Connecticut Coyotes

Arena Football League (1995-1996)

Tombstone

Born: June 1994 – AFL expansion franchise
Folded: November 1996

First Game: May 13, 1995 (L 45-43 vs. Orlando Predators)
Last Game: August 2, 1996 (61-41 vs. Iowa Barnstormers)

Arena Bowl Championships: None

Arena

Hartford Civic Center (16,500)¹
Opened: 1975

Marketing

Team Colors: Scarlet, Midnight Blue & Gray²

Radio:

1995 – 1996: WPOP (1410 AM)

Ownership

Owners:

1994: Hartford Sports & Entertainment Group (Michael Kerski, et al.)
1995: Connecticut Development Authority
1996: Benjamin Morris, et al.

Background

The Connecticut Coyotes were a short-lived Arena Football League entry based out of the Hartford Civic Center during the summers of 1995 and 1996. The team was wretched in competition with a 3-23 combined record over two years of play. Off the field, the Coyotes suffered through a tortured management history that crippled the franchise’s financial outlook.

The Coyotes formed in June 1994 when Hartford Sports & Entertainment Group (HSEG) purchased the franchise rights to a defunct former Arena Football franchise called the Cincinnati Rockers for $200,000 (Hartford Courant 5/5/1995).

HSEG was already in significant trouble by the time its discussions with the Arena Football League got underway. The group opened for business a year earlier as operators of the Hartford Hellcats, a Continental Basketball Association team that played at the Civic Center during the winter of 1993-94. Although the Hellcats had the 2nd best attendance in the CBA that season (5,003), they also had the league’s worst lease and lost nearly $600,000. HSEG’s scheme to sell $1 million in public stock to the community flopped, leaving it with a shortage of working capital.

In October 1994, HSEG announced the team would be known as the ‘Coyotes’. The name beat out other finalists including Cannon, Copperheads, Destroyers, Invaders and Vigilantes. It was one of the last decisions the original owners would make.

In spring 1994, the HSEG took out $1.25M in state-backed loans brokered by the Connecticut Development Authority, a state agency than ran the Civic Center. In November 1994, HSEG defaulted on its very first interest paymen. The CDA foreclosed on HESG’s teams, which had been posted as collateral. The Hellcats were euthanized midway through their second season. The Coyotes, yet to play a down, remained open for business, now operated by the state of Connecticut.

Debut

The Connecticut Coyotes debuted at the Civic Center on May 13, 1995, losing to the Orlando Predators 45-43 in front of an announced crowd of 7,643.

The Arena Football team flopped on the turf and at the box office. Under coach Rick Buffington, the Coyotes finished 1-11, losing all six of their home games at the Civic Center. The Coyotes average attendance of 7,853 for six games ranked 11th in the 13-team AFL.

Most AFL players of the era played both offense and defense, what the league called “Iron Man football”. One bright spot of the grim season was Fullback-Linebacker Les Barley, who earned First Team All-Arena honors.

In October 1995, the CDA unloaded the Coyotes to Benjamin Morris and Scott Gerard, both of Connecticut, for $750,000 (Hartford Courant 9/27/1995).

“This is my first venture of this type, but it’s somewhat similar to what I do,” Morris told The Courant (9/27/1995). “I usually buy undeveloped or rundown real estate properties, and I see a lot of parallels.”

Final Season

Morris brought in Larry Kuharich, who coached the Tampa Bay Storm to the 1993 Arena Bowl title, to replace Buffington. Kuharich signed the young quarterback Aaron Garcia to lead the team on the field. Garcia, in his second AFL season, had a strong campaign throwing for 31 touchdowns against only 4 interceptions. But overall, the product was the same. The Coyotes finished 2-12, dropping their two-year cumulative record to a woeful 3-23 with only two wins for the home crowds in Hartford. Attendance figures remained near the bottom of the league in 1996 with a purported average of 7,850 per game.

In September 1996, Morris negotiated to sell his Arena Football franchise to ITT-Cablevision, owners of Madison Square Garden, the New York Knicks and the New York Rangers. The Arena Football League blocked the sale, wishing to sell their own New York City expansion team to ITT-Cablevision. Morris took legal action against the league. In October 1996, the parties reached a settlement, the net result of which was that Morris returned the Coyotes back to the league, who dissolved the franchise during the first week of November. The league subsequently sold an expansion franchise to ITT-Cablevision which began play at the Madison Square Garden in 1997 as the New York Cityhawks.

Epilogue

The Cityhawks moved back to the Hartford Civic Center in 1999 and became the New England Sea Wolves, Hartford’s second go-round in the Arena Football League. The Sea Wolves fared no better than the Coyotes and also left town after just two seasons.

In 2012, the Arena Football League named its 25 Greatest Players of all-time in honor of the league’s 25th anniversary. 1996 Coyotes quarterback Aaron Garcia ranked #3 overall on the list. He retired in 2014 as the league’s all-time leader in passing yards (62,159) and passing touchdowns (1,336).

The Arena Football League went out of business in November 2019 after 32 seasons.