Ex-Soul coach reaches deal with Orlando

When Doug Plank resigned as Soul's coach after the team's ArenaBowl loss on Aug. 10, he cited the difficulties of balancing a job in Philadelphia with a home life based in Arizona.

So it came as a bit of a surprise when word came down that Plank had accepted the head coaching job for the Orlando Predators.

"It caught us off guard," Soul general manager Tom Goodhines said. "It wasn't something that we expected, but we respect him as a coach and wish him well — except when he plays us."

Plank did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

"We are thrilled to have Doug Plank join the Orlando Predators organization," Predators managing partner Brett Bouchy said in a statement. "With Doug's work ethic and passion for the sport of football, I am confident that he can bring the Predators back to our winning tradition and bring an ArenaBowl title home to Orlando."

Plank, ironically, is replacing Bret Munsey who was fired after going 4-14. Munsey led the Soul to the 2008 championship and was not retained following the lockout that forced the league to shut down for a year.
The Soul, which went 15-3 in 2012, replaced Plank with offensive coordinator Clint Dolezel.