Post by 50yardfan on Aug 11, 2011 13:15:39 GMT -5
www.theindependent.com/articles/2011/08/10/sports/danger/doc4e4345ff853e3298607950.txt
In a lot of ways, the Nebraska Danger had a fairly successful debut season in 2011, but it wasn’t nearly good enough.
“We were 3-11 last year,” Danger general manager Mike McCoy said Wednesday. “We have to do a whole lot better than that.”
McCoy wasn’t hired as Danger general manager until September last year. He was a part-timer while he finished up business in Wichita before moving to Grand Island in October.
That meant there wasn’t much time to put a team together. Now McCoy and the coaching staff have had a whole summer to start things rolling toward the 2012 season.
“It’s been a very eventful summer, a very exciting summer,” McCoy said. “This has been kind of a ‘magic time’ for us as we call it because when we started last year we didn’t have this off-season time to work with.”
McCoy has been working on things like renewing season tickets, contacting sponsors and putting together group nights along with tending to IFL business.
McCoy said dealing with sponsors has gone much smoother this summer than last fall.
“When I go talk to sponsors now, they all know who I am and what we are,” McCoy said. “Last year when I walked into places they had no idea who I was and this indoor football game. It’s just something you have to see.
“So the process now is much, much easier. The fact that we led the league in attendance last year in a town of 48,000 people, that’s something that we’re very proud of.”
One of the main advantages to having a summer to work with is that McCoy and the coaching staff have time to decide who they wanted to re-sign from last year’s Danger teams and talk to players who are free agents this summer.
IFL teams have until Oct. 1 to re-sign their players from last year. If the player doesn’t re-sign, he’s a free agent and can talk to any team in the league.
McCoy said there were a number of players from last year’s Danger team that the coaches want to re-sign, but he can’t name them at this point.
“We’ve stayed in very close touch with them,” McCoy said. “They all have expressed an interest to come back unless they get picked up by a National Football League team. We were right down to the wire with a whole bunch of players because of the CBA with the league.”
There are some Danger players who have stayed in Grand Island and gotten jobs in the community. Others have gone back home to be with family and work there.
McCoy has also heard from some opposing players who might be interested in coming to Grand Island.
“I’ve had a lot of contact from players who played for different teams that played here last year and have gone on to other leagues who would love the opportunity to come back and play here,” McCoy said. “They love the facility, they love the crowd, they love the brand new turf. They loved the whole thing because we treated them extremely well when they were here.
“So when they do become free agents, then they make a short list of where they would like to be and we’re at the top of the short list for a lot of guys.”
McCoy is also in the process of hiring a new offensive coordinator after Corey Bethany left the team during this past season. His replacement could be named soon.
“We’re working on it right now,” McCoy said. “We hope to have an announcement prior to Sept. 1. I really think we’re close. There is just so much going on in the league right now. I have coaches who call me every day. There are several teams in the league that have openings.”
The Danger plans to have free-agent tryouts this fall. McCoy said there would likely be one in Grand Island in late September, but a date has yet to be set.
The Danger may also have a tryout in Miami, Fla., because it had a number of players from last year’s team from that area.
Another tryout in Grand Island will likely take place in December.
“The later you wait the better because after the college season is over you can pick up players from those teams who might like to come here,” McCoy said.
In a lot of ways, the Nebraska Danger had a fairly successful debut season in 2011, but it wasn’t nearly good enough.
“We were 3-11 last year,” Danger general manager Mike McCoy said Wednesday. “We have to do a whole lot better than that.”
McCoy wasn’t hired as Danger general manager until September last year. He was a part-timer while he finished up business in Wichita before moving to Grand Island in October.
That meant there wasn’t much time to put a team together. Now McCoy and the coaching staff have had a whole summer to start things rolling toward the 2012 season.
“It’s been a very eventful summer, a very exciting summer,” McCoy said. “This has been kind of a ‘magic time’ for us as we call it because when we started last year we didn’t have this off-season time to work with.”
McCoy has been working on things like renewing season tickets, contacting sponsors and putting together group nights along with tending to IFL business.
McCoy said dealing with sponsors has gone much smoother this summer than last fall.
“When I go talk to sponsors now, they all know who I am and what we are,” McCoy said. “Last year when I walked into places they had no idea who I was and this indoor football game. It’s just something you have to see.
“So the process now is much, much easier. The fact that we led the league in attendance last year in a town of 48,000 people, that’s something that we’re very proud of.”
One of the main advantages to having a summer to work with is that McCoy and the coaching staff have time to decide who they wanted to re-sign from last year’s Danger teams and talk to players who are free agents this summer.
IFL teams have until Oct. 1 to re-sign their players from last year. If the player doesn’t re-sign, he’s a free agent and can talk to any team in the league.
McCoy said there were a number of players from last year’s Danger team that the coaches want to re-sign, but he can’t name them at this point.
“We’ve stayed in very close touch with them,” McCoy said. “They all have expressed an interest to come back unless they get picked up by a National Football League team. We were right down to the wire with a whole bunch of players because of the CBA with the league.”
There are some Danger players who have stayed in Grand Island and gotten jobs in the community. Others have gone back home to be with family and work there.
McCoy has also heard from some opposing players who might be interested in coming to Grand Island.
“I’ve had a lot of contact from players who played for different teams that played here last year and have gone on to other leagues who would love the opportunity to come back and play here,” McCoy said. “They love the facility, they love the crowd, they love the brand new turf. They loved the whole thing because we treated them extremely well when they were here.
“So when they do become free agents, then they make a short list of where they would like to be and we’re at the top of the short list for a lot of guys.”
McCoy is also in the process of hiring a new offensive coordinator after Corey Bethany left the team during this past season. His replacement could be named soon.
“We’re working on it right now,” McCoy said. “We hope to have an announcement prior to Sept. 1. I really think we’re close. There is just so much going on in the league right now. I have coaches who call me every day. There are several teams in the league that have openings.”
The Danger plans to have free-agent tryouts this fall. McCoy said there would likely be one in Grand Island in late September, but a date has yet to be set.
The Danger may also have a tryout in Miami, Fla., because it had a number of players from last year’s team from that area.
Another tryout in Grand Island will likely take place in December.
“The later you wait the better because after the college season is over you can pick up players from those teams who might like to come here,” McCoy said.