2003 Pro Coaches of the Year

NFL Europe
Doug Graber, Frankfurt Galaxy

Frankfurt head coach Doug Graber led the Galaxy to a league-best 6-4 record and its third World Bowl championship in 2003 with a 35-16 win over the Rhein Fire. Along the way, the Galaxy also set a record with its fifth appearance in the NFL Europe championship game.

Graber, a former defensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1997-98, has had the league’s top ranked defense for three straight years.

Graber became the fourth head coach in Galaxy history on September 18, 2000, succeeding Jack Elway (1991-92), Ernie Stautner (1995-97) and Dick Curl (1998-2000). He recorded a 3-7 record in his first season in charge. From 1990 to 1995, Graber was head coach at Rutgers University and from 1987 to 1989 he was in charge of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense. In 1988, the Bucs boasted the best rushing defense in the NFL.

As defensive secondary coach of the Kansas City Chiefs from 1983 to 1986 he formed a secondary that led the NFL with 120 interceptions in a four-year period. In 1982, he was head coach of Montana State University, from 1978 to 1981 was defensive secondary coach at the University of Wisconsin and from 1976 to 1977 he worked as defensive secondary coach at Ball State University.

Graber has also held defensive coaching positions with Eastern Michigan University and Michigan Technological University having started his coaching career at St. Francis Cahrini High School, where he was head coach from 1967 to 1968, during which time the team was unbeaten and won two championships.


Canadian Football League
Tom Higgins, Edmonton Eskimos

On June 18, 2001, Edmonton Eskimos General Manager and Chief Operating Officer Tom Higgins left his front office position and hit the sidelines to coach the Eskimos. It turned out to be a successful career move for the former North Carolina State All-American wrestler and football player.

In his three years as head coach, Higgins has led the Eskimos to three consecutive West Division championships and two consecutive Grey Cup appearances. The Eskimos defeated Montreal 34-22 to win this year’s Grey Cup, the first championship for Edmonton in a decade. Higgins was awarded the CFL’s Coach of the Year in 2003 and was a finalist in 2002.

Prior to being named head coach, the native of Colonia, New Jersey, spent four seasons as the Eskimos General Manager and Chief Operating Officer. Tom first joined the Eskimos in 1993 as the clubs’ Assistant General Manager.

Tom got his start in CFL coaching and administration during his nine seasons (1985-93) with the Calgary Stampeders where he served as special teams coordinator, offensive coordinator and assistant head coach at various times during his time with the Stamps.

Tom is a strong supporter of the very successful Alberta Minor Football program and has been instrumental in organizing evaluation camps and high school clinics, as well as the Varsity Stars 2000 program for Canadian university football players. Tom has taken a leadership role in increasing women’s football knowledge through the Football 101 and 202 programs.

As a player, Tom was an All-Conference and All-American in both football and wrestling at North Carolina State and was captain of both teams. Coached by Lou Holtz, Tom participated in four consecutive bowl games.


Arena League
Todd Shell, New York Dragons

New York head coach Todd Shell took over the Dragons in Week 5 after the team began the season with four consecutive losses. The Dragons would lose two more before Shell would get the team headed in the right direction.

Shell turned an 0-6 start into an 8-8 regular-season finish, claiming the Eastern Division title and a 48-45 playoff victory over Chicago in the Wild Card Round recently. Under his direction, the Dragons have won nine of their last 11 games.

This is the second time in Shell’s career he has led a team to a division title in his first year at the helm. The first head coach in the San Jose SaberCats team history, Shell led his 1995 squad to an 8-4 record and a Western Division Championship, making them the first expansion franchise in AFL history to win a division title. After four seasons at the helm in San Jose, Shell compiled a record of 29-25, earning a playoff berth in three of four seasons. With a career 38-29 record (.567), Shell’s coaching wins ranks seventh among current AFL coaches and 11th all-time.

Shell was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the first-round of the 1984 NFL draft (BYU) and earned two Super Bowl titles (1984 and 1988) with the team. Shell played five seasons in San Francisco before his retirement. Shell also worked as the color commentator for the AFL’s Arizona Rattlers, where he served as defensive coordinator from 1992-1994.


Arena League 2
Kevin Guy, Tennessee Valley Vipors

Tennessee Valley head coach Kevin Guy led the Vipors to a 14-0 start and finished with a 14-2 record and an American Conference South Division championship.

The Vipors were a perfect 8-0 at home and 7-1 in division. Tennessee Valley featured the league’s third-highest scoring offense, averaging 52.8 points a game, while only allowing 41.8 points per game. Guy was named the arenafootball2 Coach of the Year by his fellow coaches.

In just his second season as head coach, Guy has amassed 27 wins against only five losses in the regular season with a 1-1 record in the postseason through the semifinal round of the 2003 ArenaCup playoffs. During his tenure, the Vipers have posted a 13-3 mark on the road, which is tops in the af2 during that stint.

Guy joined the Vipers after serving as the defensive coordinator for the Florida Bobcats of the AFL during the 2001 season. In that campaign, the Bobcats held opponents to an average of six stops per game.