Colorado Crush (IFL)
 | |
| Founded | 2006 |
|---|---|
| Current season | 2016 |
| League |
UIF (2007–2008) IFL (2009–present) |
| Conference | Intense (2009–present) |
| Team history |
Colorado Ice (2006–2015) Colorado Crush (2016–present) |
| 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. On March 7, 2016, owner Thomas Wigley announced the team was for sale after he was diagnosed as terminally ill.[5] Wigley assured that the team would finish 2016 season, but due to his health he would not be able to continue operations himself.
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 | — |
| 2016 | 1 | 8 | 0 | TBD Intense | — |
| Totals | 63 | 78 | 0 | (including playoffs) | |
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Colorado Ice (2007–2008)
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Colorado Ice (2009–2015)
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Colorado Crush (2016–)
Players of note
Current roster
| Colorado Crush roster | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Quarterbacks
Running Backs
Wide Receivers
|
Offensive Linemen
Defensive Linemen
|
Linebackers
Defensive Backs
Kickers
|
Injured Reserve
Transfer List
Refused to Report
Rookies in italics | |||
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:
- QB Willie Copeland (1)
- WR Kyle Kaiser (3)
- OL Collin Cordell (1), Michael Trice (2)
- DL Gabe Knapton (1), Michael Stover (1), Jason Jones (1)
- LB Landon Jones (1)
- LB/DB Joe Thornton (1)
- DB Idly Etienne (1), Jovan Jackson (1), Corey Sample (2)
- K Aric Goodman (1)
- Ironman Eryk Anders (1)
Staff
Head coaches
Note: Statistics are correct through Week 11 of the 2016 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 | 33 | 30 | 0 | .524 | 0 | 3 | IFL Coach of the Year (2014) |
Coaching staff
| Colorado Crush staff | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Front Office
|
Head Coach
Offensive Coaches Offensive Coordinator - Robert Reed
Defensive Coaches
Special Team Coaches
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Radio
Games and weekly coach's show are broadcast on KFKA (1310 AM).
References
- ↑ "Colorado Ice announce 2014 coaching staff". Fort Collins Coloradoan (Fort Collins, CO: Gannett Company). September 6, 2013. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
- ↑ "Introducing the Colorado Crush". GoIFL.com. Indoor Football League. July 15, 2015. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
- ↑ Andy Vuong (July 18, 2006). ""Ice" to join Colorado's team ranks". www.denverpost.com. The Denver Post. Retrieved April 9, 2014.
- ↑ Mike Brohard (July 7, 2011). "Ice make changes; O'Neal new head coach". www.reporterherald.com. Loveland Reporter-Herald. Retrieved April 9, 2014.
- ↑ "Colorado Crush Owner Ill, Team for Sale". OurSportsCentral. March 7, 2016.
External links
- Colorado Crush official website
- Indoor Football League official website
- Our Sports Central
- NewsTalk 1310 KFKA
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