Rhein Fire and head coach Mark Ridgley part ways
Rhein Fire are making an early and decisive move ahead of the off-season. The club and head coach Mark Ridgley have decided to go their separate ways, despite a successful inaugural AFLE campaign.
An early decision
By acting quickly, Rhein Fire give themselves the best possible platform heading into the off-season. With clarity in the coaching structure established early, the club can focus entirely on finding the right successor, giving a new head coach the time and space to be fully involved in roster construction from the ground up.
Ridgley joined Rhein Fire ahead of the 2026 season, having previously coached the Fehérvár Enthroners in Hungary in 2025 and served as part of the coaching staff at Madrid Bravos before that. His time in the Rhine-Ruhr region brought results, but the club has chosen to make a change and move forward in a new direction.
Building toward 2027
The search for a successor can now begin in earnest. With the right appointment, Rhein Fire aim to have their new head coach fully embedded in the process of building the roster for the 2027 season, laying the foundations early for another strong campaign.
