Future of Piranha Coach Undecided

Piranha President Roy Englebrecht said team owners discussed the fate of Coach Babe Parilli at a meeting Monday.

“Something might develop this afternoon or tomorrow, but Babe has a contract,” Englebrecht said Monday. “He wasn’t fired.”

A report on an Albany, N.Y., television station said Parilli had been fired and would be replaced by Albany Firebirds Coach Mike Hohensee.

Parilli, who recently finished the first year of a two-year contract, could not be reached for comment at his home in Denver. He has coached for eight years in the Arena Football League with five teams. He has compiled a record of 39-43, including a 9-5 mark with the Piranhas last year.

The Piranhas began the season by winning their first seven games but lost five of their last seven and lost in the first round of the AFL playoffs.

Before coming to Anaheim, Parilli coached the Las Vegas Sting for two seasons. The Sting franchise became the Piranhas last year.

Hohensee, who coached the Firebirds the last three seasons, played college football at Minnesota and played professionally in the Canadian Football League and the United States Football League.