SaberCats' aide to coach Rattlers

Richard Obert
The Arizona Republic
Aug. 3, 2007 01:56 PM

The Rattlers are working out details to make San Jose SaberCats defensive coordinator Kevin Guy their coach, a source said.

Guy's defense held Columbus to 33 points in a 22-point rout in last Sunday's ArenaBowl in New Orleans. It was San Jose's third championship in six years.

Guy rose to the top after owner Bobby Hernreich and President Blake Edwards met with the four finalists Thursday in Phoenix.

The other finalists were former Rattlers star Hunkie Cooper, Nashville Kats coach Pat Sperduto and Tampa Bay Storm offensive coordinator Pat O'Hara.

Guy, a former af2 Coach of the Year, spent the past two seasons as the SaberCats' defensive coordinator. They ranked in the top five in the regular season in four defensive categories in his first season.

This past regular season, the SaberCats gave up the second-fewest points (761) in the league, 154 fewer than the Rattlers, who posted their worst record (4-12) and failed to reach the playoffs for the second time in three years.

Guy coached four seasons in af2, where he had a .732 winning percentage with the the Tennessee Valley Vipers (2002-04) and the Rio Grande Valley Dorados (2005).