The Coventry Jets have announced that former kicker and defensive end Alan Steel has been installed as Defensive Co-ordinator after temporarily filling the vacancy through the first four games of the season. Head Coach Paul Rickhuss expressed his delight at the appointment “Alan’s been a revelation since we lumped all of the extra responsibility on his shoulders. He ran the Special Teams last year and we were only expecting him to do the same again this year. However, things changed and he adapted quickly and has made the role his own. Giving Alan the job full time was the easiest decision I’ve ever had to make.”
Steel, a tour operator from Glasgow, relocated to the Midlands in 2009 and has been part of the Jets ever since filling several roles in his time at the club. “I’ve always been happy to help in whichever position the club have needed me to” said Steel, aged 53, continuing “but this was most unexpected”. During the Jets season opening loss away to the Nottingham Caesars, Steel had been ask to handle defensive rotations to keep the young Coventry squad fresh. However, his half time adjustments led to a greatly improved second half performance and the seeds were sewn for today’s announcement.
In the following three and a half games the Jets have allowed only six touchdowns with the majority due to the defence being landed in poor field position. “It’s been a bit of a baptism of fire” commented Steel “I’m having to learn as I go but we have a great coaching staff that I can rely on to help me out. I genuinely don’t think there’s a better person in the Country to speak to about running a defence than our Offensive Co-ordinator Paul Newey, if there’s anything he doesn’t know, then it’s not worth knowing.”
A former British Champion with the Glasgow Lions Juniors, scoring the winning touchdown in the final, Steel enjoyed a spell at Auburn University before helping the Jets to the Britbowl final in 2010. Steel’s first task will be to shut down the high-scoring Caesars offence when they meet the Jets at Coventry Saracens RFC on Saturday afternoon. Coventry will be buoyed by their second half performance away to Nottingham in which they limited the Division leaders to just a field goal. The Jets were further boosted last weekend as the Caesars were defeated 30-23 at home by the West Coast Trojans.
That result means that, although the Jets remain behind their opponents in fourth place, they once again control their own destiny and can finish the season as the top seed in the North guaranteeing a home fixture in the playoff semi-final. “Our aim is to win the division” admitted Steel “but we know there’s a lot of work to be done. We need a good performance on Saturday to get back on track and then we’ll take it from there.” Coventry have had further good news with the return to fitness of two of their most potent offensive weapons. Quarterback Joe Brammer is healthy after picking u a knock on Great Britain duty last weekend and running back Tony Perkins has recovered from an injury sustained in the defeat to the Lancashire Wolverines three weeks ago.
You can see the Jets in action on Saturday (the 26th of May) at Coventry Saracens RFC (Bredon Avenue, Binley CV3 2FD), kick-off is scheduled for 15:00. For more details on the Coventry Jets please visit their website www.covjets.com or follow them on Twitter www.twitter.com/CoventryJets.