Rampage name Thonn as head coach
Chip Burch
Wednesday August 1, 2007
The Grand Rapids Rampage named Thonn its fifth head coach and director of football operations at a press conference Wednesday. He was hired four weeks after Sparky McEwen was fired after three seasons where the Rampage managed a maximum of five wins.
Thonn was hired over two other assistant coaches who were finalists for the job, according to Rampage general manager Scott Woodruff.
“There were some great coaching candidates out there but Steve the only one who had served as a head coach before, and that was important,” Woodruff said.
Thonn was the offensive coordinator for the Georgia Force from 2005-2007. He helped the Force to a 14-2 record and a National Conference finals appearance this past season.
Prior to Georgia he was offensive coordinator with the Dallas Desperados, Milwaukee Mustangs and the Connecticut Coyotes. Thonn was also the head coach of the Mustangs.
That experience is what helped Woodruff decide on Thonn.
“First and foremost, having played in the league as a receiver and a defensive back and having served as an assistant, then having served as a head coach, then back to being an assistant - and the top offensive assistant in the game the past few years,” Woodruff said of Thonn.
“I think it’s a great franchise,” Thonn said of Grand Rapids. “I know the last few years have been down for whatever reason, but I can only go back to when I came here five or six years ago, and that’s the Grand Rapids that I remember, was packing the place out and the crazy fans. I know it’s a good, solid ownership and they want to win and they want to do things right, and it wasn’t a hard sell.”
Thonn will bring a number of things he used at Georgia to Grand Rapids.
“Just the way we handle things, that will carry over,” he said. “The way Doug Plank (Georgia head coach) ran things that I liked will carry over. Offensively I’ve always done the same thing, and every year you add on and tweak it a little bit. There will be a lot of the same play-calling, the same type of things I’ve been doing.”
That offense already has three quarterbacks under contract. Chad Salisbury is in the final year of a two-year contract, Adrian McPherson was re-signed last week and Michael Bishop is still under contract to the Rampage even though he is currently playing for the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts.
“I really haven’t thought that much, and I want to make a fair assessment,” Thonn said of the Salisbury and McPherson. “I really liked Chad. When he came up here he was almost like an extra coach. I’ve known Chad for a while. Adrian, I haven’t watched him play. He did come to Georgia last year (as a quarterback with the Austin Wranglers) and had a great game against us. I know he struggled at times. I’m just looking forward to watching more film on both of them and get to know them.”
Grand Rapids’ defense was the Arena Football League worst in points allowed per game in 2007. Even though Thonn is an offensive guy, he said he understands how vital defense is.
“You have to get the stops at the right times,” he said. “Defense is still going to win the big games. You’re going to have your shootouts every once in a while, but we want to be one of the top five defenses in the league. I don’t want to come in here and have a good offense but not have a good defense. As much as I like offense, defense is really important.”
Woodruff has a simple expectation for Thonn in his first year.
“Win,” Woodruff said. “Steve’s a great teacher. If you look at his track record, he’s a guy that has molded some of he top offensive players in the game and we expect him to do much the same here.”
Thonn said he defines success as making the playoffs, something the Rampage haven’t done since 2002.
“We’re hoping with what we got in the core players we’re going to keep, and what we decide to add through af2, NFL Europe guys and free agency in our league and everything else, I want to be a playoff contender next year. I think we can do it.”
Thonn’s next step is to assemble a coaching staff. Woodruff said that should take about a week, and some of the people who he and Thonn have talked about are still under contract with other teams.
Chip Burch has been covering the Rampage since 2005. He is a sports reporter for WSCG AM-FM in Greenville Michigan, where he currently resides.
