Head coaches in Gridiron have strong supporting staffs

By DON HUNSBERGER, DAILY SUN

Friday, December 24, 2004 9:02 AM EST

THE VILLAGES - A strong group of coaches drawn from the ranks of NFL Europe were named Thursday to assist the co-head coaches of the North and South squads.

NORTH

Jim Tressel of Ohio State and Mike Jones of the Frankfurt Galaxy will direct the Northerners, aided by an able group of NFL Europe veterans.

Bob Bicknell

Bob Bicknell enters his first season with the Cologne Centurions, after coaching the Berlin Thunder offense for the past four years. After tutoring Berlin's offensive linemen in 2000, Bicknell was promoted to oversee an offense that topped the league in 2002 and ranked second in 2001.

Bob played as a tight end for his father, Jack Bicknell, at Boston College.

Mike Jones

Mike Jones became the fifth head coach in Galaxy history on January 30, 2004, succeeding Jack Elway (1991-92), Ernie Stautner (1995-97), Dick Curl (1998-2000) and Doug Graber (2001-2003).

Jones has worked as offensive coordinator for the Rhein Fire for the last two years. He was on the coaching staff of the Fire from 1995-2000 and 2002-2003.

He has coached many successful wide receivers such as Marcus Robinson, Jason Tucker and Jeff Ogden during two spells with the Fire. Was a wide receiver with the Minnesota Vikings (1983-85) and was traded to the New Orleans Saints (1986-87, 89).

Ed O'Neil

Ed O'Neil returns to the Frankfurt Galaxy as defensive coordinator after working for three years with the Rhein Fire as defensive line coach. O'Neil is entering his seventh year with NFL Europe and won the World Bowl with Frankfurt in 1999, while serving as the Galaxy's linebackers coach from 1999-2000. With Rhein Fire he reached to back to back World Bowl finals in 2002 and 2003.

Kenny Stills

Kenny Stills enters his second season as a defensive backs coach of the Frankfurt Galaxy. In his first year, he won a World Bowl ring with victory over the Rhein Fire in Glasgow. The former NFL standout who played five seasons for the Green Bay Packers and spent two seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, is in his first year as defensive backs coach and special teams coordinator. In 2002, Stills coached the secondary at Palomar College. In 2001, he coached running backs and special teams for the Los Angeles Extreme in the XFL.

Peter Vaas

Peter Vaas was appointed as head coach of the Cologne Centurions on November 3, 2003, following four seasons with Berlin, during which time he won two World Bowls.

In his final season in Berlin, Vaas led the Thunder to a 3-7 record. In 2002, Vaas ensured the Thunder made history by helping them become the first team to win back-to-back World Bowls in NFL Europe with a 26-21 victory over the Rhein Fire in World Bowl X, earning Coach of the Year honors in the process. In 2001, Vaas led the Thunder to their first World Bowl title with a 24-17 victory over the Barcelona at Amsterdam Arena.

Vaas was named Berlin's head coach in 2000 season. A former college quarterback, Vaas joined NFL Europe in 1998 as an offensive assistant for the Barcelona Dragons. In 1999, he helped the Dragons to a league-best 7-3 record and a berth in the World Bowl.

SOUTH

For the South, Rick Lantz of the Berlin Thunder and Virginia Tech's Frank Beamer will serve as co-head coaches, joined by a more-than-capable group of assistants.

Don Eck

Don Eck, 42, joined the Berlin Thunder in 2004 after being with the Scottish Claymores in 2003. He was responsible for the offensive line of the Claymores, who had the best offense in NFL Europe in 2003. He was named Offensive Coordinator of the Thunder on January 29, 2004.

After playing center at the University of Utah from 1980-1982 he began his coaching career for the same program in 1983 after being awarded a Bachelors degree in physical education. He was a student assistant from 1983 until 1984, and a graduate assistant from 1985-1986.

Rick Lantz

Rick Lantz was named head coach of the Berlin Thunder on November 6, 2003. He becomes the third head coach in team history, following Wes Chandler (1999) and Peter Vaas (2000-2003).

Lantz brings 40 years of coaching experience to Germany's capital city and has coached at some of the biggest schools in college football, in the NFL and in NFL Europe, where he spent the 2003 season tutoring linebackers for the Barcelona Dragons.

Steve Logan

Steve Logan will join the NFL Europe League for his first year in 2004 and will be responsible for the Berlin Thunder quarterbacks.

He was head coach of East Carolina University from 1992-2002 and previously coached the running backs there from 1989-2001. Before that he had stints with Mississippi State, Oklahoma State, Tulsa and Colorado.

Rick Smith

Rick Smith joins the Berlin Thunder as defensive backs coach and 2004 will mark his first year in the NFL Europe League.

In 2002 and 2003 Smith served as the co-defensive coordinator of the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs. Smith, 55, had six years of experience as a Division I-A defensive coordinator before working at Tech, where he replaced Tom Masella.

Smith served as assistant head coach and secondary coach at Kentucky in 2000-2001. He was also defensive coordinator at Tulane in 1997 and 1998 - the year the Green Wave went 12-0 and finished the season ranked No. 7 in both major college football polls.

Jim Tomsula

Jim Tomsula will serve as defensive coordinator of the Berlin Thunder in 2004 after five seasons as defensive line coach with the Scottish Claymores and his first season in professional football with the England Monarchs in 1998.

Tomsula always gets the most out of his players who consistently play with the pride and emotion personified by their coach. At age 35, Tomsula is also one of the youngest coaches in the NFL Europe League.

During the off-season, Jim lives in Pittsburgh with his wife Julie and their daughters Britney and Brooke.