| Atlanta Legends | |
| Established: | 2018 |
| Folded: | 2019 |
| Location: | Atlanta, Georgia |
| Stadium: | Georgia State Stadium |
| Coach: | Kevin Coyle |
| Manager: | Billy Devaney |
| League: | Alliance of American Football |
| Division: | Eastern Conference (2019) |
| Colors: | Purple, gold & white |
| President: | David Livingston |
The Atlanta Legends were a professional American football franchise based in Atlanta, Georgia, and one of the eight members of the Alliance of American Football (AAF), which played one season from February 2019 to April 2019.[1] They played their home games at Georgia State Stadium on the campus of Georgia State University. The Legends were one of two AAF teams based in a city that already had an NFL team (the Atlanta Falcons; the other team was the Arizona Hotshots, where the NFL's Cardinals were based). The Legends were coached by Kevin Coyle, one of two AAF coaches without prior head coaching experience, after the position became available when Brad Childress resigned a month before the season began.[2] Billy Devaney was the general manager.
On April 2, 2019, the league's football operations were reportedly suspended,[3] [4] and on April 4 the league allowed players to leave their contracts to sign with NFL teams.[5] The league filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy on April 17, 2019.[6]
The Alliance Atlanta team was announced by the league on April 25, 2018, as its second initial team. Additionally, the head coach, Brad Childress, and offensive coordinator, Michael Vick, were announced.[7] [8] On September 20, the league announced for four eastern inaugural franchises' names and logos including Atlanta as the Atlanta Legends.[9] The name and colors (purple, gold, white) are tributes to famous historical figures from the city, such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Hank Aaron.[10] [11]
Childress resigned a month before the start of the 2019 season, and Kevin Coyle, initially hired as the team's defensive coordinator, took Childress's place.[12] On February 7, 2019, two days before their first game, head coach Coyle announced that Vick would be unable to fill his role as offensive coordinator and would instead act as an advisor to the team.[13] Rich Bartel, who replaced Vick as de facto offensive coordinator and play-caller, abruptly resigned two days before the team's home opener,[14] prompting the team to hire Ken Zampese to lead the offense.[15]
The team's first game was at Spectrum Stadium against the Orlando Apollos on Saturday, February 9, 2019,[16] where they lost 40–6.[17] Their first home game was on February 24 against the Birmingham Iron, where they lost 28–12. After starting the season 0–3, the Legends recorded their first win against the Arizona Hotshots on March 3, 2019.[18]
The Legends' assigned area, which designated player rights, included the following:[19]
Colleges
National Football League (NFL)
Canadian Football League (CFL)
| Team: | Atlanta Legends |
| Year: | 2019 |
| No Prevseason: | true |
| No Nextseason: | true |
| Record: | 2–6 |
| League Place: | 3rd (tie), Eastern Conference |
| Coach: | Kevin Coyle |
| General Manager: | Billy Devaney |
| Stadium: | Georgia State Stadium |
All times Eastern
| Week | Day | Date | Kickoff | TV | Opponent | Results | Location | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Score | Record | |||||||
| 1 | Saturday | February 9 | 8:00 p.m. | CBS | at Orlando Apollos | L 6–40 | 0–1 | Spectrum Stadium |
| 2 | Sunday | February 17 | 8:00 p.m. | NFLN | at San Diego Fleet | L 12–24 | 0–2 | SDCCU Stadium |
| 3 | Sunday | February 24 | 4:00 p.m. | CBSSN | Birmingham Iron | L 12–28 | 0–3 | Georgia State Stadium |
| 4 | Sunday | March 3 | 8:00 p.m. | NFLN | at Arizona Hotshots | W 14–11 | 1–3 | Sun Devil Stadium |
| 5 | Sunday | March 10 | 4:00 p.m. | CBSSN | Memphis Express | W 23–20 | 2–3 | Georgia State Stadium |
| 6 | Sunday | March 17 | 4:00 p.m. | CBSSN | San Antonio Commanders | L 6–37 | 2–4 | Georgia State Stadium |
| 7 | Saturday | March 23 | 2:00 p.m. | TNT | Orlando Apollos | L 6–36 | 2–5 | Georgia State Stadium |
| 8 | Sunday | March 31 | 4:00 p.m. | CBSSN | at Birmingham Iron | L 9–17 | 2–6 | Legion Field |
| 9 | Sunday | April 7 | 4:00 p.m. | CBSSN | Salt Lake Stallions | Not played | Georgia State Stadium | |
| 10 | Saturday | April 13 | 8:00 p.m. | NFLN | at Memphis Express | Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium | ||
In addition to league-wide television coverage through NFL Network, CBS Sports Network, TNT, and B/R Live, Legends' games were also broadcast on local radio by WCNN ("680 The Fan").[22]