Former Colony High coach hired by Alaska arena football team

PALMER - Randy Magner built a winning program at the prep level. And now he has been asked to do the same in the professional ranks.

The former head coach of the Colony High School football program has been named the vice president of operations for the Alaska Wild, an Arena Football2 League expansion franchise now based in Anchorage.

Magner, who retired from both coaching and teaching in 2005, thought his career in football was over.

&#8220I made the assumption I was done with the game,” Magner said. &#8220I didn't want to leave Alaska, and high school football was all that there was here.”

The key word is &#8220was.”

Earlier this year Alaska Professional Sports and its managing partner Dennis Weatherholt announced Anchorage and the Sullivan Arena would be home to a new arena football league squad.

Magner said when Weatherholt initially contacted him, he had no idea what was on the horizon. Since his retirement, Magner has been running a speed and power training business. Initially Magner thought that is what Weatherholt wanted to inquire about.

While Magner was surprised, it certainly was an offer he could not refuse. Now the 54-year-old is helping to build Alaska's second professional sports franchise. The state's only other pro team is the Alaska Aces, a hockey team competing in the East Coast Hockey League.

Magner said his duties will range from hiring coaches, to finding players to securing practice facilities.

&#8220If this job was in a school setting, I think it'd be called athletic director,” Magner said. &#8220Just the logistics of the team, there are a lot of variables involved, mainly for the coach. My job is to reduce the variables.”

Magner's first order of business is the search for a head coach. Once a coaching staff is in place, the Wild will begin scouring the country for talent. The team is planning to host a tryout camp in October, something patterned after an NFL scouting combine. By January, Magner said, the Wild should have a roster intact.

Magner has began his teaching career in 1977, and started coaching in the Palmer area in 1985. He taught in Oregon and Skagway early in his teaching career and after earning his Master's degree, Magner landed a position at Pioneer Peak Elementary in 1985. It was then he started a six-year stint on the Palmer High School football coaching staff. When Colony High School opened its doors in 1991, Magner made the move to the new school because it was closer to his home and he knew his younger kids would attend CHS. With the move, Magner earned the job as the first head coach in the history of the Colony football program.

In nine seasons as the head coach, Magner has compiled a 50-28 record and led the Knights to seven playoff berths. In 2000 Magner led Colony to its first playoff win and a spot in the 4A state title game.

That season Magner earned both state and conference coach of the year honors. Magner was also named coach of the year in 2004.

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.