Post by David on Sept 16, 2022 10:44:33 GMT -8
(Image Credit: Silicon Valley Business Journal)
9.16.22
San Jose, CA - A familiar face with ties to San Jose's arena/indoor football history is making his return.
Arena Football Hall of Fame head coach Coach Darren Arbet was named by the Bay Area Panthers as its new head coach on Friday.
A long-time fixture in the San Jose sports market, Arbet returns to the Capital of Silicon Valley after a seven-year hiatus from arena/indoor football. Arbet spent fifteen seasons as the head coach of the Arena Football League's San Jose SaberCats, amassing a 169-73 regular season record and 19-9 postseason record with five ArenaBowl appearances, winning four (2002, 2004, 2007, 2015).
"I'm really excited about coming back and coach in that arena and in San Jose," Arbet said in the team's press release. "The fans were great to me and there's another opportunity to pay them back--hopefully win some games."
The Panthers hope Arbet can turn the struggling franchise around. Arbet replaces Kurt Bryan after a tough 1-15 campaign which saw the Panthers win its inaugural game debut over the San Diego Strike Force before losing fifteen straight.
"The message from his hire means the Panthers are serious about winning a championship," said majority owner Roy Choi. "I'm excited for him because I know he loves the game and he loves coaching. He loves developing players and connecting with the fans."
Arbet brings a resume of success with him; he amassed winning records in 14 of his 16 as the SaberCats head coach and only missing the playoffs twice. In addition to four ArenaBowl Championships, he was a two-time AFL Coach of the Year (2000, 2002). Over his career in San Jose, he would also earn the team's General Manager role and eventual ownership stake in the franchise. He last coached arena/indoor football in 2015, when his SaberCats set a franchise best 17-1 record and defeated the Jacksonville Sharks in ArenaBowl XXVIII. His tenure as head coach ended three months later when the SaberCats ceased football operations.
Bay Area hopes that winning success can carry over and spark a turnaround to a championship, much like how the Northern Arizona Wranglers approached the 2022 season hiring Les Moss as head coach after the Wranglers went 1-13 in its inaugural season.
A key coach from that 2022 Championship team will also join Arbet's coaching staff, as the Panthers also announced the hiring of Rob Keefe. Keefe, the defensive coordinator of the Wranglers, will look to stabilize a defensive unit that ranked last in the IFL in total defense (14 of 14), total touchdowns given up (122), total points (874) and average points per game given up (54.6).
"He's one of the best in indoor history on the defensive side of the ball," said Arbet. "I feel I'll learn a lot from him. He's won two ArenaBowls as a head coach and just won the championship this year as an assistant coach and defensive coordinator. I can't tell you how excited I am about working with him."
The hiring of Arbet caps off a eventful week of coaching hires for the IFL, as the expansion Tulsa Oilers announced that former Omaha Beef HC Marvin Jones will lead the expansion franchise next season.
The 2023 Indoor Football League season has already begun, as the league announced that the Free Agency period has opened. The 2023 schedule, usually released around late fall/early winter, has yet to be released. The 2023 Season is expected to open in March 2023.
- DKH
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