Iowa Barnstormers Finalize Coaching Staff for 2018 Season

The Iowa Barnstormers have finalized their coaching staff ahead of the 2018 season. 2017 IFL Head Coach of the Year Dixie Wooten will return. Joining him will be defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach Marcus Coleman, special teams coordinator and defensive line coach Malcolm Nelson. Hurtis Chin will be joining the team for his first season as assistant head coach.

2018 will be Wooten’s second with Iowa. He coached the Barnstormers to a 13-3 record in 2017. The Barnstormers also reached the postseason for the first time since 2009.

Both Coleman and Nelson will also be returning for their second season in Iowa.

“We have fun being around each other, we believe in each other, and we are there for each other no matter what,” Wooten said on behalf of his coordinators. “We make sure we are all on the same page to be successful."

Chin joins the team after being the head coach of the Nebraska Danger during the 2017 season. Before being named the head coach, he was the team’s assistant head coach. He had been a member of the Nebraska coaching staff the past six seasons.

“Chinn will bring a lot of football knowledge to the organization," Wooten said of his new assistant coach. "As a player, he was one of the smartest and as a coach his football IQ grew even bigger.

“He is a guy that people will listen to because he is up front and truthful. He has a gift to push players and get the best out of them. We are excited to have him on our coaching staff this year."

The Indoor Football League will be playing their 10th season in 2018. As of now, there are eight teams in the league, including two former Champions Indoor Football (CIF) teams in the Western Michigan Ironmen and Bloomington Edge.