Elway’s Chance to Coach London Team Delayed 1 Year

After head coaching stints at three California universities, Jack Elway was eager to coach football overseas.

But he’ll have to wait at least another year before fulfilling that aspiration after the International League of American Football announced that it has postponed its inaugural season until 1991.

Scheduled to start on April 14, the league cited problems in obtaining work permits for United States players and leases for stadiums, according to Elway, the former Cal State Northridge coach who had been hired to coach the London entry in the eight-team league.

“I was surprised and disappointed from the fact that things had gone so well in London,” said Elway, who returned a couple weeks ago to his Mountain View, Calif., home from England. “We had had three tryouts and a business manager had an excellent staff in terms of a marketing person.”

In addition to London, league franchises were scheduled for Barcelona, Spain; Helsinki, Finland; Munich, West Germany; Milan, Italy; Rome; Amsterdam; and Birmingham, England.

Elway compiled a 22-11-1 record from 1976-78 at Northridge, then guided San Jose State to a 35-20-1 mark from 1979-83.

He coached Stanford from 1984-88, during which the Cardinal was 25-29-2.

Former Northridge players Mike Kane, Chris Parker and Ron Foster also were expected to participate in the league.

The league allows 12 Americans to fill a team’s 36-man roster in the so-called skill positions of quarterback, running back, wide receiver, defensive back and linebacker. The other 24 players must come from the franchise’s home nation.

Kane was an NCAA Division II first-team All-American in 1986, when he rushed for a school-record 1,565 yards. He also holds Northridge career marks for rushing (3,572 yards), touchdowns (39) and points (234).

Parker set school records for completions (232) and passes attempted (424) while directing the Matadors’ offense in 1985.

Foster was an All-Western Football Conference honorable-mention selection at safety in 1983.