| Conference | Eastern | ||
| Founded | 2002 | ||
| Team History | Original franchise: Nashville Kats (1997–2001) Georgia Force (2002–2008) New franchise: Tennessee Valley Vipers (2000–2004, 2006–2009) Alabama Vipers (2010) Georgia Force (2011–present) | ||
| Arena | Philips Arena (2002, 2005-2007) Arena at Gwinnett Center (2003–2004 2008, 2011–present) | ||
| City | Atlanta, Georgia | ||
| Head Coach | Dean Cokinos | ||
| Team President | Corey Remillard | ||
| Division titles | 1 in 2007 | ||
| ArenaBowl titles | None | ||
The Georgia Force are an Arena Football League team based in Gwinnett County, Georgia, (part of suburban Atlanta) that plays in the South Division of the American Conference. The team is owned by Doug MacGregor and Donn Jennings. They are coached by Dean Cokinos.
Following the termination of operations of the Arena Football League on August 4, 2009, Georgia Force officials quickly followed with a release that indicated that they, too, were ceasing operations.[1]
In 2010, the Alabama Vipers announced they would leave Huntsville, and would move to suburban Atlanta for the 2011 AFL season, once again playing home games at Arena at Gwinnett Center.
History[]
The original Nashville Kats[]
The team began as the first Nashville Kats team from 1997 to 2001. The original Kats played in the Nashville Arena (later known as Gaylord Entertainment Center, now known as Bridgestone Arena) in downtown Nashville and were initially coached by Eddie Khayat in 1997 and 1998. Khayat was then succeeded by Pat Sperduto for the balance of the team's time in Nashville. The Kats were the league's "Organization of the Year" for their inaugural year of 1997, and were in the playoffs for every season of their relatively brief existence, even playing in the ArenaBowl each of their final two seasons, albeit losing both times they reached the AFL's championship game.
Virgil Williams, an Atlanta businessman, purchased the franchise for nearly $10 million in December 2001, and moved the team to Atlanta after the team's previous owners failed to negotiate a favorable lease with the arena's primary tenant and manager, the National Hockey League's Nashville Predators. The Kats would return to Nashville as an expansion team in 2005 (in a situation similar to the National Football League's Cleveland Browns). The second Nashville Kats team would fold after a losing 2007 season.
Georgia Force[]
The rechristened Force initially played in Atlanta's downtown Philips Arena, home of the National Basketball Association's Atlanta Hawks and former home of the NHL's Atlanta Thrashers, prior to relocating to suburban Duluth and playing in the Arena at Gwinnett Center for the 2003 and 2004 seasons.
The team name was chosen through a contest in the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Anthony R. Ward submitted the winning name.
Under Williams' three-year tenure as owner, the team made the playoffs one time in 2003. Upon selling the team to Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank in September 2004, it was announced that the franchise would return to the downtown Philips Arena for the 2005 season in response to fan desires as expressed in a poll. However, following the 2007 season, the Force announced they were returning to the Gwinnett Center in 2008 after signing a 10 year lease.[2]
The Georgia Force's only Rival in the Arena Football League is the New Orleans VooDoo. Previous owners of both teams, owned NFL teams in the same market. The New Orleans Saints Rivaled with The Atlanta Falcons & The New Orleans VooDoo Rivaled with The Georgia Force.
The 2005 season was, by far, the most successful in team history with highlights including a conference-best 11–5 record, and undefeated home record (8–0), a division title, a National Conference Championship, and a trip to ArenaBowl XIX. They lost to the Colorado Crush, 51–48. They also won Southern Division titles in 2007 and 2008.
The Force's official mascot used to be a high-tech runner named G-Force, but was later changed to a blue, cuddly monster named Blu.[3]
Season-by-season[]
- Main article: List of Georgia Force seasons
Coaches[]
- Coaches listed are Georgia Force coaches only, NOT for the Nashville Kats.
| Head coach | Tenure | Regular season record (W–L) |
Post season record (W–L) |
Most recent coaching staff | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Lyles | 2002 | 1–4[4] | 0–0[4] | ||
| Marty Lowe | 2002–2004 | 12–15[5] | 1–1[5] | ||
| Bob Kronenberg | 2004 | 3–2[6] | 0–0[6] | ||
| Doug Plank | 2005–2008 | 43–21[7] | 4–4[7] | 2x Arena Football League Coach of the Year (2005, 2007)[7] | |
| Dean Cokinos | 2011-present | 11-7 | 1-0 | Asst./Line Coach: James Clark (2011–present) Asst./Line Coach: Juan Porter (2011-present) Asst./DB Coach: Willie Gary (2011–present) |
Current roster[]
Template:Georgia Force roster
Notable players[]
- Troy Bergeron - OS
- Nate Coggins - DS
- Markeith Cooper - OS
- Dan Curran - FB
- Kevin Gaines - DS
- Jason Gamble - OL/DL
- Nelson Garner - PK
- Willie Gary- DS
- Chris Greisen - QB
- Chris Jackson - WR/LB
- Darryl Hammond - WR/LB
- Derek Lee - WR/DB
- Bruce McClure - OL/DL
- Scottie Montgomery - WR/DB
- Earthwind Moreland - WR/DB
- Carl Morris - WR/LB
- Dary Myricks - OL/DL
- Matt Nagy - QB
- Jermaine Smith - OL/DL
- Eric Zeier - QB
- Dialleo Burks - WR
- Xavier Beitia - PK
- Adam Gibbs - WR
- Adam Metts - OL/DL
- Juan Porter
Notes[]
- ↑ Following AFL's End, Georgia Force Ceases Operations
- ↑ Georgia Force Sign 10-Year Lease with Gwinnett, oursportscental.com; retrieved September 2008
- ↑ http://georgiaforce.com/cheerleaders/Blu.asp
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 ArenaFan Online: AFL Coaches: Robert Lyles. Retrieved on 2008-10-25.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 ArenaFan Online: AFL Coaches: Marty Lowe. Retrieved on 2008-10-25.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 ArenaFan Online: AFL Coaches: Bob Kronenberg. Retrieved on 2008-10-25.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 ArenaFan Online: AFL Coaches: Doug Plank. Retrieved on 2008-10-25.
External links[]
Template:Georgia Force Template:Georgia Force seasons Template:Arena Football League
Season By Season[]
| Season | League | Conference | Division | Regular season | Postseason results | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finish | Wins | Losses | ||||||
| Georgia Force | ||||||||
| 2002 | AFL | National | Southern | 4th | 6 | 8 | ||
| 2003 | AFL | National | Southern | 3rd | 8 | 8 | Won Wild Card Round (Dallas) 49–45 Lost Quarterfinals (San Jose) 69–48 | |
| 2004 | AFL | National | Southern | 5th | 7 | 9 | ||
| 2005 | AFL | National | Southern | 1st | 11 | 5 | Won Conference Semifinals (Tampa Bay) 62–46 Won Conference Championship (Orlando) 60–58 Lost ArenaBowl XIX (Colorado) 51–48 | |
| 2006 | AFL | National | Southern | 3rd | 8 | 8 | Won Wild Card Round (New York) 72–69 Lost Divisional Round (Dallas) 62–27 | |
| 2007 | AFL | National | Southern | 1st | 14 | 2 | Won Divisional Round (Philadelphia) 65–39 Lost Conference Championship (Columbus) 66–56 | |
| 2008 | AFL | National | Southern | 1st | 10 | 6 | Lost Divisional Round (Cleveland) 73–70 | |
| 2009 | The AFL suspended operations for the 2009 season. | |||||||
| 2010 | Did not play in 2010. | |||||||
| 2011 | AFL | American | South | 2nd | 11 | 7 | Won Conference Semifinals (Cleveland) 50–41 Lost Conference Championship (Jacksonville) 55–64 | |
| Total | 75 | 53 | (includes only regular season) | |||||
| 6 | 6 | (includes only the postseason) | ||||||
| 81 | 59 | (includes both regular season and postseason) | ||||||
References[]
- General
- Georgia Force — Team History. Arena Fan. Retrieved on January 14, 2010.
- Specific
- ↑ AFL cancels 2009 season. ESPN (December 15, 2008). Retrieved on May 10, 2011.