Avengers Coaching Search Continues

Last month, owner and chief executive officer Casey Wasserman dismissed head coach Ed Hodgkiss, who compiled a 58-58 mark during his tenure as coach of the Avengers. While Wasserman and company have yet to find a replacement for Hodgkiss, it appears as if they have narrowed their search down to three candidates for the vacant head coaching spot. So far they have met with Georgia Force defensive coordinator Bob Kronenberg, Tampa Bay Storm offensive coordinator Pat O’Hara, and Chicago Rush assistant head coach/V.P. of player personnel Brian Schwartze to discuss the availability of the Avengers head coaching position.

Here’s a quick breakdown of each of the three candidates:

1. Bob Kronenbert: Before Doug Plank was hired as the head coach in 2005, Kronenberg was the interim-head coach for the Georgia Force after then head coach Marty Lowe was fired. Since then, he has become one of the top assistants in the game, while also being a major contributor to Georgia’s winning program over the past few seasons. As Georgia’s defensive coordinator, Kronenbert, has built one of the league’s toughest defensive lines, which has been a major part of the Force’s success these past few seasons. With his intensity and aggressive approach, he appears to be the favorite for the Avengrs’ vacant head coaching position. However, he is so well-respected throughout the league, that he might be hired by some other team. If LA really wants Kronenber than they better move quickly before some other team signs him to a lucrative contract.

2. Pat O’Hara: To put it bluntly, O’Hara is a flat out winner. O’Hara, a former USC and AFL quarterback, owns three ArenaBowl championship rings and played in five ArenaBowls. As a player, he played for Orlando’s Jay Gruden and has been an assistant under Tampa Bay’s Tim Marcum for the past three seasons. He is often credited for developing 2007 Co-Rookie of the Year Brett Dietz and is regarded as one of the best teachers of the game. He was courted by several teams last season, but he decided to remain with the Storm in 2008. While he would certainly bring a wealth of knowledge to the Avengers, O’Hara is also an appealing candidate since he is a Southern California native (Santa Monica High School) and might be inclined to return home.

3. Brian Schwartze: For the past five seasons, Brian Schwartze has been learning under Mike Hohensee and helping to make the Chicago Rush one of the elite teams in the AFL by handling the football operations aspect for the perennial American Conference championship contenders. In addition to handling the football operations aspect, Schwartze is regarded as one of one of the league’s best defensive backs coach. With his experience regarding the player personnel aspect of the job, he definitely has a head coaching opportunity on the horizon.