Dana Romney • Director of Communications • 801-891-9830 • danar@utblaze.com Jay Hinton • Director of Media Relations • 801-448-3731 • jayh@utblaze.com
UTAH BLAZE HIRE ERNESTO PURNSLEY AS TEAM’S FIRST HEAD COACH
Purnsley will bring 10 years of coaching experience to the Blaze
WEST VALLEY CITY – Utah Blaze owners Dave Affleck, Logan Hunter and Kristin Murdock announced on Tuesday the hiring of Ernesto Purnsley as the team’s first head coach.
“Coach Purnsley’s background in professional football is exactly what we need to build a solid foundation for a competitive team,” Affleck said. “He is a proven leader with a sound defensive philosophy and has the desire and knowledge it takes to win championships.”
Purnsley, who has 10 years of Arena Football League experience, spent five seasons as the defensive coordinator for the Colorado Crush before being hired as the defensive coordinator for the Chicago Rush in 2008.
“I’m happy to be a part of the Utah Blaze and AF1 for their inaugural season. For Blaze fans I think they should expect the same type of game they have been used to seeing. There will be some new faces for them to get behind and develop a relationship with,” Purnsley said. “For all the people that haven’t experienced a game yet, it will be great to bring the family and see what AF1 is all about.”
Prior to coaching in Colorado, Purnsley was the special teams coach and fullbacks and linebackers coach on two separate occasions for the Albany Firebirds (1997-98) and Indiana Firebirds (2000-03).
Purnsely, a native of North Carolina, played collegiate football at Catawba College (S.C) where he was a wide receiver and quarterback. In 1991 he was the wide receivers coach at Concord College (West Virginia). He has also coached at Southern Illinois (1994-96), Charleston Southern University (1997) and Murray State (1998-99).
