The Strike Force is the third indoor team to play in San Diego, after the San Diego Riptide of af2 (2002–2005) and the San Diego Shockwave of the National Indoor Football League (2007).[3] The team may have planned on being called the San Diego Lightning, as the organization's original email addresses and internal website links used that name.[4]
Due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the team went dormant for the 2021 season.[5]
The team was initially announced as a 2019 Indoor Football League expansion team in November 2018 and was owned by Roy Choi, who was also the owner of the IFL's Cedar Rapids River Kings.[6] The team announced their colors as black, navy blue, silver, as well as their initial staff on December 17, 2018.[7] Brian Cox, a former sports agent and quarterback, was hired as the general manager, while ex-Chargers defensive end Burt Grossman was named head coach.[8][9]
The Strike Force struggled throughout its inaugural season with Grossman remarking the games were like he was "Southwestern College going to play Clemson or something."[10] In their season opener against the Quad City Steamwheelers, they allowed 43 points in the first half and lost 67–49;[11] Grossman attributed the team's struggles to a lack of headsets for the coaches. He eventually fired the defensive coordinator and released four players on defense; the offensive coordinator had also been fired two weeks prior, though Grossman noted both coaches were on the staff prior to his arrival.[12] The Strike Force's first home game, a 65–44 defeat by the Tucson Sugar Skulls,[13] saw a poor playing field consisting of carpet pieces held together with duct tape; four additional players were released a day later.[14] After a 0–3 start, owner Choi brought in the River Kings' general manager Ryan Eucker to replace Cox.[15] The team finished the season with a 1–13 record and last place in the league; their lone win was a 40–34 victory over the River Kings.[16]
Following the 2019 season, Eucker announced the team would undergo a minor rebrand with a new logos and colors, choosing more military tones in olive green, black, silver, and brass to better represent the city.[17] After playing one game, a 50–36 win over the Bismarck Bucks,[18] the rest of the 2020 season was canceled due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Strike Force also withdrew from the 2021 season due to continued pandemic restrictions in California.[19] During the hiatus, Eucker left the team and was replaced by football operations director Geno Gerbo as interim general manager by April 2021.[20] In May 2021, Vivian Lin was announced as the team president and (incorrectly) as the first Asian American woman to be a president of a professional football team.[21][22] That honor actually belongs to Kim Pegula - Owner and President of the Buffalo Bills (NFL) and Buffalo Sabres (NHL).
By November 2021, Gerbo had left the organization and Todd Durkin was named general manager.[23] while Grossman was replaced as head coach by former Christian High School athletic director and football offensive coordinator, David Beezer.[24] In March 2022, it was announced that the team had been sold to a new group of local investors, with Lin as the controlling owner, when Choi no longer wanted to be the owner.[25] However Lin's group was unsuccessful in their purchase attempt, and ownership reverted back to Choi in November of 2022.
^ ab"Front Office". Strike Force. Retrieved December 25, 2022.
^"New professional football team coming to San Diego". San Diego News. December 13, 2018. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
^"Yet Another New Team Coming To Town". San Diego Sports Domination. November 19, 2018.
^"San Diego Strike Force (Official website)". sdstrikeforce.com. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
^"2021 IFL SCHEDULE RELEASED". IFL. November 17, 2020.
^"IFL Announces San Diego Expansion Team". OurSportsCentral.com. November 19, 2018.
^"Indoor Football League takes flight in America's Finest City with the San Diego Strike Force". Strike Force. December 17, 2018.
^Krasovic, Tom (December 18, 2018). "Column: Founder of San Diego indoor football team had harrowing NFL moment, leading to football success". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
^"Strike Force Name Head Coach". Indoor Football League. January 10, 2019. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
^Krasovic, Tom (March 4, 2020). "Column: Burt Grossman says overhaul bodes well for Strike Force to bounce back after first-year chaos". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
^Tappa, Steve (February 22, 2019). "Steamwheelers strike down 'Force in season opener". The Dispatch / The Rock Island Argus. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
^Krasovic, Tom (March 1, 2019). "Column: After road fiasco, Strike Force of Burt Grossman will make San Diego debut". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
^Nguyen, Alexander (March 3, 2019). "San Diego Indoor Football Team Loses in Home Debut". Times of San Diego. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
^Krasovic, Tom (March 22, 2019). "San Diego Strike Force overhaul business side, including slashing ticket prices". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
^"Cedar Rapids River Kings' front office reshuffle ends with Reggie Harris as new GM". The Gazette. March 16, 2019.
^"Game 7 Recap - San Diego vs. Cedar Rapids". San Diego Strike Force. April 14, 2019. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
^Ferguson, Connor (August 14, 2019). "San Diego Strike Force reveal Re-design". Last Word on Sports. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
^"SAN DIEGO STRIKE FORCE TAKES DOWN BUCKS 50-36". Strike Force. March 9, 2020.
^"STRIKE FORCE LOOKING AHEAD TO 2022 SEASON". Strike Force. April 14, 2020.
^"FOOTBALL IS BACK!". Strike Force. April 30, 2021.
^Krasovic, Tom (May 19, 2021). "San Diego football team re-emerges with groundbreaking hire as president". San Diego Union Tribune.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
^"Vivian Lin Named President of the San Diego Strike Force". OurSports Central. May 19, 2021.
^"BREAKING NEWS: STRIKE FORCE ANNOUNCE TODD DURKIN AS THEIR NEW GM". San Diego Strike Force. November 10, 2021.
^"SAN DIEGO STRIKE FORCE NAMES DAVID BEEZER AS HEAD COACH". San Diego Strike Force. November 17, 2021.
^"Column: Strike Force's home opener comes under new local ownership". The San Diego Union-Tribune. March 28, 2022.
External links
Official website
January 07, 2023
diego, strike, force, professional, indoor, football, team, based, diego, california, member, indoor, football, league, began, play, 2019, pechanga, arena, city, midway, district, second, professional, football, team, diego, that, began, play, spring, 2019, af. The San Diego Strike Force is a professional indoor football team based in San Diego California It is a member of the Indoor Football League and began play in 2019 at Pechanga Arena in the city s Midway district 2 It is the second professional football team in San Diego that began play in spring 2019 after the San Diego Fleet of the Alliance of American Football more than year after the departure of the NFL s San Diego Chargers in 2017 San Diego Strike ForceCurrent seasonEstablished 2018Play in San Diego Californiaat the Pechanga ArenaSDStrikeForce comLeague conference affiliationsIndoor Football League 2019 present Team colorsFlight suit green stealth black yellow white PersonnelOwner s Roy ChoiPresidentBurt Grossman 1 lt ref gt KUSI Newsroom kusi com Retrieved December 25 2022 lt ref gt General managerGeno Gerbo 1 Head coachTaylor GenuserTeam historySan Diego Strike Force 2019 present ChampionshipsLeague championships 0 Conference championships 0 Division championships 0 Home arena s Pechanga Arena 2019 present The Strike Force is the third indoor team to play in San Diego after the San Diego Riptide of af2 2002 2005 and the San Diego Shockwave of the National Indoor Football League 2007 3 The team may have planned on being called the San Diego Lightning as the organization s original email addresses and internal website links used that name 4 Due to the effects of the COVID 19 pandemic the team went dormant for the 2021 season 5 Contents 1 History 2 Roster 3 References 4 External linksHistory EditThe team was initially announced as a 2019 Indoor Football League expansion team in November 2018 and was owned by Roy Choi who was also the owner of the IFL s Cedar Rapids River Kings 6 The team announced their colors as black navy blue silver as well as their initial staff on December 17 2018 7 Brian Cox a former sports agent and quarterback was hired as the general manager while ex Chargers defensive end Burt Grossman was named head coach 8 9 The Strike Force struggled throughout its inaugural season with Grossman remarking the games were like he was Southwestern College going to play Clemson or something 10 In their season opener against the Quad City Steamwheelers they allowed 43 points in the first half and lost 67 49 11 Grossman attributed the team s struggles to a lack of headsets for the coaches He eventually fired the defensive coordinator and released four players on defense the offensive coordinator had also been fired two weeks prior though Grossman noted both coaches were on the staff prior to his arrival 12 The Strike Force s first home game a 65 44 defeat by the Tucson Sugar Skulls 13 saw a poor playing field consisting of carpet pieces held together with duct tape four additional players were released a day later 14 After a 0 3 start owner Choi brought in the River Kings general manager Ryan Eucker to replace Cox 15 The team finished the season with a 1 13 record and last place in the league their lone win was a 40 34 victory over the River Kings 16 Following the 2019 season Eucker announced the team would undergo a minor rebrand with a new logos and colors choosing more military tones in olive green black silver and brass to better represent the city 17 After playing one game a 50 36 win over the Bismarck Bucks 18 the rest of the 2020 season was canceled due to the onset of the COVID 19 pandemic The Strike Force also withdrew from the 2021 season due to continued pandemic restrictions in California 19 During the hiatus Eucker left the team and was replaced by football operations director Geno Gerbo as interim general manager by April 2021 20 In May 2021 Vivian Lin was announced as the team president and incorrectly as the first Asian American woman to be a president of a professional football team 21 22 That honor actually belongs to Kim Pegula Owner and President of the Buffalo Bills NFL and Buffalo Sabres NHL By November 2021 Gerbo had left the organization and Todd Durkin was named general manager 23 while Grossman was replaced as head coach by former Christian High School athletic director and football offensive coordinator David Beezer 24 In March 2022 it was announced that the team had been sold to a new group of local investors with Lin as the controlling owner when Choi no longer wanted to be the owner 25 However Lin s group was unsuccessful in their purchase attempt and ownership reverted back to Choi in November of 2022 Roster EditSan Diego Strike Force roster Quarterbacks Aaron Aiken Demry CroftRunning backs Kamari Pleasant Terrence Smith 8 Travon Van Tim WhitfieldWide receivers Elijah Bell Kentrez Bell Sammie Epps Patrick Jean Charles 3 Kris Lewis Dominique Reed 12 Marques Rodgers Dez Stewart 23 Amechie Walker Offensive linemen Ty McCulleyDefensive linemen Michael Badejo Jeremiah Caine 19 DeShon Cooper 55 Penaia Moa Joey Noble Desmond Raiford 99 Javian Williams Linebackers Clayton Glasco D J MorganDefensive backs Terin Adams Micah Eugene Tre Johnson Brandon Mayes Shawn ShamburgerKickers Currently vacant Reserve lists Currently vacantRookies in italicsRoster updated December 25 202230 Active 0 Inactive More rostersReferences Edit a b Front Office Strike Force Retrieved December 25 2022 New professional football team coming to San Diego San Diego News December 13 2018 Retrieved 14 December 2018 Yet Another New Team Coming To Town San Diego Sports Domination November 19 2018 San Diego Strike Force Official website sdstrikeforce com Retrieved November 28 2018 2021 IFL SCHEDULE RELEASED IFL November 17 2020 IFL Announces San Diego Expansion Team OurSportsCentral com November 19 2018 Indoor Football League takes flight in America s Finest City with the San Diego Strike Force Strike Force December 17 2018 Krasovic Tom December 18 2018 Column Founder of San Diego indoor football team had harrowing NFL moment leading to football success The San Diego Union Tribune Retrieved July 4 2020 Strike Force Name Head Coach Indoor Football League January 10 2019 Retrieved July 4 2020 Krasovic Tom March 4 2020 Column Burt Grossman says overhaul bodes well for Strike Force to bounce back after first year chaos The San Diego Union Tribune Retrieved July 4 2020 Tappa Steve February 22 2019 Steamwheelers strike down Force in season opener The Dispatch The Rock Island Argus Retrieved July 4 2020 Krasovic Tom March 1 2019 Column After road fiasco Strike Force of Burt Grossman will make San Diego debut The San Diego Union Tribune Retrieved July 4 2020 Nguyen Alexander March 3 2019 San Diego Indoor Football Team Loses in Home Debut Times of San Diego Retrieved July 4 2020 Krasovic Tom March 22 2019 San Diego Strike Force overhaul business side including slashing ticket prices The San Diego Union Tribune Retrieved July 4 2020 Cedar Rapids River Kings front office reshuffle ends with Reggie Harris as new GM The Gazette March 16 2019 Game 7 Recap San Diego vs Cedar Rapids San Diego Strike Force April 14 2019 Retrieved July 4 2020 Ferguson Connor August 14 2019 San Diego Strike Force reveal Re design Last Word on Sports Retrieved July 4 2020 SAN DIEGO STRIKE FORCE TAKES DOWN BUCKS 50 36 Strike Force March 9 2020 STRIKE FORCE LOOKING AHEAD TO 2022 SEASON Strike Force April 14 2020 FOOTBALL IS BACK Strike Force April 30 2021 Krasovic Tom May 19 2021 San Diego football team re emerges with groundbreaking hire as president San Diego Union Tribune a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint url status link Vivian Lin Named President of the San Diego Strike Force OurSports Central May 19 2021 BREAKING NEWS STRIKE FORCE ANNOUNCE TODD DURKIN AS THEIR NEW GM San Diego Strike Force November 10 2021 SAN DIEGO STRIKE FORCE NAMES DAVID BEEZER AS HEAD COACH San Diego Strike Force November 17 2021 Column Strike Force s home opener comes under new local ownership The San Diego Union Tribune March 28 2022 External links EditOfficial website Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title San Diego Strike Force amp 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