Corey Roberson was hired by Green Bay Blizzard in 2018. Since then, he has managed to lead his team to sub .500 seasons three separate times since taking over as the full-time head coach. It seems like his organization is still holding out hope he can find the spark that created the 7-3 rebound with him at the helm in 2018.
High Expectations Right Away
In their 20-year existence, the Green Bay Blizzard has had just three head coaches last more than two seasons with the franchise. Now not all of that is caused by ownership choosing to continuously move on from every coach. However, their records collectively haven’t been inspiring either.
Only three head coaches in the history of the franchise were able to boast a winning record overall during their tenure with the team, despite a total of ten coaches holding the position at some point or another.
Currently, looking at the entire run of the team, only Corey Roberson has lasted more than 2 full seasons with the team while holding a losing record. The question is will his run continue in 2022?
How Did Roberson Get the Job?
Corey Roberson was a former arena football defensive back who played nine seasons for various teams. His most notable, and most influential in his coaching career was the last of his playing career. In 2010 he played for the Green Bay Blizzard. After the 2010 season, Roberson hung up the cleats and began to start his coaching career.
From 2011-2014 Roberson would help coach defensive backs and special teams. In 2014 he took over the defensive coordinator duties. From there on he continued to coach both the defense and the special teams until the 2018 season.
In 2018 he was named the interim head coach after previous head coach Chris Williams led the team to an 0-5 record. This left Williams with a career record of 14-23. He managed an abysmal road game record. In fact, during his over 2-year stint as head coach in Green Bay, he managed just three wins on the road in 37 total games.
The thing is, Chris Williams is still the last man to lead the Green Bay Blizzard to a winning record, and it has now been 5 years since that occurred back in 2017. Green Bay, Wisconsin is a football town. While the Blizzard may play second fiddle to the Packers, fans will not tolerate losing much longer.
Could This Be The Offseason to Make a Move?
Currently, the Blizzard has two former players that are up-and-coming coaches in the league on their roster that could essentially follow the same path to a head coaching role that Roberson did. The first man on this short list is current special teams coordinator and defensive backs coach, Tae Brooks.
Tae Brooks might as well be Roberson about ten years earlier. Brooks is extremely young for a head coach, with an injury having forced him into coaching earlier than he had hoped. However, Brooks has quickly made a name for himself as the understudy to Roberson in Green Bay. Could the Blizzard look to keep continuity by promoting Brooks, who has followed a near identical path to prominence as Roberson?
Offensive Coordinator
Matt Behrendt a former IFL quarterback that played for four different teams during his career that spanned five seasons. He ultimately decided to move into coaching following the cancellation of the 2020 Indoor Football League season. In 2021 he returned to the team he played for in 2015-2016 as the offensive coordinator.
Having led a prolific passing attack as a quarterback for two seasons in Green Bay, the fans certainly remembered him fondly. This particular hire might be a tough sell to ownership if they are looking at statistics. The Blizzard offense in the 2022 season managed the second to last point output and ranked 9th overall in efficiency. If you’re looking for bright spots, and things for Behrendt to hang his hat on you can look to his passing game that produced the majority of the offense.
Quarterback Jack Sheehan and Behrendt seem to have clicked well. He ended up completing over 56% of his passes for 1,940 yards, 40 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions while adding 308 yards rushing and 8 touchdowns on the ground. Perhaps, luring Sheehan back and the connection he has with Behrendt is enough for the Blizzard owners to make this move. Even his players think he is ready for a head coaching position: “Coach B can be a head coach, He has the potential absolutely.”-Tim Whitfield
Defensive Minded Options
How about Dave Ewart from the Frisco Fighters? Ewart is an experienced coach that has over 30 years in the game, including nine seasons as a head coach. He has served as an assistant head coach in his last two stops with the Jacksonville Sharks, and now the Fighters.
In Frisco, he also holds the title of defensive coordinator. With a record of 46-65 he isn’t exactly the most awe-inspiring head coaching option but if you’re looking for someone more experienced than the current man in charge Ewart could be the guy.
The question would then be if he opted to keep Behrendt at offensive coordinator or bring in his outside candidates he is familiar with.
Rob Keefe
Current defensive coordinator/assistant head coach for the Northern Arizona Wranglers, Keefe was a head coach at his last stop in the NAL, with current head coach Les Moss serving as his assistant head coach for the Albany Empire. After joining the IFL with the Wranglers, Moss knew he wanted Keefe on his staff. Keefe ended up liking the thought of sticking with his right-hand man and joined him in Arizona.
Keefe at the time was serving in the same role with the Iowa Barnstormers in 2021 before jumping over to the Wranglers this season under Moss. It remains to be seen how far NAZ goes in the playoffs but I believe we are gearing up to see Northern Arizona face Frisco in the Championship game. If you want a winner to look no further. Sporting a 75-35 record as a head coach has made the playoffs every season as a head coach. Keefe could be the exact guy the Blizzard need to find their winning ways.
Offensive Minds
One of the hottest up-and-coming coaches in the IFL is none other than Northern Arizona Offensive Coordinator Rob Windsor. This former arena league wide receiver was once dominant in the game, and now he is passing down his knowledge to the next generation of Indoor Football League players. After spending time with the Arizona Rattlers as a wide receiver coach, he was hired by NAZ to serve as their offensive coordinator.
Windsor knew as a player his future was in coaching, and began coordinating a high school offense in 2017 his last season with the Rattlers as a player. He would immediately join the Rattlers as a coach in 2018. He spent time as an offensive coordinator and wide receiver coach and led a solid group of guys. You still see his influence on the roster to this day. The former college quarterback who converted to receiver never stopped seeing the gridiron like a field general and his transition to offensive coordinator was a very natural one.
He should be on the radar of many teams after what NAZ has been able to do this season so far, and the deeper the run in the playoffs the better for Windsor’s short coaching resume. This could be the last point to be proven for his name to be seen as a head coach in 2023.
Dark Horse
Billy Jarvis is a man who spent the majority of his career as a head coach, however, it was at the high school level. It wasn’t until very recently that he made the leap to the professional level with Quad City. He has since spent his time there serving as an assistant head coach. This has in turn given him special insight into what it takes to run a team at the IFL level.
With his previous experience and his most recent insight, I believe Jarvis is a guy who could receive some consideration going forward. With over 40 years of coaching experience, he is no spring chicken, but maybe that’s exactly what Green Bay needs after two fairly young head coaches.
Closing Word
No matter who the Blizzard decide on, if it doesn’t happen this offseason, I believe Corey Roberson walks into next season with a very hot seat underneath him, and an ownership group ready to pull the plug at any moment. He is no stranger to watching head coaches getting fired midseason. With that being said, Coach Roberson has to know his performance hasn’t been up to par and needs to improve to solidify his status in Green Bay now 3 years removed from his IFL Coach of the Year Award.
Don’t forget to check out our live interview with RB Tim Whitfield of the Green Bay Blizzard Monday July 25th at 8:15 pm CT, 7:15 MT. Click the reminder below to get a notification when we go live. Also make sure to hit that subscribe button, and comment on the video to enter your change to win up to $150 of sports memorbilia from your choice of league, and outlet.
