The Kentucky Drillers were a professional indoor football team based in Pikeville, Kentucky. The franchise started as the Eastern Kentucky Drillers and joined the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL) in 2013 after playing their first two seasons as a charter member of the Ultimate Indoor Football League (UIFL) for its inaugural 2011 season. The owner of the Drillers was Rick Kranz. The Drillers played their home games at the Eastern Kentucky Expo Center in Pikeville, Kentucky.
Franchise history
2011
On November 26, 2010, the UIFL announced that the team in Pikeville, Kentucky, would be named the Eastern Kentucky Drillers. The Owner of the team Rick Kranz and the Head Coach and Kirk Ramsey on the defensive side, Drillers lost their first game in franchise history, a 44–49 defeat to the hands of the Saginaw Sting. Even in the defeat, two Drillers (Aric Evans and David Jones), won the first ever Offensive Player of the Week and Special Teams Player of the Week Awards in the history of the Ultimate Indoor Football League. The following week, the Drillers played their first ever home game at Eastern Kentucky Expo Center, and in front of 3,500 fans, the Drillers won 37–26 over the Huntington Hammer.
2012
The Drillers made few changes to their team going into 2012, but the hiring of defensive coordinator, Jimmy Brookins is going to be vital to another Ultimate Bowl run, as he looked to keep the Drillers atop the UIFL rankings for defense. Kirk Ramsey moves over to work with the Db and Wr stepping away from the Dc position.
2013
On July 19, 2012, it was announced that the Drillers would leave the UIFL and join the Continental Indoor Football League, and change their name to the Kentucky Drillers. During this season, Prestonsburg, Kentucky, mayor and Drillers' investor, Jerry Fannin, used city money to help fund the team. It was estimated he spent approximately $7,800 on the team and he was charged in February 2017.
Awards and honors The following is a list of all (Eastern) Kentucky Drillers players who won individual awards and honors.
Season Player Position Award2011 Aric Evans WR 1st Team All-UIFL2011 Rashaud Mungro OL 1st Team All-UIFL2011 David Jones DB 1st Team All-UIFL2011 Jason Connor DB 2nd Team All-UIFL2011 Butch Abshire DB 2nd Team All-UIFL2011 Daniel Eidson K 2nd Team All-UIFL2012 Maurice Douse RB 1st Team All-UIFL South2012 Aric Evans WR 1st Team All-UIFL South2012 Joe Parker OL 1st Team All-UIFL South2012 George Jackson DB 1st Team All-UIFL South2012 Allan Holland QB UIFL South Honorable Mention2012 Lynell Suggs WR UIFL South Honorable Mention2012 Phil Blaising C UIFL South Honorable Mention2012 Ellery Moore DL UIFL South Honorable Mention2012 Shawn Lewis DL UIFL South Honorable Mention2012 Andre Hatchett LB UIFL South Honorable Mention2012 Miquel Carodine DB UIFL South Honorable Mention2012 Daniel Eidson K UIFL South Honorable Mention
Head coaches Name Term Regular season Playoffs Awards W L T Win% W LLance Brown201186011Rick Kranz2012–2013812000
Season-by-season results League championsConference championsDivision championsWild card berthLeague leader
SeasonTeam League Conference Division Regular season Postseason resultsFinishWinsLossesTiesEastern Kentucky Drillers 2011 2011 UIFL 3rd 8 6 0Won UIFL semifinals (Hammer) 20–4Lost Ultimate Bowl I (Sting) 69–86 2012 2012 UIFL South 2nd 6 4 0Kentucky Drillers 2013 2013 CIFL 7th 2 8 0Totals16180All-time regular season record (2011–2013)11—All-time postseason record (2011–2013)17190All-time regular season and postseason record (2011–2013)
References