RiverRats pull Folmar back into game

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September 3, 2008

By Pete Chiodo The Meadville Tribune Wed Sep 03, 2008, 12:34 AM EDT

Football just keeps pulling Steve Folmar back in.

It was only a year ago that Folmar, a native of Meadville, left his position as head coach of the Johnstown Riverhawks indoor football team somewhat disillusioned with the sport as a whole.

Then the indoor football world came calling with an offer that was too good to refuse.

The Erie RiverRats, following a 10-4 run in its inaugural season in Erie, was without a head coach after Shawn Liotta left the program to coach the Wheeling Wildcats, an expansion team in the Continental Indoor Football League.

“When Shawn left he mentioned me to Jeff Hauser (the president and CEO of the RiverRats),” said Folmar. “He contacted me. One thing led to another and here I go again.”

On Tuesday, Folmar was officially named the RiverRats’ new head coach.

“Well, a good friend and mentor of mine — Fred Biletnikoff Jr. — told me that every once in a while you’ve got to step away from the game and take a long look at yourself and make sure you have that fire,” Folmar said. “And, after coaching in two tough situations with failing organizations, I needed to step away get focused on myself, both financially and professionally.”

Folmar coached the Riverhawks’ first seven games in 2007. But financial problems within the franchise made it impossible for him to keep going. And indeed, the team soon folded.

Folmar then spent the next year working toward a master’s degree in secondary education at Edinboro University. He also stayed busy setting up an online import business.

But then...

“I realized I still wanted to coach. I missed the game.”

By this time the RiverRats were looking for Liotta’s replacement. And their search for the right fit didn’t take them much farther than a half-hour down I-79.

“At the beginning of our search we targeted candidates who had served as head coach before,” said Hauser in a press release, “(candidates who) had a proven network of pro and college-level contacts, were familiar with the indoor game, and were able to spend time in the local Erie community.

“In total, we received about 20 inquiries, interviewed four of them at length, and we were lucky to end up with our top candidate from our list.”

Folmar is not short on experience. His indoor football credentials include assistant coaching gigs with indoor programs in Buffalo, Bakersfield (Calif.) and Fresno (Calif.).

Plus, he spent 2006 as head coach with the Raleigh (N.C.) Rebels and then followed that up with his stint in Johnstown.

“Steve has a lot of experience,” said RiverRats vice president and general manager Jeff Moran. “Indoor football is a different kind of game. (We wanted) somebody who had the potential to recruit. We were looking for somebody with experience.”

The RiverRats job will have Folmar coaching as close to home as he’s ever been.

“That was one of the big factors,” he said. “I also had to make sure organization was stable. I coached for two failing franchises, and that was very hard; not knowing if you were going to get a paycheck, where you were sleeping.

“But once I realized Erie was a good franchise it was a no-brainer. And this is the first chance I have to coach in front of family and friends.”

Pete Chiodo can be reached at 724-6370 ext. 275 or by e-mail at pchiodo@meadvilletribune.com.

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