Barcelona Dragons and Head Coach Andrew Weidinger split following playoff loss

| American Football | 09/14/2022

The Barcelona Dragons, European League of Football semifinalists, and head coach Andrew Weidinger, have mutually decided to part ways following the Dragon’s lopsided playoff loss in Vienna. Barcelona General Manager Bart Iaccarino thanked Weidinger for his commitment and efforts for the Dragons franchise:

We greatly appreciate the work of Coach Andrew during this season, his commitment to the team and the hard work he has done. We want to thank and acknowledge all the effort to take the Barcelona Dragons as far as possible this season, in which we have reached the semi-finals. On the other hand, we have decided to separate our paths by mutual agreement, since in certain aspects we do not coincide in being and finding what is expected of the other party”.

Barcelona’s first-year head coach helped lead the Dragons to an impressive 8-4 regular season record and a playoff berth. The success of Spain’s lone ELF team came as a surprise in 2022, following a 3-7 record in the team’s prior season. The offensive-minded Weidinger helped the Dragons achieve a top-five offense in points and the league’s second-best passing attack.

The 40-year-old native of Phoenix, Arizona spent 11 years coaching at the highest levels of the game starting with the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons as a player personnel scout in 2007 and moving up to assistant to the head coach from 2008 to 2012. From 2012 to 2014, Weidinger served as offensive assistant coach for the Falcons.

From 2015 to 2018, he worked for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the offensive quality control coach and assistant wide receiver coach. During his years with the Buccaneers, Weidinger was also responsible for game management.

In 2021, Weidinger first came overseas, spending a season as offensive coordinator for the Potsdam Royals in the German Football League. Under Weidinger, the Royals finished with the fourth highest scoring offense in the GFL and the top rushing offense and reached the GFL semifinals for the first time in their history.

Alex is a former NCAA and semi-pro American football player who is now located in London, where he works in digital marketing. His goal in writing for AFI is to stay involved with the game that has given him so much. Alex enjoys covering leagues and