OKC Arena 2 team gets coach, name

<br>OKLHOMA CITY (AP) _ The new Arena Football 2 team in Oklahoma City now has a coach and a name. <br><br>Gary Reasons will coach the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz. This is the first coaching job for Reasons,

Thursday, January 8th 2004, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

OKLHOMA CITY (AP) _ The new Arena Football 2 team in Oklahoma City now has a coach and a name.

Gary Reasons will coach the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz. This is the first coaching job for Reasons, who spent nine seasons as a New York Giants linebacker, including two Super Bowl championships, and 10 years as a television football analyst.

``This is a great privilege and honor to be named the new head coach,'' Reasons said when introduced Wednesday.

``I've been fortunate to be around great coaches in my career: Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Tom Coughlin, Al Groh and Jim Fassell.

``I've watched and learned from some of the best, and what I've learned will carry over into my coaching.''

The franchise held a contest to name the team and received 581 entries.

Yard Dawgz was submitted by John Burrows of Mustang, who will receive four season tickets for the winning entry.

Oklahoma City has been without professional football since 2001 when the Oklahoma Wranglers of the Arena League folded.

The Yard Dawgz will be in the Southwest Division of the National Conference with the Tulsa Talons, Wichita Stealth, Laredo Law and Rio Grande Valley Dorados.

The af2 season begins in April.