Grand Rapids Hires Former Wranglers Coach
Randy Snow
Friday August 22, 2003
 Bob Cortese talks to Press in 2001 Image courtesy of Ryan McGhee |
Cortese recalled a couple of times during the Rampage’s championship season of 2001 when he came to Grand Rapids and witnessed the fan’s support for the team. The first time was when his Wranglers lost to Grand Rapids 72-70 at the Van Andel on a last-second field goal. “The place went crazy. I stayed on the field and looked around and thought, ‘this is what it’s all about. This is why people coach.’”
 Bob Cortese in 2000 Image courtesy of Drew Kennedy |
“When it all came down to it, it’s all about finding the right guy at the right place at the right time,” said team President and CEO Dan DeVos. “When all those factors come together, then that’s the guy you go with. With his ability to make a team work and to understand the game, it’s the logical choice for the Rampage at this place and this time. We know that he has the ability and he clearly has the desire to make it all work.”
Cortese said he wants to get his coaching staff assembled as soon as possible and has already talked to Sparky McEwen on the phone. McEwen has been the Rampage offensive coordinator since 2001 and was also one of the four finalists for the head coaching position.
The hiring of Cortese was a bit of a surprise. Many believed that Sparky McEwen was the logical successor to former head coach Michael Trigg, who resigned on August 6.
Randy Snow covered the Grand Rapids Rampage of the Arena Football League for ArenaFan from 2003-2008. He also covered the Fort Wayne Fusion of arenafootball2 in 2007. From 2004-2008 and in 2010, he was a member of the Arena Football League Writer’s Association and, since 2011, has been a member of the Professional Football Researchers Association. Randy lives in Kalamazoo, Michigan but will travel just about anywhere for a football game or a great football story. He runs the web site www.theworldoffootball.com and hosts a podcast with his son, Adam, called “This Week in The World of Football.”
