Colorado Crush (IFL)

For the now-defunct Arena Football League franchise, see Colorado Crush.
Colorado Crush
Founded 2006
Current season 2015
League UIF (2007–2008)
IFL (2009–present)
Conference Intense
Division Central
Team history Colorado Ice (2006–2015)
Colorado Crush (2016–)
Based in Fort Collins, Colorado
Arena Budweiser Events Center
Colors Navy Blue, Orange, Carolina Blue, White
                   
Owner(s) Tom & Patty Wigley
Head coach Heron O'Neal[1]
General Manager Heron O'Neal
Championships 0
Conference titles 0
Division titles 1: (Mountain West: 2011)
Playoff berths 6: (UIF: 2007, IFL: 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014)
Dancers Crushables
Mascot Glacier

The Colorado Crush is a professional indoor football team currently playing as a member of the Indoor Football League. Based in Fort Collins, Colorado, the Crush plays its home games at the Budweiser Events Center in nearby Loveland. The Crush's principal owners are Tom and Patty Wigley, with Heron O'Neal serving as head coach.

The Crush began play in 2007 as the Colorado Ice, an expansion member of United Indoor Football (UIF) and joined the IFL as part of the UIF-Intense Football League merger of 2009. The Ice were a sub-.500 team during their first four years of existence but still managed to make the playoffs twice. Their first winning season came in 2011 when they were Mountain West Division Champions but were defeated in the first round of the playoffs. Since 2011, the team has made the playoffs every season but are still winless in the postseason. They have competed in one Intense Conference Championship Game, where they lost 50-55 to the Nebraska Danger.

Ahead of the 2016 season, the team changed its name to the Colorado Crush, after the John Elway-owned team of the same name which played in the Arena Football League from 2003 until its suspension of operations in 2008, notably having won ArenaBowl XIX. Despite the same name, the current Crush is not otherwise connected to the original.[2]

History

In July 2006, Colorado real estate executive, Danny DeGrande, was awarded an expansion franchise of United Indoor Football to begin play in 2007.[3]

2011 saw an overhaul of the team's roster and a reversal of its fortunes as the Ice began the season with seven straight wins and finished with an 11–3 record plus the Mountain West Division title. The Ice fell to the Tri-Cities Fever in the first round of the playoffs. This was Collins Sanders' last season as head coach before his promotion to general manager in 2012.[4]

2012 was the team's first year under new head coach Heron O'Neal. They recorded an 8–6 record and reached the playoffs but lost to the Tri-Cities Fever in the first round.

2013 saw the return of Heron O'Neal as head coach and a strong start with three consecutive home wins. Both of the Ice's 2012 All-AFL Team players returned for the 2013 season.

Heron O'Neal returned as head coach for a third season.

On July 15, 2015, the Colorado Ice became the new Colorado Crush one year after the trademark for the original AFL franchise name expired.

Season-by-season

Season W L T Finish Playoff results
Colorado Ice (UIF)
2007 6 9 0 4th Western Lost Round 1 (Sioux Falls)
2008 6 8 0 4th Western --
Colorado Ice (IFL)
2009 5 9 0 3rd Intense Pacific Lost Divisionals I (Fairbanks)
2010 2 12 0 5th Central West --
2011 11 3 0 1st Mountain West Lost Conference Semi-Final (Tri-Cities)
2012 8 6 0 4th Intense Lost Round 1 (Tri-Cities)
2013 8 5 0 2nd Intense Lost Conference Champ (Nebraska)
2014 10 4 0 1st Intense Lost Conference Champ (Nebraska)
2015 6 8 0 3rd Intense --
Totals 62 70 0 (including playoffs)

Players of note

Current roster

Colorado Crush roster
Quarterbacks
  • Currently vacant

Running Backs

  • Currently vacant

Wide Receivers

  • Currently vacant
 Offensive Linemen
  • -- Jackson Dallas
  • -- R. J. Harvin
  • -- Demechery Hickingbottom

Defensive Linemen

  • -- Stephen Ruempolhamer
  • -- Demosthenes Schmidt
Linebackers
  • Currently vacant

Defensive Backs

  • Currently vacant

Kickers

  • -- Aric Goodman
Injured Reserve
  • Currently vacant

Transfer List

  • -- James Atoe OL
  • -- Justin Blake DB
  • -- John Griggs DL
  • -- Kamalie Matthews OL
  • -- Dante Moses OL
  • -- Roland Radcliffe LB

Refused to Report

  • Currently vacant

Rookies in italics
Roster updated February 10, 2016
6 Active, 6 Inactive

→ More rosters

Awards and honors

The following is a list of all Ice players who have won league Awards

Season Player Position Award
2011 David Knighton Quarterback Most Improved Player
2014 Willie Copeland Quarterback Most Valuable Player

All-IFL players

The following Ice players have been named to All-IFL Teams:

Staff

Head coaches

Note: Statistics are correct through the end of the 2015 Indoor Football League season.

Name Term Regular Season Playoffs Awards
W L T Win% W L
Collins Sanders 2007-2011 30 40 0 .423 0 3
Heron O'Neal 2012-present 32 22 0 .593 0 3 IFL Coach of the Year (2014)

Coaching staff

Colorado Crush staff
Front Office
  • Principal Owner – Tom Wigley
  • CFO/Co-Owner – Patty Wigley
  • General Manager - Heron O'Neal
  • Director of Operations – Aaron Ontiveros
  • Account Representative - George Martinez
  • Director of Group Sales – Barkley Collinson
  • Business Operations, Sales Representative - Josh Swado
  • Public Relations, Sales Representative - Breanne Jackson
  

Head Coach

  • Head Coach – Heron O'Neal

Offensive Coaches

Offensive Coordinator - Robert Reed

  • Running backs / Wide Receivers - George Martinez

Defensive Coaches

  • Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Backs – Brian Arndt

Special Team Coaches

  • Special Teams Coordinator – Brian Arndt

Radio

Games and weekly coach's show are broadcast on KFKA (1310 AM).

References

  1. ↑ "Colorado Ice announce 2014 coaching staff". Fort Collins Coloradoan (Fort Collins, CO: Gannett Company). September 6, 2013. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
  2. ↑ "Introducing the Colorado Crush". GoIFL.com. Indoor Football League. July 15, 2015. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
  3. ↑ Andy Vuong (July 18, 2006). ""Ice" to join Colorado's team ranks". www.denverpost.com. The Denver Post. Retrieved April 9, 2014.
  4. ↑ Mike Brohard (July 7, 2011). "Ice make changes; O'Neal new head coach". www.reporterherald.com. Loveland Reporter-Herald. Retrieved April 9, 2014.

External links

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