After passing over offers from the Canadian Football League, Hufnagel accepted a job earlier this month with the NFL's Cleveland Browns leaving the Dogs' Head Coaching job open. There was some speculation that Frank Haege would inherit the vacated position, but those rumors ended when Red Dog CEO Beth Colon and Team President Joe Morris introduced Frank Mattiace as Hufnagel's successor last week.
In his sixth AFL season, the 30 year-old Haege is not a stranger to Arena Football. The University of Wisconsin-Stout graduate came to the expansion Red Dogs via a now-defunct Minnesota Fighting Pike team that was the fifth best defense in the league under Haege. He has also worked with the Iowa Barnstormers and the Milwaukee Mustangs. Fortunately Haege inherits an explosive New Jersey Red Dog offense that features league leading OS Larry Ray Wills and ex-Fighting Pikers, Rickey Foggie and Alvin Ashley. No doubt part of Haege's focus will be on an inconsistant offensive line that has had trouble protecting New Jersey quarterbacks and opening any holes for the running game over the past two years.