It’s been a topsy-turvy offseason for the Austin Wranglers. This biggest change for the fifth-year franchise is dropping from the Arena Football League proper to the arenafootball2 where they will face teams from the cities of Spokane, Wash., and Lubbock as opposed to New York and Philadelphia. The good news is that the recent disbanding of NFL Europe should help strengthen the talent pool of the af2. Austin’s big-name co-owner Deion Sanders has also left the organization and the team features an entirely revamped roster and coaching staff.
Ben Bennett is the Wranglers’ new head coach. The former coach of the af2’s Manchester Wolves, Bennett was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the sixth round of the 1984 draft and according to Pro-Football-Reference.com he made one appearance for the Cincinnati Bengals in 1987 at quarterback. He spent some time playing in the United States Football League, the AFL, and the World League of American Football before moving on to his current coaching career. Bennett compiled an impressive 36-18 record in his three years coaching in the af2.
Next week, the Score will take a look at the Wranglers’ new roster/depth chart.
The Wranglers begin their af2 career this Saturday, 7pm, at the Frank Erwin Center. They’ll face the Corpus Christi Sharks, an af2 expansion team in 2007 who compiled a 6-10 record in their first year. Get your tickets now.
This article appears in March 28 • 2008.