The Cologne Centurions have announced that they have hired Christos Lambropoulos to be their offensive coordinator next season.
Born in Australia of Greek heritage, the 33-year-old Lambropoulos started coaching for the Sutherland Seahawks in Australia and eventually worked his way up to the Australian National team staff. In 2019, he took a chance, joining fellow Aussie Jon Leijten, coaching with the Düsseldorf Panther in the German Football League. However, things didn’t quite go as planned as the Panther were relegated to the second league and their contracts were not renewed. Despite a dismal record that season, there was a silver lining as the European game made an impression on Lambropoulos, as he eventually chose to return to Germany, joining the Saarland Hurricanes, where he quickly rose to the position of head coach after the previous head coach stepped aside in early 2021. Although he had limited experience coaching in Europe, and no experience being a head coach in the continent, Lambropoulos found success with the Hurricanes. In 2021, the team went 8-2 in the regular season and made the playoffs for the first time in five years. After the season, Lambropoulos received the honor of being named the GFL’s Coach of the Year. In 2022, the Hurricanes took a step back, finishing 4-6, but Lambropoulos’ offenses were potent, scoring an average of 35 points per game.
Last season in the European League of Football, the Centurions finished just 3-9, a disappointing campaign after their playoff appearance in 2021. After the season, the team parted ways with Frank Roser, who had served as head coach and offensive coordinator. Last month, the team hired Kahlil Carter as head coach. Carter is a defensive specialist who will also serve as defensive coordinator, and the team hopes Lambropoulos will complement him well.
Cologne general manager David Drane said this of the hire:
“Christos brings coaching experience in Europe and an aggressive offensive style to our team. He is very popular to his players and is also very knowledgeable about his strategy and style of play. We are pleased to have signed the former ‘GFL Coach of the Year’ and are convinced that he will help us a lot on the way to a successful season.”