The Albany Empire head into a bye week looking for their fourth head coach this season.
Pete Porcelli said Monday he is out after just one game, Saturday’s 49-27 home loss to the Fayetteville Mustangs at MVP Arena.
“I appreciated the opportunity to go and lead the men for the one game that I did,” Porcelli said. “They’re a great bunch of guys.”
Porcelli said Ryan Larkin, main associate to majority owner Antonio Brown, told Porcelli on Monday he was being demoted to line coach. Porcelli said he chose to leave.
“That’s like you being told you’re an intern now,” Porcelli said in a subsequent text.
WNYT (Ch. 13) first reported on Monday that Porcelli was fired.
“He wasn’t fired,” Antonio Brown responded by text. “Idk (I don’t know) where this came from.”
Porcelli, who played professionally for the Arena Football League’s Albany Firebirds, said he wasn’t given a reason for his demotion, nor was he told who will replace him. Porcelli follows Tom Menas (twice) and Damon Ware as men who have coached the Empire this season.
Porcelli said Brown fired Empire offensive coordinator Ben Bennett after Saturday’s game.
Empire team president Alberony Denis insisted Porcelli is still working for the Empire.
“He’s still going to be with us, yes,” Denis said. “Pete’s still going to be with us. If he chooses to leave, that’s on him, but yes, he’s still going to be with the Albany Empire.”
Brown, the former Pittsburgh Steelers All-Pro wide receiver, didn’t play in Saturday’s game against Fayetteville despite saying during the week he planned to play for the first time since he suited up for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the 2021 season.
The Empire said the paperwork from Brown’s physical wasn’t submitted in time, but National Arena League…
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