04/23/02 Renegades Press Release
Magers Selects Indoor Football Veteran To Lead RiverCity

April 23, 2002 – After an 0-4 start to the 2002 National Indoor Football League regular season, RiverCity Renegades Managing Partner Bill Magers replaced John Busby with indoor football veteran Bill Charles as the franchise’s head coach. Charles becomes the first head coach in the Renegades’ two-year existence to possess prior indoor football coaching experience.

“We were very pleased with the leadership and effort from John Busby as our head coach,” said Magers. “This decision was made purely as an opportunity to better our football team through the addition of a head coach with prior experience in our unique sport. Bill Charles’ work with the Minnesota Fighting Pike and Iowa Barnstormers of the Arena Football League and as Head Coach of the Fargo Freeze in the Indoor Football League will give our players, and our franchise, the edge we need to compete in the NIFL.”

Charles brings more than 30 years of coaching experience to the Renegades. Most recently, he served as the Special Assistant to the Head Football Coach at Drake University in Des Moines – where he helped lead the Bulldogs to a #1 NCAA Division IAA ranking and three Pioneer League Championships. In 2000, he was the Head Coach and Director of Football Operations with Fargo and posted a 4-10 record. From 1995-96, he was the Assistant Head Football Coach for the Fighting Pike during their first two seasons of existence and worked with the Director of Player Personnel for the Iowa Barnstormers in 1994.

Charles will lead the Renegades into battle this weekend against the Tennessee ThunderCats (2-2) in Knoxville. The Renegades and ThunderCats both moved to the NIFL prior to the season after competing last season in the Indoor Professional Football League. Tennessee won all five prior meetings between the teams, including two victories at the Knoxville Civic Center.

The Renegades return home on May 4 to begin a four-game home-stand at the Family Arena. RiverCity faces a rematch with the Ohio Valley Greyhounds on May 4, with kickoff scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Ohio Valley defeated the Renegades 66-14 on April 5 and leads the Atlantic North Division with a 4-0 record this season. On May 11, the Renegades face the Tupelo Fireants (1-2) and on May 25, the ThunderCats visit the Family Arena. The home-stand concludes on June 2, when the Wyoming Cavalry travels to St. Louis for the only time this season.

At this time, the current Renegades’ coaching staff is unaffected by the head coaching change. Remaining on the staff are Assistant Head Coach Mark Fowler, Offensive Coordinator Alexander Wright, Defensive Coordinator Lafayette Gatewood and Special Teams Coach John Fortney.

Renegades tickets are now on sale at the St. Charles Family Arena Box Office, all MetroTix ticket outlets, by calling MetroTix at (314) 534-1111, at www.metrotix.com or through the Renegades group sales office at (314) 216-2000. For Renegades information, check out www.rivercityrenegades.com.