The Columbus Lions enter a new era of Indoor Football
May 10, 2023 ● By Richard HoldridgeThe Columbus Lions, the Fountain City’s oldest franchise, the team that has won 3 championships in 2012, 2015 and 2016, will enter another league, this time for the 2023 season, the Lions will play in the American Indoor Football Alliance.
After finishing the 2022 Season in the National Arena League, the Lions finished with a 7-5 record. They had a carousel of Quarterbacks to include Mason Espinosa, Darren Daniel, Danny Southwick and Daniel Smith. With the uncertainly at quarterback, they were still able to compete at the highest level in the first year of Iron Man Football. The team was led by Darrien Townsend on the offense and Kerry Starks on the defense. Both players are gone from last years team but one person who was with the Lions since the beginning that will not take the sideline as the Head Coach for the first time ever is Jason Gibson. Gibson went on to accept the Head Coaching position with the Jacksonville Sharks. The Columbus Lions went to work, in search of a new Head Coach that carry on the tradition and legacy that Coach Gibson brought over the years.
Head Coach Chris McKinney was named the Columbus Lions new Head Coach. Coach McKinney brings experience as a Defensive Assistant from the 2-time NAL Champion Albany Empire, shortly after it was announced that the National Arena League (NAL) was terminating the Lions membership and that they would not play in the NAL for 2023. The AIFA wasted no time by extending an invitation for the Lions to play in their league for 2023.
There has been a lot of optimism for a team that has always had a passionate fan base and great support from the city of Columbus, but in this new era of Indoor Football, there will be challenges that will be met head on.
The Columbus Lions have reached the Championship Game in the NAL in 2017, 2018 and 2021. In 2022 the Lions fell to the Carolina Cobras in the First Round of the NAL Playoffs.
The team will play their home opener on May 14 at the Columbus Civic Center against the South Florida Thunder.