Rick Rhoades has been signed by the Carlstad Crusaders. Rick is one of the most celebrated head coaches in Europe. For the past five years he has been in charge of Austria’s Graz Giants, one of the most successful football clubs in Europe.

Since 2007 the Giants have reached the Austrian Bowl every year winning it in 2008. That same year the Giants won the EFAF Cup. Under Rick’s guidance the Giants reached the Eurobowl semifinals four times. They have been ranked in the top five for many years.

He was also the head coach of the Austrian national team for two years, guiding the team to a second place finish in the European championships in 2010 and a seventh place finish in the World Championships.

Rick started his football career playing guard at Central Missouri before turning to coaching. He has continued coaching ever since which is more than 40 years of experience. He coached high school football in Alabama before becoming head coach at Troy State, (NCAA II) in Alabama where the team won two national championships (1984 and 1987) and Rhoades was named National Coach of the Year.

He then moved on to Southern Illinois before becoming the offensive coordinator at the University of Kentucky for three years. He was at Nicholls State (head coach 1993-94) and Pelham H.S. (head coach 1996-2000), as well as Stephen F. Austin University (linebackers coach 1996) and spent a season in the professional XFL with the Birmingham Bulls.

Rhoades then took the job as head coach of Delta State University (2002-2006), where he spent five highly successful seasons guiding the team to number three overall in the U.S. in Division II football. In fact, as a head coach or assistant Rhoades has been part of a state championship team as a high school coach, six final four teams, an SEC championship team and two national championship teams.