOUNTAIN.)

If the Avengers look to pry away a head coach from an existing team, the first two that I would try to get would be Georgia’s DOUG PLANK or Chicago’s MIKE HOHENSEE.  The Colorado Crush traded players to Indiana back in 2003 for the right to sign MIKE DAILEY to a deal.  Dailey would later lead the Crush to a championship in 2005.

Plank and Hohensee are the best in the business.  Both are very detail oriented and are the best motivators in the game.  The Avengers might consider giving those franchises a call to work a Dailey-type deal before moving forward with interviews.

Others to watch would include: WILL MCCLAY, MIKE NEU, BOB KRONENBERG, or SHERDRICK BONNER. 

McClay’s regular season record over the last three seasons (40-8) would land him on anybody’s wish list.  He is an excellent recruiter and talent evaluator.  He also has three ArenaBowl championship rings from his playing days as a wide receiver/defensive back with the Detroit Drive. 

Neu, who is a former AFL quarterback, was the 2004 Coach of the Year and has established New Orleans as one of the top franchises in the league.  Neu took over the Carolina Cobras and made them a playoff contender and was targeted by the New Orleans Saints as soon as they were ready to launch the VooDoo.

Kronenberg leds one of the AFL’s top defensive lines in Georgia and is being groomed to replace Plank down the road.  He is a fiery, young coach that will have head coaching in his future.  His stock could rise if the Avengers decide that defense is the direction they would like to head.

Bonner hasn’t officially retired, but his future is clearly in coaching.  I don’t see him as a head coaching candidate yet, but if the Avengers go with a defensive coach, the former Cal-State Northridge star should be a solid candidate for the offensive coordinator spot.


AMERICAN CONFERENCE WILD CARD PLAYOFF GAMES

Each week, we’ll look at the key matchups in the American Conference playoffs. Here’s how they look this week:

NO. 6 GRAND RAPIDS RAMPAGE (6-10) at NO. 3 ARIZONA RATTLERS (8-8) – Can the Rampage secondary slow down WR SIAHA BURLEY and TRANDON HARVEY?  The 2007 Offensive Player of the Year led the Rattlers in receptions (114) and receiving touchdowns (33), while Harvey led the team in all-purpose yards (2,447) and receiving yards (1,446).  The Rampage offense has been impressive down the stretch as well.  2008 Second Team All-Arena WR KENNY HIGGINS (112 receptions, 1,552 yards and 34 TDs) has been the go-to receiver while leading the American Conference in scoring (246 points).  WR COLE MAGNER (69 catches and 12 TDs in just 10 games) will see his role increase.  How well QB JAMES MACPHERSON (3,944 passing yards, 87 TDs and 16 INTs in 2008) plays will be the key for the Rampage offense.  Defensively, Grand Rapids’ All-Ironman WR/LB JERMAINE LEWIS and Arizona All-Ironman OL/DL WENDALL GAINES play big roles in order for their respective teams to win. 

NO. 5 COLORADO CRUSH (6-10) at NO. 4 UTAH BLAZE (6-10) – The Blaze are 3-0 all-time against the Crush.  Second Team All-Arena QB JOE GERMAINE (4,859 passing yards, 97 TDs and 13 INTs) has been extremely consistent all season long.  Colorado DBs RASHAD FLOYD (117.5 total tackles and 9 INTs) might want to prove something after being left off the All-Arena teams.  Germaine will have to avoid First Team All-Arena DL AARON MCCONNELL (9.0 sacks). First Team All-Arena First Team WR HUEY WHITTAKER had a breakout season (126 receptions for 1,541 yards and 40 total touchdowns.)  Combined with WR AARON BOONE and J.J. MCKELVEY – the trio allowed the Blaze to become the first team in the AFL to have three receivers attain 1,500-plus receiving yards, 100-plus receptions and 20-plus touchdown receptions in the regular season. The Crush have a dynamic duo in WRs BEN NELSON (126 receptions, 1,358 yards and 30 TDs) and WILLIE QUINNIE (123, 1,256 and 30).  Former  Avenger EDDIE CANONICO (combined 115.5 total tackles and 4 INTs) will key for the Blaze, while QB JOHN DUTTON (4,547 passing yards, 94 TDs and 17 INTs) will need to have a good game for the Crush.  The former ArenaBowl MVP has 752 passing yards, 9 touchdowns and 6 interceptions while going 0-3 against the Blaze all-time.