News

Robert Fuller is a mountain of a man. And, as it turns out, the former U-Mary offensive lineman turned powerlifter is a really good football coach, too.

You probably remember him as the guy standing next to Tom Nieman or myself during our coverage of high school and college football in Bismarck, ND this fall.

He's a gentle giant. In fact, he's probably one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet. And his football IQ is off the charts.

I first met him in 2008 when we teamed up to call the UIF (United Indoor Football) Championship Game. We lost touch shortly thereafter, only to run into each other prior to kickoff for this year's Indoor Football League Championship Game at the Sioux Falls Arena.

Fuller had spent the 2011 season as head coach of the IFL's Fairbanks Grizzlies. He led the team to a 10-4 record and was named IFL Coach of the Year.

During our conversation he indicated that, despite his success, it was unlikely that he would return to Fairbanks next season. At that point, we began to talk about the possibility of him joining our team as a color analyst.

A couple of months later, as we were getting ready to call the game between Minot and Bismarck High, I inquired about his coaching future. He said he had talked to a few teams--even turned one job down--but it looked like his days as a head coach might be over. He was ready to move on.

That was less than two weeks ago. And, apparently, a lot has changed since then.

Earlier this week, Fuller was named head coach of the Green Bay Blizzard, the IFL's Franchise of the Year in 2011. Talk about a fantastic situation. Fuller inherits a great team--Green Bay finished 13-4 last year, falling to the Storm in the United Conference championship game--with great ownership and a passionate fan base.

Great news for one of the game's great guys. Congratulations from your friends at MidcoSN.