By Anthony Caruso III
Posted: October 4th, 2012 at 12:56 AM EST
The Philadelphia Soul has signed head coach Clint Dolezel to a two-year contract.
His new contract comes after the Arena Football League has granted two year contracts for head coaches, starting with the 2013 season. Previously, all head coaches were under 1-year contracts.
Dolezel became the head coach after Doug Plank decided to step away for personal reasons. But a month later, he was hired by the Orlando Predators.
Last season, Dolezel served as the assistant head coach/offensive coordinator, as the team went to the ArenaBowl. The ArenaBowl XXV appearance was not what the team expected, as they lost to the Arizona Rattlers.
“2012 was an amazing season and we are confident that Clint will lead this team to a championship,” said Soul co-majority owner Ron Jaworski. “Clint, along with (Soul GM) Tom Goodhines, have done a tremendous job of setting the foundation for the Soul to remain a perennial title contender and we are all excited for what is ahead for this franchise.”
The Soul were the only team last season to have 15 regular season wins, as it locked up home field advantage through the American Conference playoffs. The team scored 1,228 points and were No. 1 in the league with 68.2 points per game.
He was previously the Dallas Vigilantes head coach during the 2011 season, before the team folded. In that one season, with many of the current Soul players, the team went 11-7 and made the playoffs.