Former Sportexe af2 Coach of the Year Makes AFL Impact
San Jose Defensive Coordinator Kevin Guy Changes Leagues, Not Success
Round Rock, TX, May 05, 2007 --(PR.com)-- The San Jose SaberCats (5-3) remained undefeated at home after its defense forced five Utah turnovers and registered four sacks holding the Blaze to a season-low point total in a 69-48 win in an Arena Football League game Satuday, April 28 at HP Pavilion.
The win sent San Jose to first place in the AFL’s Western Division, and was the SaberCats’ 10th straight regular victory dating back to the 2006 season at HP Pavilion, which features Sportexe – the exclusive and official synthetic turf supplier and game system provider for both the AFL and arenafootball2.
One reason for the San Jose win over Utah was the play of former Southern Miss linebacker Ron Jones, which earned the defensive player of the week honors after setting team records with 3.0 quarterback sacks and 4.0 tackles for loss, while matching the team mark with a pair of forced fumbles. He also added a fumble recovery and a pass breakup.
Jones led a defense that forced five Utah turnovers and held the league’s highest scoring offense to its lowest point total of the year in a 69-48 win and broke the team single-game records that have stood since 2000.
However, the main reason for the SaberCats’ defensive dominance has been the addition of defensive coordinator Kevin Guy two seasons ago. In his first year with the team, Guy’s defense finished the regular season ranked in the top five of four defensive statistical categories. He directed a unit that forced 34 turnovers and ranked fourth in the league with a +7 turnover margin.
The SaberCats’ rushing defense was impenetrable in 2006 allowing only 14.3 rushing yards per contest, and only allowed its opponents to score just 77.5 percent of the time, the seventh-best ranking in the league.
“We’ve got an exceptional core of defensive players that makes my job a little easier,” said Guy. “My time in San Jose has been great and I am happy to be working with one of the greatest teams in the Arena Football League.”
The former af2 head coach and 2003 Sportexe af2 Coach of the Year, still holds the record for most coaching victories in the history of af2. He registered 52 career wins and a .732 winning percentage while leading the Tennessee Valley Vipers (2002-04) and Rio Grande Valley Dorados (2005).
Guy, a former defensive back who played four years in the AFL, has coached an Ironman of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Lineman of the Year award winners while having 14 players earn All-af2 recognition.
“We’ve got one of the best defensive coaches in the game,” said Jones. “He calls the right plays at the right time, we just have to go out there and make all the right executions.”
“Kevin embeds his competitive nature and aggressiveness into all of our players,” said San Jose head coach Darren Arbet. “He expects a high level of performance from each of them and his players continue to deliver when we need them to.”
This season Guy’s defense leads the AFL in red zone efficiency (71.8) and first downs allowed per game (18.1). The SaberCats’ defense tied for third in sacks (10) and ranks third in third-down percentage (43.1). San Jose also ranks fifth in yards allowed per game (284.0).
“We continue to go out and work hard every week in practice as we try to reach our goals and word towards the playoffs,” said Guy. "Our productivity has increased from the beginning of the season, but we've still got a long way to go.”
The first-place SaberCats travel to Arizona to face the Rattlers on Saturday, May 5 and return to HP Pavilion on Saturday May 12 to host the Las Vegas Gladiators.
“It’s so rewarding to see one of the many Sportexe Coach of the Year alumni continue to prosper,” said football insider and Sportexe spokesperson Aaron S. Lee. “Sportexe certainly saw something special with Coach Guy in 2003, and those qualities that made Guy a success during his af2 days are certainly being utilized to make San Jose one of the AFL’s premier teams and Guy one its top coaches.”
Sportexe, which also names amateur and professional coach of the year winners throughout North America and Europe, will present the official Sportexe af2 Coach of the Year award during ArenaCup8 to be held in Bossier City, La., on Aug. 25. The latest news headlines and coach profiles from af2 can be found by visiting www.sportexe.com.
Sportexe is currently underfoot of many of the nation’s elite athletes from the NFL and NCAA, and is the exclusive turf provider for the Arena Football League, arenafootball2, Major Indoor Soccer League and the National Lacrosse League.
• Sportexe •
About Sportexe:
With offices in Ontario, Texas, and Georgia, Sportexe is dedicated to delivering top notch synthetic turf solutions to each and every client. As an acknowledged leader in the industry, the U.S Company prides itself on delivering products that feature the latest in innovation and superior engineering with an emphasis on research and development. Currently Sportexe is the exclusive or official turf system supplier for The Arena Football League, (AFL/AF2), National Lacrosse League (NLL), Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL), U.S. Indoor Soccer Association, and the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA). Additionally, Sportexe partners with the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA). Sportexe has also made tremendous progress in the international scene by securing relationships with both the International Hockey Fédération (FIH), and the Federation International de Football Association (FIFA).
For additional information and an inside look at our cutting-edge products, please visit
www.sportexe.com
###
The win sent San Jose to first place in the AFL’s Western Division, and was the SaberCats’ 10th straight regular victory dating back to the 2006 season at HP Pavilion, which features Sportexe – the exclusive and official synthetic turf supplier and game system provider for both the AFL and arenafootball2.
One reason for the San Jose win over Utah was the play of former Southern Miss linebacker Ron Jones, which earned the defensive player of the week honors after setting team records with 3.0 quarterback sacks and 4.0 tackles for loss, while matching the team mark with a pair of forced fumbles. He also added a fumble recovery and a pass breakup.
Jones led a defense that forced five Utah turnovers and held the league’s highest scoring offense to its lowest point total of the year in a 69-48 win and broke the team single-game records that have stood since 2000.
However, the main reason for the SaberCats’ defensive dominance has been the addition of defensive coordinator Kevin Guy two seasons ago. In his first year with the team, Guy’s defense finished the regular season ranked in the top five of four defensive statistical categories. He directed a unit that forced 34 turnovers and ranked fourth in the league with a +7 turnover margin.
The SaberCats’ rushing defense was impenetrable in 2006 allowing only 14.3 rushing yards per contest, and only allowed its opponents to score just 77.5 percent of the time, the seventh-best ranking in the league.
“We’ve got an exceptional core of defensive players that makes my job a little easier,” said Guy. “My time in San Jose has been great and I am happy to be working with one of the greatest teams in the Arena Football League.”
The former af2 head coach and 2003 Sportexe af2 Coach of the Year, still holds the record for most coaching victories in the history of af2. He registered 52 career wins and a .732 winning percentage while leading the Tennessee Valley Vipers (2002-04) and Rio Grande Valley Dorados (2005).
Guy, a former defensive back who played four years in the AFL, has coached an Ironman of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Lineman of the Year award winners while having 14 players earn All-af2 recognition.
“We’ve got one of the best defensive coaches in the game,” said Jones. “He calls the right plays at the right time, we just have to go out there and make all the right executions.”
“Kevin embeds his competitive nature and aggressiveness into all of our players,” said San Jose head coach Darren Arbet. “He expects a high level of performance from each of them and his players continue to deliver when we need them to.”
This season Guy’s defense leads the AFL in red zone efficiency (71.8) and first downs allowed per game (18.1). The SaberCats’ defense tied for third in sacks (10) and ranks third in third-down percentage (43.1). San Jose also ranks fifth in yards allowed per game (284.0).
“We continue to go out and work hard every week in practice as we try to reach our goals and word towards the playoffs,” said Guy. "Our productivity has increased from the beginning of the season, but we've still got a long way to go.”
The first-place SaberCats travel to Arizona to face the Rattlers on Saturday, May 5 and return to HP Pavilion on Saturday May 12 to host the Las Vegas Gladiators.
“It’s so rewarding to see one of the many Sportexe Coach of the Year alumni continue to prosper,” said football insider and Sportexe spokesperson Aaron S. Lee. “Sportexe certainly saw something special with Coach Guy in 2003, and those qualities that made Guy a success during his af2 days are certainly being utilized to make San Jose one of the AFL’s premier teams and Guy one its top coaches.”
Sportexe, which also names amateur and professional coach of the year winners throughout North America and Europe, will present the official Sportexe af2 Coach of the Year award during ArenaCup8 to be held in Bossier City, La., on Aug. 25. The latest news headlines and coach profiles from af2 can be found by visiting www.sportexe.com.
Sportexe is currently underfoot of many of the nation’s elite athletes from the NFL and NCAA, and is the exclusive turf provider for the Arena Football League, arenafootball2, Major Indoor Soccer League and the National Lacrosse League.
• Sportexe •
About Sportexe:
With offices in Ontario, Texas, and Georgia, Sportexe is dedicated to delivering top notch synthetic turf solutions to each and every client. As an acknowledged leader in the industry, the U.S Company prides itself on delivering products that feature the latest in innovation and superior engineering with an emphasis on research and development. Currently Sportexe is the exclusive or official turf system supplier for The Arena Football League, (AFL/AF2), National Lacrosse League (NLL), Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL), U.S. Indoor Soccer Association, and the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA). Additionally, Sportexe partners with the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA). Sportexe has also made tremendous progress in the international scene by securing relationships with both the International Hockey Fédération (FIH), and the Federation International de Football Association (FIFA).
For additional information and an inside look at our cutting-edge products, please visit
www.sportexe.com
###
Contact
Sportexe
Nic Vlcek
512-744-0342
www.sportexe.com
Nic Vlcek
512-744-0342
www.sportexe.com
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