With the signing of US offensive coordinator Cole Williams, the American footballers of the Steelshark Traun complete the coaching team for the 2023 season of the Austrian Football League (AFL).
TRAUN. After Slovenian Jure Bezica was presented as a new head coach in December, 29-year-old Cole Williams from Oregon, USA, was introduced as the new man to lead the offensive.
After the departure of longtime game designer John Uribe and head coach Jason Tillery, the Steelsharks from Traun got a completely new look on the offensive this year. While new head coach Jure Bezica will continue to coordinate defense, new quarterback Slade Jarman and Cole Williams are expected to transform offense.
Neo coach confident for season
Williams, who has already worked as a player and coach in Europe, is coming to the Steelsharks in Traun from the Solingen Paladins in Westphalia in Germany. “For me, the Austrian AFL is one of the top 3 national leagues in Europe. The job with the Steelsharks sounded appealing to me right away, and I’m optimistic that we’ll cause a stir with the newly formed team,” says the new offensive coach, confident about the coming season.
It starts on April 2nd
How do the Steelsharks plan to play in the new season starting on April 2nd with an away game in Prague? Williams doesn’t want to reveal that yet, as the Steelsharks are relying on the element of surprise here, which is intended to catch their opponents ice-cold. “Fans can rest assured that we’ll be making our mark in the new AFL season,” Williams says, grinning confidently.
For the first time in a home game, the Upper Austrian fans will be presented with the completely renewed Steelsharks on April 15th, when the surprise team of the previous season, the Telfs Patriots, are asked to a hot dance in the Traun sports center.
