Andrew Weidinger (born July 10, 1982) is an American football coach who is the offensive coordinator for the Rhein Fire of the European League of Football (ELF). ^[1] Weidinger was the head coach for the Barcelona Dragons in 2022, leading the team to an 8–4 record and their first ever playoff appearance. Weidinger was named the 2022 ELF Coach of the Year for his work with the Dragons. He previously coached for the Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League, the Arizona Hotshots of the now defunct Alliance of American Football and The University of Arizona.

College coaching

Weidinger began his football and coaching career in 2000 when he enrolled at the University of Arizona. There he worked as a student assistant and later a graduate assistant on defense. At the end of his college career he was assistant director of football operations with a focus on recruiting and scouting. ^[2]

Professional coaching

Atlanta Falcons

In 2006 Weidinger had a pre-season internship with the Atlanta Falcons where he assisted in scouting and evaluating of potential players throughout the NFL. In 2008 he was hired as assistant to the head coach under Mike Smith. In the 2012 season he was promoted to offensive assistant. ^[3] He stayed with the Falcons until 2014.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

For the 2015 season Weidinger was hired by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an offensive quality control coach. There he reunited with former Falcons OC Dirk Koetter who was the OC and head coach for the Bucs. One year later he was promoted to assistant wide receivers coach and was assigned to game management. With a new head coach for the 2018 season, he left the franchise in 2018. ^[4]

Arizona Hotshots

In 2019 Weidinger served as the running backs coach for the Arizona Hotshots of the Alliance of American Football. When the league folded mid-season the Hotshots held a record of 5-3 and all three of their RB's were in the Top 11 of the league leaders in rushing.

European coaching

Potsdam Royals

In March of 2021 Weidinger was named the offensive coordinator of the Potsdam Royals in the German Football League. ^[5] The Royals finished the season 7-3, losing to the Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns in the Semi-Finals.

Barcelona Dragons

Weidinger was announced as the head coach of the Barcelona Dragons in March of 2022. ^[6] The Dragons had recorded a record of 3-7 in 2021 but improved to 8-4 in 2022 under Weidinger earning him Coach of the Year ^[7] honors. They reached the playoffs, where they were eliminated by the Vienna Vikings in the semifinals. On September 13, 2022, the team announced that they had parted ways. ^[8]

Rhein Fire

Weidinger was announced as the offensive coordinator for the Rhein Fire on September 27, 2022. ^[9] The Fire finished the regular season unscathed at 12-0. They remained unbeaten in the playoffs, overcoming the Stuttgart Surge 53-34 in the championship game to become the first undefeated champions in ELF history. ^[10]

In his first season with the Fire, Weidinger's offense led the league in Points, Total Yards, Passing Yards, Touchdowns, Passing Touchdowns and 3rd Down Conversions. ^[11] The performance of his unit once again earned Weidinger recognition from the league, this time as the Assistant Coach of the Year. ^[12]

Private life

He received a degree in political science in May 2004 and completed his master's degree in information resources and library sciences in May 2007. ^[2]

External links

• University of Arizona Bio

References