Austin Wranglers
Encyclopedia
The Austin Wranglers were an arena football
team based in Austin, Texas
. They played four seasons in the Arena Football League
from 2004 to 2007 and spent one season in AF2
, the AFL's developmental league, in 2008. They made playoff appearances in the AFL in 2006 and in AF2 in 2008. They played their home games at the Frank Erwin Center
at the University of Texas at Austin
.
as an expansion team
in the Arena Football League
. they have built a franchise this offseson. . The franchise is not to be confused with another Arena Football team called the Oklahoma Wranglers
, who played the 2000
and 2001
seasons in Oklahoma City.
In 2004, the Wranglers accumulated an 8-8 record with such notables as quarterback John Kaleo
, Charlie Davidson, and Darryl Hammond
leading the Wrangler's respectable offensive campaign. The Wranglers however were unable to qualify for the playoffs, after stumbling to 3 losses to close out the season.
The 2004 off-season was relatively quiet; signings included former All-Rookie teamer OL/DL Bryan Henderson, OS Ira Gooch, and QB John Fitzgerald. Departed was former starting quarterback John Kaleo, traded to the Los Avengers for cash and future considerations.
The original mascot for the Austin Wranglers was named Blaze, who was a horse, and in 2005 he was joined by a cowboy - Red Eye (whose eyes glowed red). Due to the expansion team in Utah, the Blaze, the Austin Wranglers changed the name of their mascot to avoid confusion, so the final mascot had a "wilder" appearance than before and went by the name "Trigger".
The training camp which ensued was headlined by the competition between free agent pick up John Fitzgerald
, fresh off leading the expansion VooDoo to the playoffs, against 2004 back-up Bobby Pesavento. Pesavento would ultimately defeat Fitzgerald for the starting job though Fitzgerald would take over four games into the season.
John Fitzgerald remained one of the only bright spots on a depleted team, as the Wrangler's finished 2005 with a 6-10 record.
Realizing the past failures in 2004 and 2005, the Wranglers management had an active off-season. Team presidents Doug MacGregor and Glyn Milburn both made important re-signings and signings, including Sedrick Robinson, AFL all time leading tackler Damon Mason, Donvetis Franklin, Donovan Arp, Derrick Lewis, Chance Mock
, and Marcus McKenzie.
On Wednesday, April 26, 2006, Deion Sanders
, the multi-talented athlete who retired from playing in the NFL
, became one of the franchise's owners.
On May 7, 2006, the Wranglers clinched their first ever playoff berth with a win over the Grand Rapids Rampage
. Unfortunately the Wranglers were eliminated from the playoffs after losing to the Philadelphia Soul
in the first round of the wild card playoffs.
Shortly after the end of the Wranglers' season, team owner Doug MacGregor announced the firing of Skip Foster, after leading the Wranglers to a franchise best 10-6 season. This shocking move led to many to speculate what the Wrangler's intentions were for the future.
After a month full of searching for the future head coach of the Wranglers, Austin announced on June 29, 2006, former offensive coordinator of the Colorado Crush, Brian Partlow, would lead the Wranglers in 2007. During his three seasons as offensive coordinator with the Crush, Partlow established a respected offense in the AFL, in which managed to win one Arena Bowl. Along with this success, Partlow coached offensive specialist Damian Harrell to two consecutive offensive player of the year seasons, while establishing John Dutton, cover boy of EA Sport's Arena Football, as one of the most feared quarterbacks in the league.
On September 15, 2006, the Arena Football League sent shockwaves through its fanbase announcing the implementation of free-substitution, substantially eliminating any remains of the AFL's highly regarded reputation of Ironman football. Previously teams were restricted one substitution per quarter, forcing wide receivers, defensive backs, offensive and defensive linemen to play both sides of the ball. It was highly believed teams would take advantage of this change, in increasing signings of former NFL and NFL Europe
players rather than searching for existing talent already in the AFL. A month later in October, the Wranglers quickly proved this theory.
After a relatively quiet opening to the free agency period with the signing of former Georgia Force defensive specialist Nate Coggins
, the Wranglers took advantage of the AFL's free-substitution rule, signing of a rather large batch of rookies lacking experience in the arena game including former Texas Longhorn Mike Williams. In addition, the Wranglers signed 2004 AFL Rookie of the Year and former Florida State Seminoles quarterback Adrian McPherson
.
Following training camp 2007, the Wranglers roster was set as seven rookies made the cut (nearly a fourth of the team), while Adrian McPherson
, Nate Coggins
, Anthony Hines, and Chad Dukes were the lone AFL veteran free agent pick ups making the squad. The rest of the roster remained the core nucleus of the Wrangler's playoff run in 2006, including starting defensive specialist Damon Mason
and stand out wide receiver Derrick Lewis
.
The 2007 season, which would end up being the Wrangler's last in the AFL, served largely as a disappointment. Highly touted free agent pick up Adrian McPherson
failed to live up to high expectations and was cut midway through the season, while the defense was among the league's worst, ranking 18th and 17th in defensive passing and receiving respectively. Fans speculate whether the loss of former defensive coordinator Jon Norris may have attributed to the Wrangler's defensive struggles in 2007.
On October 12, 2007, the team announced that they were moving from the AFL to the af2
after much speculation. The ownership had made the decision due to financial difficulties, some rumoring the Wrangler's had lost over 4 million in 2007. In addition the decision was lubricated by the fact Doug MacGregor had purchased four expansion teams in the af2 in 2007, including the Corpus Christi Sharks
and the Lubbock Renegades
.
A new era of Wrangler's football began on October 22, 2007 with the signing of AFL Hall of Famer Ben Bennett as head coach of the Wranglers. In addition to an impressive resume as quarterback in college and the arena league, Bennett had coached the Florida Firecats to an ArenaCup
title in 2004, and had accumulated a 56-33 record with the Manchester Wolves
from 2005-2007.
Despite dropping to af2 and considering playing in Cedar Park Entertainment Center to cut costs, success did not follow the Wranglers to af2 while financial difficulties continued to plague the team. Ownership announced in September 2008 that the franchise would cease operations and not appear in 2009.
As far as television, all Wrangler games were seen on the af2's online television service af2TV.
Arena football
Arena football is a variety of gridiron football played by the Arena Football League . It is a proprietary game, the rights to which are owned by Gridiron Enterprises, and is played indoors on a smaller field than American or Canadian outdoor football, resulting in a faster and higher-scoring game....
team based in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
. They played four seasons in the Arena Football League
Arena Football League
The Arena Football League is the highest level of professional indoor American football in the United States. It is currently the second longest running professional football league in the United States, after the National Football League. It was founded in 1987 by Jim Foster...
from 2004 to 2007 and spent one season in AF2
AF2
AF2 was the name of the Arena Football League's developmental league; it was founded in 1999 and played its first season in 2000. Like parent AFL, the AF2 played using the same arena football rules and style of play. League seasons ran from April through July with the postseason and ArenaCup...
, the AFL's developmental league, in 2008. They made playoff appearances in the AFL in 2006 and in AF2 in 2008. They played their home games at the Frank Erwin Center
Frank Erwin Center
Frank C. Erwin, Jr. Special Events Center, commonly known as Frank Erwin Center or UT Erwin Center, is a multi-purpose arena on the campus of The University of Texas at Austin...
at the University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
.
History
The Wranglers began play in February 20042004 in sports
2004 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-American football:* College football Bowl Championship Series :**January 1 – Rose Bowl – USC 28, Michigan 14...
as an expansion team
Expansion team
An expansion team is a brand new team in a sports league. The term is most commonly used in reference to the North American major professional sports leagues, but is applied to sports leagues worldwide that use a closed franchise system of league membership. The term comes from the expansion of the...
in the Arena Football League
Arena Football League
The Arena Football League is the highest level of professional indoor American football in the United States. It is currently the second longest running professional football league in the United States, after the National Football League. It was founded in 1987 by Jim Foster...
. they have built a franchise this offseson. . The franchise is not to be confused with another Arena Football team called the Oklahoma Wranglers
Oklahoma Wranglers
The Oklahoma Wranglers was the final name of a team in the Arena Football League that had previously played as the Memphis Pharaohs and Portland Forest Dragons...
, who played the 2000
2000 in sports
2000 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup** Men's overall season champion: Hermann Maier, Austria** Women's overall season champion: Renate Götschl, Austria-American football:...
and 2001
2001 in sports
2001 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup** Men's overall season champion: Hermann Maier, Austria** Women's overall season champion: Janica Kostelić, Croatia-American football:...
seasons in Oklahoma City.
In 2004, the Wranglers accumulated an 8-8 record with such notables as quarterback John Kaleo
John Kaleo
John Kaleo is a retired American football quarterback in the Arena Football League for the Albany Firebirds , Cleveland Thunderbolts , St...
, Charlie Davidson, and Darryl Hammond
Darryl Hammond
Darryl Hammond is a retired arena football Wide receiver / Defensive back in the Arena Football League....
leading the Wrangler's respectable offensive campaign. The Wranglers however were unable to qualify for the playoffs, after stumbling to 3 losses to close out the season.
The 2004 off-season was relatively quiet; signings included former All-Rookie teamer OL/DL Bryan Henderson, OS Ira Gooch, and QB John Fitzgerald. Departed was former starting quarterback John Kaleo, traded to the Los Avengers for cash and future considerations.
The original mascot for the Austin Wranglers was named Blaze, who was a horse, and in 2005 he was joined by a cowboy - Red Eye (whose eyes glowed red). Due to the expansion team in Utah, the Blaze, the Austin Wranglers changed the name of their mascot to avoid confusion, so the final mascot had a "wilder" appearance than before and went by the name "Trigger".
The training camp which ensued was headlined by the competition between free agent pick up John Fitzgerald
John Fitzgerald (quarterback)
John Fitzgerald is an American football quarterback. He most recently played for the Kansas City Brigade of the Arena Football League. He was previously the head coach of af2's Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz where he compiled a 7-9 record in his one season.At Tulsa University, Fitzgerald finished as...
, fresh off leading the expansion VooDoo to the playoffs, against 2004 back-up Bobby Pesavento. Pesavento would ultimately defeat Fitzgerald for the starting job though Fitzgerald would take over four games into the season.
John Fitzgerald remained one of the only bright spots on a depleted team, as the Wrangler's finished 2005 with a 6-10 record.
Realizing the past failures in 2004 and 2005, the Wranglers management had an active off-season. Team presidents Doug MacGregor and Glyn Milburn both made important re-signings and signings, including Sedrick Robinson, AFL all time leading tackler Damon Mason, Donvetis Franklin, Donovan Arp, Derrick Lewis, Chance Mock
Chance Mock
Chance Mock is a former American football quarterback who played college football for the University of Texas and played professionally for the Austin Wranglers in the Arena Football League...
, and Marcus McKenzie.
On Wednesday, April 26, 2006, Deion Sanders
Deion Sanders
Deion Luwynn Sanders , nicknamed "Prime Time" and "Neon Deion", is a former National Football League cornerback and Major League Baseball outfielder who currently works as an NFL Network analyst...
, the multi-talented athlete who retired from playing in the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
, became one of the franchise's owners.
On May 7, 2006, the Wranglers clinched their first ever playoff berth with a win over the Grand Rapids Rampage
Grand Rapids Rampage
The Grand Rapids Rampage was an Arena Football League team that began playing as a 1998 expansion team. They were coached by Steve Thonn.-History:...
. Unfortunately the Wranglers were eliminated from the playoffs after losing to the Philadelphia Soul
Philadelphia Soul
The Philadelphia Soul are an Arena Football League team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They began play in as an expansion team. The team plays in the Eastern Division of the American Conference. They won their first ArenaBowl in 2008, defeating the San Jose SaberCats 59–56 in ArenaBowl XXII...
in the first round of the wild card playoffs.
Shortly after the end of the Wranglers' season, team owner Doug MacGregor announced the firing of Skip Foster, after leading the Wranglers to a franchise best 10-6 season. This shocking move led to many to speculate what the Wrangler's intentions were for the future.
After a month full of searching for the future head coach of the Wranglers, Austin announced on June 29, 2006, former offensive coordinator of the Colorado Crush, Brian Partlow, would lead the Wranglers in 2007. During his three seasons as offensive coordinator with the Crush, Partlow established a respected offense in the AFL, in which managed to win one Arena Bowl. Along with this success, Partlow coached offensive specialist Damian Harrell to two consecutive offensive player of the year seasons, while establishing John Dutton, cover boy of EA Sport's Arena Football, as one of the most feared quarterbacks in the league.
On September 15, 2006, the Arena Football League sent shockwaves through its fanbase announcing the implementation of free-substitution, substantially eliminating any remains of the AFL's highly regarded reputation of Ironman football. Previously teams were restricted one substitution per quarter, forcing wide receivers, defensive backs, offensive and defensive linemen to play both sides of the ball. It was highly believed teams would take advantage of this change, in increasing signings of former NFL and NFL Europe
NFL Europe
NFL Europe was an American football league which operated in Europe from 1991 until 2007. Backed by the National Football League , the largest professional American football league in the United States, it was founded as the World League of American Football to serve as a type of spring league...
players rather than searching for existing talent already in the AFL. A month later in October, the Wranglers quickly proved this theory.
After a relatively quiet opening to the free agency period with the signing of former Georgia Force defensive specialist Nate Coggins
Nate Coggins
Nate Coggins is a former Arena Football League defensive specialist. He played for the Georgia Force , the Austin Wranglers and is playing the 2008 season with the Columbus Destroyers.-High school years:...
, the Wranglers took advantage of the AFL's free-substitution rule, signing of a rather large batch of rookies lacking experience in the arena game including former Texas Longhorn Mike Williams. In addition, the Wranglers signed 2004 AFL Rookie of the Year and former Florida State Seminoles quarterback Adrian McPherson
Adrian McPherson
Adrian Jamal McPherson is a quarterback for the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the fifth round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
.
Following training camp 2007, the Wranglers roster was set as seven rookies made the cut (nearly a fourth of the team), while Adrian McPherson
Adrian McPherson
Adrian Jamal McPherson is a quarterback for the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the fifth round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
, Nate Coggins
Nate Coggins
Nate Coggins is a former Arena Football League defensive specialist. He played for the Georgia Force , the Austin Wranglers and is playing the 2008 season with the Columbus Destroyers.-High school years:...
, Anthony Hines, and Chad Dukes were the lone AFL veteran free agent pick ups making the squad. The rest of the roster remained the core nucleus of the Wrangler's playoff run in 2006, including starting defensive specialist Damon Mason
Damon Mason
Damon Mason is an American football defensive back for the New Orleans VooDoo of the Arena Football League. He played college football at Louisiana-Lafayette....
and stand out wide receiver Derrick Lewis
Derrick Lewis
Derrick Lewis is an American football wide receiver that plays for the Orlando Predators of the Arena Football League...
.
The 2007 season, which would end up being the Wrangler's last in the AFL, served largely as a disappointment. Highly touted free agent pick up Adrian McPherson
Adrian McPherson
Adrian Jamal McPherson is a quarterback for the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the fifth round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
failed to live up to high expectations and was cut midway through the season, while the defense was among the league's worst, ranking 18th and 17th in defensive passing and receiving respectively. Fans speculate whether the loss of former defensive coordinator Jon Norris may have attributed to the Wrangler's defensive struggles in 2007.
On October 12, 2007, the team announced that they were moving from the AFL to the af2
Af2
AF2 was the name of the Arena Football League's developmental league; it was founded in 1999 and played its first season in 2000. Like parent AFL, the AF2 played using the same arena football rules and style of play. League seasons ran from April through July with the postseason and ArenaCup...
after much speculation. The ownership had made the decision due to financial difficulties, some rumoring the Wrangler's had lost over 4 million in 2007. In addition the decision was lubricated by the fact Doug MacGregor had purchased four expansion teams in the af2 in 2007, including the Corpus Christi Sharks
Corpus Christi Sharks
The Corpus Christi Sharks were a 2007 expansion member of the af2. They played their home games at the American Bank Center. Michael Trigg was the team's head coach. Trigg previously was a head coach in the Arena Football League with the Milwaukee Mustangs, Grand Rapids Rampage and Philadelphia...
and the Lubbock Renegades
Lubbock Renegades
The Lubbock Renegades were an expansion member of the af2. The team played its home games at the City Bank Coliseum, which was the former home of the IFL/NIFL team, the Lubbock Lone Stars/Gunslingers. The team was owned by Doug McGregor, Rick Dykes, and Bart Reagor. It was coached by former Texas...
.
A new era of Wrangler's football began on October 22, 2007 with the signing of AFL Hall of Famer Ben Bennett as head coach of the Wranglers. In addition to an impressive resume as quarterback in college and the arena league, Bennett had coached the Florida Firecats to an ArenaCup
ArenaCup
The ArenaCup is the af2's championship game. For the league's first five years, it was held at the arena of the higher seeded team. However, the 2005 ArenaCup was the first to be played at a neutral site in Bossier City, Louisiana. The 2006 ArenaCup was played in Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San...
title in 2004, and had accumulated a 56-33 record with the Manchester Wolves
Manchester Wolves
The Manchester Wolves were a professional arena football team, based at the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, New Hampshire, which folded at the end of the 2009 season along with the rest of the league...
from 2005-2007.
Despite dropping to af2 and considering playing in Cedar Park Entertainment Center to cut costs, success did not follow the Wranglers to af2 while financial difficulties continued to plague the team. Ownership announced in September 2008 that the franchise would cease operations and not appear in 2009.
Head coaches
- 2004–2006: Skip Foster, 24–25
- 2007: Brian PartlowBrian PartlowBrian Partlow is the Offensive Coordinator of the Cleveland Gladiators in the Arena Football League. He is the former Head Coach for the Austin Wranglers where he had a career record of 4-12, including a 0-0 mark in the postseason. He spent the 2006, 2005, and 2004 seasons as the offensive...
, 4–10 - 2008: Ben BennettBen BennettBen Bennett is an American football coach most recently the head coach of the af2's Austin Wranglers. He has been involved in professional football as a player and coach since 1984...
, 6–5
Radio and television
The Wranglers flagship radio station was 1300 The Zone "The Longhorn's Station."As far as television, all Wrangler games were seen on the af2's online television service af2TV.