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Former af2 head coach Skip Foster is off to a quick start in the AFL with the expansion Austin Wranglers.

By Ron Deuter
Special to MLN

04.15.04 -- Show of hands, please. When the 2004 AFL schedule came out months ago, who thought Head Coach Skip Foster of the expansion Austin Wranglers would become the first former af2 head coach to win in his first ever AFL game as head coach?

Keep your hands up if you thought he would not only beat Orlando at Orlando to earn his first win (one of the AFL's most notoriously difficult venues for road teams), but then come home to upend the defending ArenaBowl champion Tampa Bay Storm.

Funny, there doesn't seem to be many hands up.

No offense to Skip, but thinking that an expansion team could open the season 2-0 against Orlando and Tampa Bay, two teams with a combined seven ArenaBowl championships, rates right up there with thinking that Alex Rodriguez would some day play third base for the New York Yankees.

So the only logical question for Foster at this point is when was he
planning to tell the rest of us about the A-Rod trade?

"Who is A-Rod?" Skip Foster joked. "Did he leave Texas? I'm in the middle of
playing Murderer's Row in the AFL."

So maybe Foster doesn't really predict the future, but he did believe his
team would start 2-0.

"I felt good about our team at the conclusion of training camp," Foster
said. "I felt we had a quality group of good AFL veterans who have strong
leadership traits and have mixed very well so far. This has allowed us to
start well and hopefully it will be the foundation of a quality AFL program
in the future."

Whatever the reason, the fact is that Foster started 2-0 and is the first former af2 head coach to win in his debut as an AFL head coach.

Five other coaches who started their Arena Football head coaching careers in
af2 before being promoted to the same positions in the AFL have tried and
failed to win their first AFL game.

Mike Neu couldn't do it with Carolina in 2001, Frank Haege missed in 2002 with New Jersey, Mike Hold loss his first game with Carolina in 2003, Ron Selesky dropped his debut with Buffalo in 2003 and Tom Luginbill's Detroit Fury loss their opener this season.

"I really don't believe there is anything significant in winning the first game of my AFL career," Foster replied. "I have a tremendous amount of respect for the coaches in this group. I also feel like there are some outstanding coaches in the af2 right now who I hope get the opportunity to coach at this level."

Success on the field isn't new Foster. He's enjoyed it wherever he's coached.

After succeeding his father (Dick Foster) at Coffeyville Community College in Kansas, the Red Ravens went 82-39-2 over the next 12 seasons, including six Conference Championships and one National Championship during an undefeated season in 1990. Foster was named Jayhawk Community College Coach of the Year in 1990 and 1991.

"I owe most of the credit to my parents who taught me how to work hard and do a quality job," Foster remarked. "Without a doubt the biggest influence in my coaching style were the years I spent coaching with my dad. This is when I learned the most critical aspects of coaching. He taught me the value of being straight with people, recruiting and personnel and the importance of preparation and work ethic."

With the Tulsa Talons of arenafootball2, Foster went on to become one of the most victorious coaches in af2 history, compiling a 44-10 record over three seasons and capping it off with an ArenaCup championship last August.

"I absolutely would not have been able to do this job had I not coached in the af2. I am so appreciative of the Tulsa Talons and operator Jeff Lund for giving me the opportunity to be head coach for the Talons," Foster stated. "I believe the af2 is a great training ground for coaches who aspire to be a head coach in the AFL. Because the rules of the game are the same, it allows a coach an opportunity to grow. I look forward to hiring coaches and players from the af2, who I feel can compete and help us win a championship in the AFL."

Foster's ability to win has already translated into success for the first-year Wranglers, who were one of four teams that started the AFL season undefeated.

In their first game, the Wranglers upset the Predators 49-48 in overtime. The Wranglers then debuted at home by topping the Storm 56-48.

"I believe in Orlando and against Tampa Bay our players hung in there and kept playing hard through the tough times," Foster said. "I was very proud of how we competed in the finish of both games. Our specialty teams played especially well in the first two games."

Austin is currently in second place in the Southern Division with a 6-3 record. They rank number 2 in the League in total offense and net yards passing per game, posting an average of 305.6 total yards per game, 284.8 passing.

Where the Wranglers go from here is anybody's guess, but Skip Foster probably has a pretty good idea.

"I believe a 16 game schedule is a long season," Foster said. "Even though
I am confident in our opportunities ahead of us, I am not taking anything
for granted as we reach a level of success. We are an expansion team with a
quality group of AFL veterans and more importantly, players who have good
character. Hopefully we will continue to improve each week. Our goal will
always be to win an ArenaBowl Championship. I respect the great commitment it takes to reach that level of success in our league."