Precipitous Coaching Change for American Raptors after 0-3 Start
Precipitous Coaching Change for American Raptors after 0-3 Start
After losing their opening three matches in Super Rugby Americans by a combined score of 145-32, the American Raptors have changed coaches for the second time this season.
After visa problems prompted a switch before the SRA games began, Canadian David Butcher took over.
But Butcher is now gone and while there's no official word from the City of Glendale, Colo. (where the Raptors play) about why Butcher left but the record (losing games and giving up big scores each time) had to have been a factor. Certainly this was quick.
Today the Raptors announced that former USA 15s and 7s Eagle Mose Timoteo has taken over as Head Coach. Word is that Timoteo received the call quite recently and didn't have a lot of time to make a decision. He takes over immediately.
Timoteo will be the team's fourth Head Coach in two years. A USA Rugby hall-of-famer and known as one of the best combinations of rugby IQ, talent, and leadership within the game when he played, Timoteo has coached with Glendale and with Colorado State University, and he has worked with Raptors scrum coach Sarah Chobot before and reportedly they have a good working relationship..
In the team's announcement of Timoteo's hiring, they did say he "will now set his sights on pushing the Raptors in a positive direction for the remainder of the 2024 Super Rugby Americas season."
That certainly implies that team leadership was thinking things were going in a less-than-positive direction.
“We as a team need to stay on course and really focus on things that we can control and improve in some areas that we need to improve on," Timoteo said in the announcement. "We must be competitive in all aspects of the game.”
The Raptors have their Super Rugby Americas home opener Sunday at Infinity Park, where they host Cobras Brasil. The game will be live on ESPN+ and kickoff is 4PM Mountain Time.
