Big turnover
Albany Empire Coach Rob Keefe resigns less than two months before season. Owner says replacement has been chosen, not signed.
Other than the name, the only connection between the Albany Empire of the nowdefunct Arena Football League and the current embodiment in the National Arena League was coach Rob Keefe, hired in September to try to replicate his magic.
Now that connection is gone. Keefe, who led the AFL’S Empire to the 2019 Arena Bowl championship, unexpectedly resigned Monday, less than two months before the team is to begin its inaugural NAL season.
“Within organizations, when visions don’t align between executive members, sometimes it’s difficult to move forward together,” Keefe said by phone from his Florida home.
Orlando-based Empire coowner Ron Tridico, who was in Albany late last week with Keefe, said he identified a replacement but wanted to wait until he got a signed contract to reveal the new coach’s name.
That had not happened as of early Monday evening.
“I knew about this Friday, but I wasn’t sure,” Tridico said. “He feels this is the right thing for him right now. Who knows why? Maybe he just wasn’t sure of himself, putting it together in time.”
Keefe, 40, announced his decision via a Twitter post.
“It is rare that I put myself first as I firmly believe in servant leadership,” Keefe wrote, “but it is in my best career interests to pursue other football opportunities.”
Shortly after he was hired in September, Keefe brought Les Moss, his assistant head coach with the AFL team, back to Albany. Moss stepped aside last week to take the head coaching position with the Indoor Football League’s Iowa Barnstormers.
“Just like coach Moss, you have to do ultimately what’s best for you in that time,” Keefe said. “For me personally, I’ve been involved in professional football for 16 years, and I truly feel that it’s in my best interests to pursue other football opportunities at this time. I think coach Moss felt the same way with his particular situation within the organization. He had to make a move he felt was necessary for him.”
The Empire were scheduled to open their season on May 22 at home against the Ontario (Calif.) Bandits, but that has been pushed back one week for reasons unrelated to the Keefe resignation, Tridico said. The previously scheduled May 22 home game will now be played on July 31.
Still, that gives a new coach less than seven weeks to assemble a team. According to the league’s website, only 12 players are on the Albany roster.
“If there’s anything I can do to help them, to put them in a position to be successful,” said Keefe, who indicated he did reach out to the signed players. “I want to do that as well. I’m willing to help anything I can to help the Albany Empire owners to help them with the transition with a new coaching staff.”
Tridico and Nate Starling, co-owners of the NAL’S Orlando Predators, purchased an NAL franchise last August to place in Albany. The previous rendition of the Empire dissolved when the Arena Football League filed for bankruptcy in November 2019.
The Empire’s social media team will be in place Tuesday, according to Tridico, and the organization is moving forward despite Keefe’s resignation and issues caused by COVID -19. The Empire got approval just last week to allow 25 percent capacity for games at Times Union Center.
“We know we’re going to lose money,” Tridico said. “We’re going to try to limit the loss. I think we’re going to sell out. There are 3,100 seats roughly. We think we’re going to sell out with season-ticket holders. We have a really good pace going right now.”
The Empire held a meet-and-greet with previous season-ticket holders Saturday.
“Some season-ticket holders are not happy because seats weren’t available because of social distancing,” Tridico said. “We’re just trying to make it work this year.”
Keefe, 40, has a career coaching record in Arena football of 83-40 (.675).
“I wish things could be different,” Keefe said. “I wish I could still be in Albany. Hopefully down the road I can come back to Albany. For the ’21 season, it’s in my best interest to go with other teams and see what’s out there.”