ELF: Leipzig Kings add former NFL coach Fred Armstrong to lead the charge

| American Football | 04/07/2021

As the the newly formed European League of Football aims to continue reshaping and professionalizing football, the Leipzig Kings bring in NFL and European coaching stalwart Fred Armstrong. 

Armstrong began his European coaching career in 1991 in Stockholm with the Solna Chiefs winning a National Championship in his first year. Since then he has gone from strength to strength tallying up five national championships in Sweden, (two with the Stockholm Mean Machines in 2018 and 2019 as offensive coordinator) as led both the Czech and Swedish national teams in successful campaigns and taken both GFL and Austrian league teams deep into the playoffs. He was awarded the European Federation of American Football Coach of The Year 1998 for his time with the Stuttgart Scorpions.

The New Jerseyite has been equally active stateside in high school, college and even in the NFL. From 2011 – 2016 Armstrong turned the Bonneville HS, Idaho, program around and took them to their first playoff appearance in over 10 years. Since 1994 he has coached at almost every level of collegiate football on all three sides of the ball, proving a diversity in approach and adaptability.

In 2006 and 2015 Armstrong spent time with both the New York Giants and Jets respectively working with running backs, receivers and tight ends. He has also been involved in a number of outreach programs aimed at helping high school students combat various social issues. 

In over a 30 year coaching career Fred Armstrong has amassed an impressive head coaching record of 133 wins and 51 losses. It only makes sense that a coach as well traveled as Armstrong has found a home in the European League of Football spanning three countries.

Armstrong had this to say about his signing:

“I am relishing the opportunity to build something new. I haven’t been a head coach for a while so this feels really good.”

The seven team league is set to kick off this summer and has drawn some of the biggest names in Europe such as ex Cleveland Brown Tigie Sankoh and ex Baltimore Raven Chris Ezeala.

Daniel Mackenzie is a Press Association graduate who works in journalism and communications in the third sector. Daniel began playing football for the London Warriors and Team Great Britain and has since played across Europe.