On Monday, December 4, 2017, the Carolina Cobras from Greensboro, NC have confirmed that they will join the National Arena League (NAL).
Carolina Cobras Join NAL
The Cobras are now the sixth team committing to the 2018 season. The team from Portland, ME will be announced tomorrow, December 5, being the seventh team in the NAL.
Monterrey Steel would be the eighth team if/when they get things figured out or if the league gives an update.
The Cobras have been expected to join for a while, since we already covered this “rumor” at the time. You can view that by clicking here.
The Cobras will be playing in the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, NC. The arena can hold over 23,000 people, being the largest arena in the NAL to date.
There have been previous arena football teams in this arena, so the Cobras aren’t a new team to ever play in Greensboro. The Greensboro Prowlers of the Arena Football 2 (AF2) have played in the Greensboro Coliseum from 2000 to 2003.
The Greensboro Revolution played in the arena from 2006 to 2007 in the National Indoor Football League (NIFL).
Billy Back to Coach Cobras
Billy Back will be the Inaugural Head Coach for the Carolina Cobras.
Back has been the head coach for the Cincinnati Commandos from 2010 to 2012, winning both Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL) Championship games (2010 and 2011), then winning the United Indoor Football League (UIFL) Championship game in 2012.
After leaving the Commandos, Back went to the Texas Revolution in the Indoor Football League (IFL). 2013 wasn’t the year he expected, going 5-9 and missing the playoffs for the first time in his coaching career.
2014 was a fresh start for Back as he got the opportunity to coach for the Nashville Venom of the Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL). He went 10-2 that season and won the PIFL Cup.
In 2015, Back was still with the Venom and went 7-4, then losing the Semi-Finals.
Following the 2015 season, Back went back to the IFL to coach the Wichita Falls Nighthawks. He went 11-5, then lost the Wild Card game in the post season. This season, Back was named the 2016 IFL Coach of the Year.
2017 was bittersweet for Back, going 12-4 but somehow not making the playoffs. The Iowa Barnstormers took the last playoff spot as the Nighthawks lost the final week of the regular season that would potentially be the game that would save them.
The Cobras will be in good hands, having Back. His regular season record is 71-27 (.724) and his post-season record is 8-2 (.800) and a combined record of 79-29 (.731).
