Carolina Cobras (NAL)
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This article is about the team that began play in 2018 in the
National Arena League. For the
Arena Football League team of the same name that played from 2000 until 2004, see
Carolina Cobras.
Not to be confused with the
Greensboro Cobras, a team of the
Tobacco Road Basketball League.
The
Carolina Cobras are a professional
indoor football team in the
National Arena League (NAL) and that began play for the 2018 season. Based in
Greensboro, North Carolina, the Cobras play their home games at the
Greensboro Coliseum Complex.
[5]
The Cobras is the third indoor/arena team to call Greensboro home, following the
Greensboro Prowlers of the
af2 (
2000–
2003) and the
Greensboro Revolution of the
National Indoor Football League (
2006–
2007). A previous team called the
Carolina Cobras played in the
Arena Football League from
2000 until
2004. The AFL Cobras played three seasons in
Raleigh and two in
Charlotte before folding. The NAL Cobras use a logo similar in style to the defunct AFL Cobras' logo, but otherwise has no direct connection to the AFL franchise.
Contents
History
The Cobras were officially announced as members of the
National Arena League (NAL) on December 4, 2017.
[5] In their introductory announcement, the team named former
Cincinnati Commandos,
Texas Revolution,
Nashville Venom and
Wichita Falls Nighthawks head coach Billy Back as their new coach.
[6]
The Cobras inaugural season finished with a regular season record of 10–5, taking second place in the league. The Cobras then defeated the
Jacksonville Sharks in the playoff semifinal and earned the right to host the 2018 NAL Championship game at home after the first place
Massachusetts Pirates lost their semifinal to the
Columbus Lions.
[7] With the Lions missing several starting players including their quarterback
Mason Espinosa and all running backs,
[8] the Cobras dominated Columbus in the championship game 66–8.
[9]
In their second season, the Cobras again made it to the championship game, where they lost to the Sharks 52–48. Following the season, head coach Billy Back and most of his staff left the team to coach the relaunched
Spokane Shock in the
Indoor Football League when the NAL was announced to merge with
Champions Indoor Football for the 2020 season.
[10] The Cobras initially hired Massachusetts Pirates' head coach Anthony Payton after the Pirates withdrew from the league due to the merger.
[11] However, the merger fell apart
[12] and the team then hired former defensive coordinator Josh Resignalo as head coach in December 2019.
[13]