Discovering Arizona - Arizona Rattlers

Arizona Rattlers are an Arena Football League team, based in Phoenix, Arizona, that began play as a 1992 expansion team.

The team began play in 1992. They play their home games in the US Airways Center, which they share with the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association. The Rattlers are one of the AFL's leading franchises and are currently one of the Arena Football teams with the longest tenure in one city, surpassed only by two other long running teams, the Tampa Bay Storm and the Orlando Predators.

Their unique, copper-colored helmets and rattlesnake logo make their merchandise some of the AFL's most popular. They were coached by former Dallas Cowboys and Arizona State University star Danny White, which had lent considerable credibility to the team over the years. The Rattlers currently compete in the Western Division of the American Conference.

The Rattlers were ArenaBowl champions in 1994 and 1997. They also have the distinction of being the only club to lose three consecutive ArenaBowls, in 2002, 2003 and 2004. The Rattlers released Coach White after losing the championship to their rivals, the San Jose SaberCats, in 2004.

On August 5, 2004, the Rattlers introduced former San Jose SaberCats and New York Dragons coach Todd Shell as the second head coach in franchise history. Shell later resigned on September 1, 2005 following his arrest for possession of cocaine. General Manger Gene Nudo was named his replacement on September 15. Head Athletic Trainer Matt Anderson, currently in his 16th season with the team, is the only original Rattler employee still working for the franchise since the beginning.

At the end of the 2007 season, the Rattlers announced on 6/19/2007 that Gene Nudo will not be returning as the head coach for the 2008 season, but will still be in an administrative position. A new coach has not been named yet. In September 2007, long-time QB Sherdrick Bonner decided to leave Arizona for the quarterback position in Chicago that was vacated by the release of Matt D'Orazio.