Orlando Predators (2019–)
 | It has been suggested that this article be merged with Orlando Predators. (Discuss) Proposed since January 2024. |
| Orlando Predators | |
|---|---|
 Current season | |
| Established 2019 Play in Orlando, Florida at the Kia Center OrlandoPredatorsFootball.com | |
| League/conference affiliations | |
| National Arena League (2019–2023) Arena Football League (2024–present) | |
Current uniform | |
| Team colors | Black, red, gold, white |
| Nicknames | Preds |
| Mascot | Klaw |
| Personnel | |
| Owner(s) | John Cheney |
| General manager | Shawn Knapp[1] |
| Head coach | E.J. Burt |
| Team history | |
| |
| Championships | |
| League championships (0) | |
| Conference championships (0) | |
| Division championships (0) | |
| Playoff appearances (2) | |
| NAL: 2021, 2023 | |
| Home arena(s) | |
| |
The Orlando Predators are a professional indoor football team based in Orlando, Florida, with home games at the Kia Center (formerly Amway Center[2]) and is a member of the revived Arena Football League. They were members of the National Arena League from 2019 to 2023 and marketed as a revival of the original Orlando Predators, who had played 25 seasons in the original AFL from 1991 to 2016. The original owners of this team acquired the Predators' trademarks in late 2018 after the previous owner, David A. Siegel, allowed them to lapse.[3][4]
History
[edit]The relaunch of the Orlando Predators as a member of the National Arena League was announced in January 2019 and was owned by Kenny McEntyre and Nate Starling after acquiring the trademarks for the team in late 2018.[5] McEntyre and inaugural head coach Doug Miller were both former players with the AFL incarnation of the team. In their inaugural 2019 season, the team finished with a 2–12 record and last place in the league. During the season, players claimed the team was poorly operated including failed payments and evictions from team housing.[6]
Prior to the team's second season, the ownership of the Predators were removed by the league[7] and replaced by another local ownership group composed of co-owner Nate Starling and the Trideco family.[8] The new ownership group brought in former AFL Predator Ben Bennett as head coach. The 2020 season never took place due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
On May 21, 2021, the team announced the Trideco family's minority ownership had been purchased by John Cheney, allowing the Trideco family to focus on launching the expansion Albany Empire.[9] Under Bennett, the team went 4–4 and qualified for the playoffs for the first time. Bennett left the team following the season was replaced by Jeff Higgins.[10]
On September 16, 2022, the Predators announced veteran player Herkie Walls as their new head coach. [11]
Ownership change and return to the Arena Football League
[edit]On July 18, 2023, the Predators announced that Nate Starling and Mike Kwarta had left the ownership group and co-owner John Cheney took sole ownership of the franchise. On the same day, Cheney announced of the team's Facebook page that the team would be returning to the Arena Football League that expects to re-launch in 2024.[12] They were officially added to the new AFL at a press conference on September 25, 2023. Former AFL Predator E.J. Burt was introduced as the head coach on November 6, 2023.[13]
Current roster
[edit]Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
|
Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen
|
Linebackers
Defensive backs
Special teams
|
Reserve lists
|
Statistics
[edit]Season-by-season results
[edit]| League champions | Playoff berth | League leader |
| Season | League | Regular season | Postseason results | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finish | Wins | Losses | Ties | |||
| 2019 | NAL | 6th | 2 | 12 | 0 | Did not qualify |
| 2020 | NAL | Season cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | ||||
| 2021 | NAL | 3rd | 4 | 4 | 0 | Lost semifinal (Columbus) 43–61 |
| 2022 | NAL | 6th | 3 | 9 | 0 | Did not qualify |
| 2023 | NAL | 4th | 4 | 8 | 0 | Lost semifinal (Jacksonville) 18–62 |
| 2024 | AFL | 4th | 5 | 2 | 0 | Lost Round 1 (Nashville Kats) 62–32 |
| Totals | 18 | 35 | 0 | All-time regular season record (2019–2023) | ||
| 0 | 3 | — | All-time postseason record (2019–2023) | |||
| 18 | 38 | 0 | All-time regular season and postseason record (2019–2023) | |||
Head coaches
[edit]Note: Statistics are correct through the 2024 National Arena League season.
| Name | Term | Regular season | Playoffs | Awards | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | Win% | W | L | |||
| Doug Miller | 2019 | 2 | 12 | 0 | .143 | 0 | 0 | |
| Ben Bennett | 2021 | 4 | 4 | 0 | .500 | 0 | 1 | |
| Jeff Higgins | 2022 | 3 | 9 | 0 | .250 | 0 | 0 | |
| Herkie Walls | 2023 | 4 | 8 | 0 | – | 0 | 1 | |
| EJ Burt | 2024-Present | 5 | 2 | 0 | .714 | 0 | 0 | |
References
[edit]- ^ "WELCOME TO THE TEAM SHAWN KNAPP!". Orlando Predators. August 16, 2022.
- ^ "NBA.com: Orlando's Premier Downtown Sports and Entertainment Destination to be Renamed Kia Center". NBA.com. NBA. December 20, 2023. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
- ^ "P ORLANDO PREDATORS - Trademark Details". trademarks.justia.com. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
- ^ "ORLANDO PREDATORS - Trademark Details". trademarks.justia.com. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
- ^ J.C. Carnahan (January 16, 2019). "Kenny McEntyre revives Orlando Predators in National Arena League". Orlando Sentinel.
- ^ "Orlando Predators player claims team's financial troubles led to bounced checks, evictions". WFTV. August 2, 2019.
- ^ "New Faces to Join the Orlando Predators in 2020 New Ownership Group and Head Coach". NAL. October 12, 2019.
- ^ "Orlando Predators Announce New Ownership and the Addition of Ben Bennett as Head Coach". NAL. October 30, 2019.
- ^ "ORGANIZATION ANNOUNCEMENT: PREDATORS WELCOME JOHN CHENEY". Orlando Predators. May 21, 2021.
- ^ "NEW HEAD COACH". Orlando Predators. November 18, 2021.
- ^ "ORLANDO PREDATORS NAME HERKIE WALLS NEW HEAD COACH". National Arena League. September 16, 2022.
- ^ "The Orlando Predators". Orlando Predators Facebook page. July 19, 2023.
- ^ "The Orlando Predators". Orlando Predators Facebook page. July 19, 2023.