Kentucky Drillers

Established 2010
Folded 2013
Played in Pikeville, Kentucky
at Eastern Kentucky Expo Center
kentuckydrillers.com
League/conference affiliations
United Indoor Football League (2011–2012)
Continental Indoor Football League (2013)

Current uniform

Team colors| Black, yellow, white

Mascot| Digger
Cheerleaders| Drillbits
Personnel
Owner(s)| Rick Kranz
President| Rick Kranz
General manager| Rick Kranz
Head coach| Rick Kranz
Team history

* Eastern Kentucky Drillers (2010-2012)
* Kentucky Xtreme (2013–2014)

Championships
League championships (0)

Conference championships (0)

Division championships (0)

Home arena(s)

* Eastern Kentucky Expo Center (2013)

The Kentucky Drillers were a professional indoor football team based in Pikeville, Kentucky. The franchise started as the Eastern Kentucky Drillers and joined the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL) in 2013 after playing their first two seasons as a charter member of the Ultimate Indoor Football League (UIFL) for its inaugural 2011 season. The owner of the Drillers was Rick Kranz. The Drillers played their home games at the Eastern Kentucky Expo Center in Pikeville, Kentucky.

## Franchise history

[edit]

### 2011

[edit]

Main article: 2011 Eastern Kentucky Drillers season

On November 26, 2010, the UIFL announced that the team in Pikeville, Kentucky, would be named the Eastern Kentucky Drillers.[1] The Owner of the team Rick Kranz and the Head Coach and Kirk Ramsey on the defensive side, Drillers lost their first game in franchise history, a 44–49 defeat to the hands of the Saginaw Sting.[2] Even in the defeat, two Drillers (Aric Evans and David Jones), won the first ever Offensive Player of the Week and Special Teams Player of the Week Awards in the history of the Ultimate Indoor Football League.[3] The following week, the Drillers played their first ever home game at Eastern Kentucky Expo Center, and in front of 3,500 fans, the Drillers won 37–26 over the Huntington Hammer.[4]

### 2012

[edit]

Main article: 2012 Eastern Kentucky Drillers season

The Drillers made few changes to their team going into 2012, but the hiring of defensive coordinator, Jimmy Brookins is going to be vital to another Ultimate Bowl run, as he looked to keep the Drillers atop the UIFL rankings for defense.[5]

### 2013

[edit]

Main article: 2013 Kentucky Drillers season

On July 19, 2012, it was announced that the Drillers would leave the UIFL and join the Continental Indoor Football League,[6] and change their name to the Kentucky Drillers.[7] During this season, Prestonsburg, Kentucky, mayor and Drillers' investor, Jerry Fannin, used city money to help fund the team. It was estimated he spent approximately $7,800 on the team and he was charged in February 2017.[8]

## Awards and honors

[edit]

The following is a list of all (Eastern) Kentucky Drillers players who won individual awards and honors.

Season | Player | Position | Award

|
|
|

2011 | Aric Evans | WR | 1st Team All-UIFL
2011 | Rashaud Mungro | OL | 1st Team All-UIFL
2011 | David Jones | DB | 1st Team All-UIFL
2011 | Jason Connor | DB | 2nd Team All-UIFL
2011 | Butch Abshire | DB | 2nd Team All-UIFL
2011 | Daniel Eidson | K | 2nd Team All-UIFL
2012 | Maurice Douse | RB | 1st Team All-UIFL South
2012 | Aric Evans | WR | 1st Team All-UIFL South
2012 | Joe Parker | OL | 1st Team All-UIFL South
2012 | George Jackson | DB | 1st Team All-UIFL South
2012 | Allan Holland | QB | UIFL South Honorable Mention
2012 | Lynell Suggs | WR | UIFL South Honorable Mention
2012 | Phil Blaising | C | UIFL South Honorable Mention
2012 | Ellery Moore | DL | UIFL South Honorable Mention
2012 | Shawn Lewis | DL | UIFL South Honorable Mention
2012 | Andre Hatchett | LB | UIFL South Honorable Mention
2012 | Miquel Carodine | DB | UIFL South Honorable Mention
2012 | Daniel Eidson | K | UIFL South Honorable Mention

## Notable coaches

[edit]

### Head coaches

[edit]

Name  | Term  | Regular season  | Playoffs  | Awards

|
|
|
|

W  | L  | T  | Win%  | W  | L
Lance Brown  | 2011 | 8  | 6  | 0  | .571  | 1  | 1  |
Rick Kranz  | 2012–2013 | 8  | 12  | 0  | .400  | 0  | 0  |

### Coaching staff

[edit]

Kentucky Drillers staff

Front office

* Owner/President/Director of Football Operations - Rick Kranz
* Community relations - Charles Stephens
* Executive assistant - Angela McGinnis
* Marketing executive - Stephanie McKinney
* Director of Player Personnel - Trey Randall

Head Coach

* Head Coach – Rick Kranz

Offensive coaches

* Offensive coordinator – Anthony Eplin
* Quarterbacks/running backs/wide receivers - Clyde Harrison
* Offensive line – Stan Wrubluski

|  |  |

Defensive coaches

* Defensive coordinator – Jimmy Brookins
* Asst.Defensive coordinator- Kirk Ramsey
* Defensive line - Stan Wrubluski
* Linebackers –
* Secondary – Kirk Ramsey

Special teams coaches

* Special teams coordinator – Clyde Harrison

## Season-by-season results

[edit]

League Champions | Conference Champions | Division Champions | Wild Card Berth | League Leader

|
|
|
|

Season | Team  | League | Conference | Division | Regular season | Postseason results

|
|
|
|
|
|

Finish  | Wins  | Losses  | Ties
Eastern Kentucky Drillers
2011 | 2011 | UIFL  |  |  | 3rd  | 8  | 6  | 0  | Won UIFL semifinals (Hammer) 20–4
Lost Ultimate Bowl I (Sting) 69–86
2012 | 2012 | UIFL  | South  |  | 2nd  | 6  | 4  | 0  |
Kentucky Drillers
2013 | 2013 | CIFL |  |  | 7th  | 2  | 8  | 0  |
Totals  | 16 | 18 | 0 | All-time regular season record (2011–2013)
1 | 1 | —  | All-time postseason record (2011–2013)
17 | 19 | 0 | All-time regular season and postseason record (2011–2013)

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Pikeville, KY Team Name Announced: Eastern Kentucky Drillers". www.theuifl.com. UIFL. November 26, 2010. Retrieved July 20, 2012.[permanent dead link]
2. ^ "Saginaw Sting capture season opener". Midland Daily News. February 19, 2011. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
3. ^ "Drillers duo highlight weekly honors". www.oursportscentral.com. OurSports Central. February 26, 2011. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
4. ^ "Drillers Open with Win". www.oursportscentral.com. OurSports Central. February 28, 2011. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
5. ^ "Brookins Named EKY Defensive Coordinator". www.oursportscental.com. OurSports Central. September 23, 2011. Retrieved July 22, 2012.
6. ^ "Drillers returning for 2013 season". www.floydcountytimes.com. Floyd County Times. January 11, 2013. Archived from the original on March 13, 2013. Retrieved January 11, 2013.
7. ^ "Drillers making switch to Continental Indoor Football League". www.wkyt.com. WYMT. July 19, 2012. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
8. ^ "Ex-Prestonsburg mayor charged with using city funds for his arena football team". Lexington Herald-Leader. February 23, 2017.

* v
* t
* e

Eastern/Kentucky Drillers seasons

* 2011
* 2012
* 2013

* v
* t
* e

Continental Indoor Football League

Teams|

* Battle Creek Crunch
* Bluegrass Warhorses
* Chesapeake Tide
* Chicago Blitz
* Chicago Knights
* Chicago Pythons
* Chicago Slaughter
* Cincinnati Commandos
* Columbus Aces
* Dayton Sharks
* Dayton Silverbacks
* Detroit Thunder
* Flint Phantoms
* Fort Wayne FireHawks
* Fort Wayne Freedom
* Indianapolis Enforcers
* Kalamazoo Xplosion
* Kane County Dawgs
* Kentucky Xtreme
* Lehigh Valley Outlawz
* Marion Blue Racers
* Marion Mayhem
* Motor City Reapers
* New England Surge
* New York/New Jersey Revolution
* Northern Kentucky River Monsters
* Owensboro Rage
* Port Huron Patriots
* Port Huron Pirates
* Port Huron Predators
* Rochester Raiders
* Rock River Raptors
* Saginaw Sting
* Springfield Stallions
* Steubenville Stampede
* Summit County Rumble
* West Michigan ThunderHawks
* West Virginia Wild
* Wheeling Wildcats
* Wisconsin Wolfpack

Players|

* Players by team

Arenas|

* Alltech Arena (BG)
* Erie Insurance Arena (ERI)
* Freedom Hall (KY)
* Hara Arena (DAY)
* McMorran Place (PH)
* Taylor Sportsplex (DET)

Front office|

* Owners: Rob Licht
* Jim O'Brien
* Stuart Schweigert
* Commissioner: Rob Licht
* Assistant Commissioner: Bill Wheeler
* Founders: Jeff Spitaleri and Eric Spitaleri

Seasons|

* 2006
* 2007
* 2008
* 2009
* 2010
* 2011
* 2012
* 2013
* 2014

Championships|

* 2006
* 2007
* 2008
* 2009
* 2010
* 2011
* 2012
* 2013
* 2014

* v
* t
* e

Ultimate Indoor Football League

Teams|

* Canton Cougars
* Cincinnati Commandos
* Corpus Christi Fury
* Eastern Kentucky Drillers
* Erie Explosion
* Lakeland Tarpons
* Georgia Rampage
* Huntington Hammer
* Johnstown Generals
* Lakeland Raiders
* Marion Blue Racers
* Miami Inferno
* Mississippi Hound Dogs
* Missouri Monsters
* Missouri Voodoo
* Northern Kentucky River Monsters
* Saginaw Sting
* Sarasota Thunder
* Western Pennsylvania Sting
* Austin Nitro
* Capital City Revolt
* Danville Dragons
* Kentucky Monsters

Arenas|

* American Bank Center (Corpus Christi, TX)
* Family Arena (St. Charles, MO)
* Germain Arena (Estero, FL)
* Lakeland Center (Lakeland, FL)
* Northwest Georgia Trade and Convention Center (Dalton, GA)
* Robarts Arena (Sarasota, FL)
* Watsco Center (Coral Gables, FL)

Seasons|

* 2011
* 2012
* 2013
* 2014

Ultimate Bowls|

* I
* II
* III
* IV

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*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template