Austin Turfcats
Encyclopedia
The Austin Turfcats were a professional indoor football team that was a member of the Indoor Football League
during the 2010 season, after being a charter member of the Southern Indoor Football League
for the SIFL's inaugural 2009 season. Based in Texas
' capital city of Austin
, the Turfcats played their home games at Luedecke Arena
at the Travis County Exposition Center. This was Austin's fourth attempt at an indoor football team; the prior three were the Indoor Professional Football League
's Texas Terminators
(1999), the National Indoor Football League
's Austin Knights/Austin Rockers (2002–2003), and the Arena Football League (later af2
's) Austin Wranglers
(2004–2008) (the former two of which played in Luedecke Arena before the Turfcats).
Chris Duliban served as the team's head coach. He earned his first indoor coaching opportunity as the defensive coordinator of the Indoor Professional Football League's Texas Terminators. Duliban was the Head Coach for the Centex Barracudas of the Intense Football League in 2008.
| colspan="6" align="center" | Austin Turfcats (SIFL)
|-
|2009 || 10 || 3 || 0 || 2nd || Won SIFL Semifinal (Acadiana)
Lost SIFL Championship (Louisiana
)
|-
| colspan="6" align="center" | Austin Turfcats (IFL)
|-
|2010* || 2 || 7 || -- || -- || --
|-
!Totals || 13 || 11 || --
|colspan="2"| (including SIFL playoffs)
* = Current Standing
Indoor Football League
The Indoor Football League began in 1999 as an offshoot of the troubled Professional Indoor Football League. Keary Ecklund, the owner of the Green Bay Bombers and Madison Mad Dogs, left the PIFL after its first, financially-troubled, season to start his own league. Unlike the PIFL, the IFL was an...
during the 2010 season, after being a charter member of the Southern Indoor Football League
Southern Indoor Football League
The Southern Indoor Football League was an indoor football league based in the Southern and Eastern United States. The most recent incarnation of the league was a consolidation of an earlier league of the same name that was formed by Thom Hager along with Dan Blum, Robert Winfrey and Dan Ryan in...
for the SIFL's inaugural 2009 season. Based in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
' capital city of Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, the Turfcats played their home games at Luedecke Arena
Luedecke Arena
The Luedecke Arena is a 6,500-seat multi-purpose arena on the grounds of the Travis County Exposition Center in Austin, Texas.Built in 1983, the arena is home to the Star of Texas Fair & Rodeo, the Austin Turfcats of the Indoor Football League, and the Republic of Texas Biker Rally...
at the Travis County Exposition Center. This was Austin's fourth attempt at an indoor football team; the prior three were the Indoor Professional Football League
Indoor Professional Football League
The Indoor Professional Football League was the new incarnation of the Professional Indoor Football League , which started in 1998. Two of its teams left the league and their owner, Kerry Ecklund, founded the Indoor Football League in 1999...
's Texas Terminators
Texas Terminators
This team is not to be confused with the softball team in Texas.The Texas Terminators was an indoor football team that played in the Indoor Professional Football League in 1999. The Terminators franchise was owned by Jeff Parnell. The team office was based in Austin, and played their games in the...
(1999), the National Indoor Football League
National Indoor Football League
National Indoor Football League was a professional indoor football league in the United States. For their first six years, the league had teams in markets not covered by either the Arena Football League or its developmental league, af2, however, that changed briefly with their expansion into AFL...
's Austin Knights/Austin Rockers (2002–2003), and the Arena Football League (later af2
Af2
AF2 was the name of the Arena Football League's developmental league; it was founded in 1999 and played its first season in 2000. Like parent AFL, the AF2 played using the same arena football rules and style of play. League seasons ran from April through July with the postseason and ArenaCup...
's) Austin Wranglers
Austin Wranglers
The Austin Wranglers were an arena football team based in Austin, Texas. They played four seasons in the Arena Football League from 2004 to 2007 and spent one season in AF2, the AFL's developmental league, in 2008. They made playoff appearances in the AFL in 2006 and in AF2 in 2008...
(2004–2008) (the former two of which played in Luedecke Arena before the Turfcats).
Chris Duliban served as the team's head coach. He earned his first indoor coaching opportunity as the defensive coordinator of the Indoor Professional Football League's Texas Terminators. Duliban was the Head Coach for the Centex Barracudas of the Intense Football League in 2008.
Season-By-Season
|-| colspan="6" align="center" | Austin Turfcats (SIFL)
|-
|2009 || 10 || 3 || 0 || 2nd || Won SIFL Semifinal (Acadiana)
Lost SIFL Championship (Louisiana
Louisiana Swashbucklers
The Louisiana Swashbucklers is a professional indoor football team formed in 2005 as an expansion member of the National Indoor Football League as the Southwest Louisiana Swashbucklers. In 2006, they moved to the Intense Football League and shortened their name to Louisiana Swashbucklers...
)
|-
| colspan="6" align="center" | Austin Turfcats (IFL)
|-
|2010* || 2 || 7 || -- || -- || --
|-
!Totals || 13 || 11 || --
|colspan="2"| (including SIFL playoffs)