A Brief History of the Warwick Wolves

The Warwick Wolves were founded in 1988, and the following year joined the British Collegiate American Football League (BCAFL). With the help of head coach Graham Huber and several experienced players, the team went 7-0-1 and earned a position in the playoffs.

However, the year ended with a 16-14 loss to eventual College Bowl IV champion, Teesside. In their second season, the Wolves again made the playoffs, earning a 5-1-2 record, but again lost in the first round.

For five seasons, the lack of a consistent offense plagued the team. Through much of that period, however, the Wolves featured two of the best players in the league: two-way lineman Andy Starling, who was twice named national lineman of the year, and three-time Great Britain Bulldogs linebacker Jake Box. At the end of the 1995-96 season, the Wolves’ first ‘Old Boys Game’ was played, with 30 former Warwick players participating. In 1996-97, under new coach Graham Corner, the Wolves recorded their first winning season in six years.

Lean times followed until the 2003-2004 season, when, under Coach Lawrence “Andy” Capp, the Wolves reached the playoffs for the first time in over ten years. The record of 6 wins and 2 losses (both only to local rivals Birmingham) was the Wolves’ best season since their formation year. Unfortunately, the play-off campaign again ended early in the conference semi-final away at Southampton.

2004-2005 saw a transitional season for the Wolves, having lost a number of players to graduation at the end of the previous season. The record of 4 wins and 4 losses was disappointing, but this was countered by the individual successes of a number of players, representing the Wolves in both the Southern All Star team, and the Great Britain National side, the GB Bulldogs.

The 2005-2006 season saw the Wolves undertake a complete re-branding exercise. Primarily, this resulted in the development of a new logo, which offered a great example of the new look and forward thinking of the Wolves.

The 2006/7 season looked like it would be one of the most promising years for the Wolves. Coach Graham Huber returned as head coach and brought in a raft of Coventry Jets players to aid in coaching. The Wolves had a strong backbone of veterans such as GB defensive lineman Adam O’Reilly and GB offensive lineman Pete Downes. There was also a strong intake of rookies who looked like they would be able to help improve an already solid squad. With the promise the team showed at the beginning of the season, the team could not but be disappointed with a final season record of 3-4. Two results in particular hurt the Wolves – close loses to division rivals Birmingham and Aberystwyth.

Coach Huber and the Wolves eventually parted ways at the end of the season, both looking to go in new directions.

Following this, the Wolves underwent a radical change in team organisation and management. For the 07/08 season, a totally new array of coaches joined us, spearheaded by American head coach, Errol Wilson. This seemed to pay off in the recruitment stages as the team had in excess of 100 rookies vying for squad places. The first half of the season was tough. The Wolves team was heavily pregnant with rookies who, despite learning quickly, were just not learning quickly enough to match their conference opponents.

Recording no wins in the first half of the season, the Wolves’ problems were compounded by the eventual loss of the head coach. However, the second phase of the season so happened to be a turn in fortune as the Wolves managed two wins and a draw in the season’s final matches. This game-winning mentality was brought to fruition by the management of the new head coach Daniel Jacobs and his Offensive and Defensive Co-ordinators, Martin Evans and Stuart Coles, respectively.

The Wolves would continue their upward trend in the 10/11 season. Under Head Coach and Defensive Co-ordinator Phil Rodger and Offensive Co-ordinator Pete Buckley, the Wolves managed a 4-4 season to firmly place themselves in the middle of the table. The season’s success came during the second half of the season with the Wolves using the momentum from their Varsity clash to win three consecutive games and have a shot at the playoffs. However, an away loss at Nottingham Trent ended Warwick’s playoff hopes and an unfortunate loss at Staffordshire due to wasteful possession forced the Wolves to finish with a drawing season, albeit their best season in over half a decade.

However, now, the team now looks foward to the new season, ready to build upon the last under Head Coach Pete Buckley and D Co-ordinator Stuart Coles, gain a winning season and a playoff berth, and establish a new Wolves legacy.

Click HERE for a list of retired Wolves jerseys and more Wolves history!