Nudo to coach Rattlers this season

[CardsGuy]

Nudo to coach Rattlers this season
By Darren Urban, Tribune
September 14, 2005

Rattlers general manager Gene Nudo will also serve as the team’s coach this season, two sources said Wednesday.

Nudo will replace Todd Shell, who resigned after he was arrested for violating probation and told police he had been using cocaine.

Reached Wednesday, Nudo would not confirm the news. He would only say that a press conference is planned for Friday about the new coach.

Nudo, who is also coaching the Brophy Prep junior varsity football team, has a background in coaching. He served with one of the Arena Football League’s original teams, the Chicago Bruisers from 1987-88, acting as director of player personnel and an assistant coach before taking a job within the league.

He has been in the Rattlers’ front office for nine seasons and has been in the organization for 11, serving his first two seasons as an assistant coach under Danny White.

Nudo is the AFL's only three-time Executive of the Year.

 

[Yuma]

I am not sure this is good. Smacks of Collangelo coming from the front office to coach.

 

[Angel]

Bonner to sign 1-year deal; 2 key players head to Utah

Richard Obert
The Arizona Republic
Sept. 29, 2005 12:00 AM

Quarterback Sherdrick Bonner has agreed to remain with the Rattlers for at least another season, but the Arena football team lost a big chunk of its future to former coach Danny White and the new Utah franchise with backup quarterback Joe Germaine and offensive specialist Siaha Burley deciding to play in Salt Lake City.

Free agents can't sign until Saturday, but verbal commitments are being made.

Burley, who has played four Arena seasons, set a franchise record last season with 45 touchdown catches in 16 games. He was one short of tying the Arena Football League record. Burley, released this summer by the NFL Minnesota Vikings, played the past two seasons for the Rattlers. He was instrumental in the Rattlers' 2004 ArenaBowl run. Last season, he was selected by the Arena Football League Writers Association as the Player of the Year.

Germaine, a Mesa Mountain View High graduate, filled in for six games last season with Bonner injured and improved in Lary Kuharich's system, which calls for the quarterback to make his own calls.

"They parted ways properly," Nudo said. "Joe called me up. I liked Joe a lot."

But the Rattlers, who had their first losing season since 1992, wanted to hold onto what has been their cornerstone, Bonner, who ranks among the league' top three quarterbacks all-time in most categories.

Travis Cole, who has been with the Rattlers the past two seasons, will likely serve as Bonner's backup.

During Wednesday's news conference at America West Arena, Bonner said he wanted to finish his career for the franchise he began playing for in 1993 and eventually coach for the Rattlers. He said if he was offered the head coaching position after Todd Shell resigned, "I was prepared to take it."

But Nudo, who said he considered Bonner, took it himself, using the podium to delegate power to Kuharich and new defensive coordinator Mike Church, who brought success to the San Jose SaberCats the past four seasons.

Bonner, who flourished late last season after overcoming two knee injuries and catching onto the offense, also is excited about new owner Bobby Hernreich and not having to go through the Suns.

"That makes a huge difference when you've got your own guys," said Bonner, who is engaged to be married in late October.

"It shows the level of commitment (Hernreich) wants to get this thing back to where it was."

Bonner, who led the Rattlers to their first ArenaBowl title in 1994 when he was chosen the game's Most Valuable Player in Orlando, will sign a one-year deal, along with veteran linemen Wendall Gaines and Mark Tucker.

Receiver/defensive back Justin Taplin, who was dealt to the Georgia Force last season, has agreed to a two-year deal.

He could take the place of Burley in the offense.

The Rattlers hope to have back two-way players Tom Pace and Orshawante Bryant, but may lose their top defensive specialists, Clarence Lawson and Terrance Joseph, to other teams.

"We just want to go out and put something on the field that we can be proud of," Bonner said.

"The first half of last season, we were not proud of that. . . . I want to finish out better."

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Good God, the check is in the mail. Here I was a sitting on the fence and they go and pull this on me.

The Rattlers w/o Cooper will be hard enough but the possibility of watching Bonner go too kept my renewal notice on my desk. All I asked for was a decision on the Coach/QB before paying the cash but they threw in both Tucker (my favorite player--I have a soft spot for Ratts that were Cards and vice versa) and Gaines (We love Wendall ) and added Mr. Taplin as a bonus---WOW!

Losing Germaine and Burley will hurt but I think we can take it, I had already lost Siaha to the Vikings (yuck) and Joe should have more of an opportunity to play so best wishes to them, except on game day of course.

Is it January yet?

 

[peterman]

this season isn't looking very good for the rattlers

 

[Yuma]

I agree. We were talking at work about how Danny White might end up winning an Arena Bowl in Utah's first season, and how that would be a big slap in the Rattler's face!

 

[Angel]

Oh the emotional highs and lows of supporting a team....

My Rattlers are now supplying me with a low.....both Obie and Tom Pace off to the Blaze (who can officially be called the Rattlers North).

I am always optimist about winning so until the games are played and we see what happens I will continue to ride those highs past the lows. But it would sure be nice to see more happening in the front office.

Side Note: Kansas City will be fielding their team this year with a large contingent of displaced Voodoo players. I hope the Voodoo are able to rejoin us for the 2007 season and welcome KC.

Two expansion teams that are not really expansion--a game featuring them playing each other would be interesting to watch.