Cats bid farewell to their most successful coach ever

Bice defiant in the face of adversity. The Cambridgeshire Cats are looking to recruit a new Head Coach for the 2009 BAFL campaign following the departure of the organisations most successful American Head Coach of all-time, Rick Bice. Bice’s military career has him returning to his native country and the Cats Family bid farewell to a treasured member of the Pride. After joining the Cats for the 2005 season as Offensive Co-ordinator, Bice took the helm after just 2 games as the club threatened to implode after promotion, a huge player exodus and the un-expected departure of Head Coach James Mitchell due to ill-health. Bice enjoying a championship winning season. Bice’s legacy with the Cats has no more storied chapter than his role in holding the team together during this 1-9 season that saw a squad of barely 20 players, most of whom rookies, take to the field against BAFL champion after champion, bowl winner after division topper, always maintaining and enthusiastic pride in-spite of un-relenting heavy-defeats. Bice came to the Cats with a winning pedigree, and was determined to re-install this in his adopted team. Despite several unavoidable set backs, most notably the key losses of team captain Glen Paveley and General Manager Paul Wheal (who sadly passed away in 2006 and 2007 respectively), the team improved under Bice’s leadership with successive winning seasons, culminating in the 9-1 2008 season that saw the side win the BAFL 2 Eastern title. The Cats bid farewell to Head Coach Bice. Overall Bice lead the Cats to 24 wins, 17 losses and 1 draw from his 42 games at the helm, which puts him second in the Cats coaching rankings. As the only Head Coach to reign in 4 consecutive seasons, Bice added a consistent stability that benefitted the club hugely. His departure leaves a vacancy at the helm of the Cambridgeshire Cats, a continually improving club with good infrastructure, having won the John Slavin award for game-day management twice in the past three years.