Jim Criner

It's hard to believe that after all the acrimony that took place leading up the Claymores first game back in 1995, when original head coach Lary Kuharich was fired, that his quickly crowned successor would still be coaching the team as it entered its fifth season. But Jim Criner has seen and survived everything, including a memorable championship season in 1996. And after the disappointments of the last 2 seasons, we feel a return to the good times is just around the corner!

Jim started his coaching career at college level, where he was an assistant coach at numerous schools including California, Brigham Young and UCLA (serving under Dick Vermeil). His first head-coaching job was at Boise State, where he led the Broncos to 4 Big Sky Conference titles in 7 years including the NCAA Division 1-AA title in 1980 (career record 59-21-1). In 1983 he moved onto Iowa State where he attempted to turn around the downtrodden Cyclones. Although he assembled a respectable defensive outfit, he was ultimately judged by his failure to beat bitter state rival Iowa - getting blown out in all of their 4 meetings when he was coach.

After Iowa State, Jim returned to his other love - fishing. It is well documented that Jim is a world-class fly fisherman, and after the Iowa State job he gave up coaching to set up constructing a fishing supply business in Montana. However the desire to coach never left him, and in 1991 when the World League was being set up, Kay Stephenson hired him to be an offensive assistant on his staff for the Sacramneto Surge. (The GM of the Surge was future Claymores GM Mike Keller).

The Surge struggled in 91, going 3-7. However they became the first North American team to win in Europe - a week 10 win in Frankfurt, where Criner would remain unbeaten until last season. With the arrival of NFL veteran QB David Archer in 92, the Surge's fortunes turned around and they went 8-2, knocking off Scott Mitchell's Orlando Thunder 21-17 in World Bowl 92 to give Criner his first World Bowl ring.

After the two-year hiatus of the league he was invited to join the coaching staff of the expansion Scottish Claymores as offensive line and special teams coach. However five days before the Claymores first game, increasingly unpopular head coach Kuharich was fired, and Criner was elevated to his first professional head-coaching job.

It's been a hell of the ride and the last 4 years, and we know that the results haven't gone the Claymores way the past 2 seasons. However Jim has proved he can turn around ailing fortunes around once before and he will no doubt do it again. We can't think of anybody else coaching the team.

Perhaps his best qualities to be coach of the Claymores, are his sense of tradition and loyalty. He has great rapport with the Scottish people and press, and before the 97 season Jim turned down old friend Dick Vermeil's attempts to woo him onto his newly assembled Rams coaching staff in the NFL. You can tell how much the job means to the guy - can anybody forget his ecstatic reaction to beating the Monarchs for the Scottish International Telecom Cup during the disappointing 98 season?

Ignore the naysayers Jim and have a great 99!

Jim hoists the Scottish International Telecom Cup aloft.

• 96 All Season. Who can forget Jim's rallying cry of "How bout them Claymores?" all season? From week 1 and the overtime victory in London, to the thrilling World Bowl win over Frankfurt at Murrayfield it was a magical ride.
• 98 Week 8 Claymores vs. Monarchs. The hard season finally had some reward and boy did the relief show on the face of Jim. The Cup victory was treated like a World Bowl win and was the clear highlight of a miserable season.

Shuggie and the excitable coach!

Career Statistics

Year

W

L

%

Postseason

98

2

8

.400

97

7

3

.500

96

5

5

.500

1-0

95

2

8

.500

Totals

16

24

.400

1-0

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