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By Dylan Slager
Cronkite News

GLENDALE – As the Arizona Rattlers prepare for yet another postseason in the Indoor Football League, it’s impossible not to marvel at the organization’s steady success inside the padded dasher boards, along with its stability off the field.

When the Rattlers face the Vegas Knight Hawks Saturday night on the road in the IFL’s first round, they will be playing a team making its playoff debut, while Arizona has appeared in 27 indoor football playoffs (including the Arena Football League). And while the Knight Hawks beat the Rattlers twice this year – both teams finished the regular season 11-5 – Arizona coach Kevin Guy heads into his 25th playoff game with the team, hoping his 17-7 postseason record gives the Rattlers an advantage.

With that much success in the playoffs, Guy has to have built a sturdy foundation within his organization. And there is no better way to do that than by doing much of it yourself. While coaching the team, Guy is also the president of business operations and has held various front office positions within the organization for almost 16 years.

In 2021, Guy captured Coach of the Year, Executive of the Year and Franchise of the Year honors, marking the first time in the history of indoor football that one person has won all three of those awards in a single year.

By being involved with both sides of the team, the ability to succeed boils down to how Guy holds himself in both positions.

“Number one thing is you need to compartmentalize your day. If I’m dealing with football players and coaches, I’ve got my coaching hat on,” Guy said. “When I am dealing with the fanbase, corporate partners or the front office staff then I’ve got my president hat on. It all really depends on what meeting we are in.”

Guy has led the Rattlers to eight championship games in 11 years, winning four. He is also the winningest coach in Rattlers history and by far the most successful. Guy’s experience with the Rattlers allowed him to become a vital part of the IFL’s expansion committee. He helped expand the league from six teams to 16 with one of them being a team of his own. In 2018, the Tucson Sugar Skulls were introduced to the IFL and are still under the ownership of his wife, Cathy Guy.

“It’s all about making the best decision for the league and organization. Sometimes that leans towards the business side. Sometimes that leads towards the product side,” Guy said. “It’s really not that hard as long as you focus on the moment.”

Guy isn’t the only member of the Rattlers’ coaching staff to hold a front office position. Jeff Jarnigan assists Guy both on the field as the team’s defensive line and special teams coordinator while also serving in the front office as the team’s general manager. Jarnigan joined the Rattlers as the assistant GM and defensive coordinator in 2016, the year the Rattlers announced they were leaving the AFL and joining the IFL for the 2017 season.

“Jeff is a great manager. He does a lot of the training of our people. He handles more of the day-to-day while I handle more of the big picture,” Guy said of his partnership with Jarnigan. “We’ve got a great relationship. We make sure the boats are paddling in the same direction. When we wake up in the morning, we make sure our focus is football and as the day moves on, we shift our focus to the front office.”

Jarnigan’s role with the team has had a pivotal impact on the Rattlers’ move from Gene Autry Sports Complex in Mesa to Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale over the past season. The organization has also played at the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix at various times over the years.

“There are not a lot of teams that could move from a practice facility in Mesa to Desert Diamond Arena in-season,” Jarnigan said. “There was a lot of infrastructure that needed to be settled down there and that needed to be set up here. The arena and their staff have been incredible to work with.”

Both Guy and Jarnigan have a combined four decades of sales experience under their belts, bringing a great amount of experience and fresh ideas to an organization that has established itself as one of the most notable in indoor football history.

With constant development and a growing fanbase within the state, the Rattlers look to add to their trophy case this season. With Guy and Jarnigan at the helm, this team will continue to raise the ceiling of opportunity for the growing game of indoor football.

“People are very familiar with the Rattlers organization. Who they are and what they’ve been and the championships they have won over the years,” Jarnigan said. “Moving west has been a great thing for us. It has allowed us to reach a new fanbase and a new corporate base than what we had in the past when we were in downtown Phoenix.”

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