Cedar Rapids River Kings

Cedar Rapids River Kings
Current season
Established 2011 Play in Alliant Energy PowerHouse in Cedar Rapids, Iowa CedarRapidsRiverKings.com
League/conference affiliations
Indoor Football League (2012–2020) United Conference (2012–2017) American Indoor Football (2024–present)
Current uniform
Team colors	Navy blue, light blue, gray
Personnel
Owner(s)	Dominic Montero Anthony Bartley
Chairman	Anthony Bartley
President	Drake Roach
Head coach	Daron Clark
Team history
Cedar Rapids Titans (2012–2018) Cedar Rapids River Kings (2019–2020, 2024–present)
Championships
League championships (0)
Conference championships (0)
Division championships (0)
Playoff appearances (4)
IFL: 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016
Home arena(s)
Cedar Rapids Ice Arena (2012–2013) Alliant Energy PowerHouse (2014–2020, 2024–present)

The Cedar Rapids River Kings are a professional indoor football team based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. They are current members of American Indoor Football and play their homes at the Alliant Energy PowerHouse.

The River Kings joined the Indoor Football League (IFL) as an expansion team in 2011 known as the Cedar Rapids Titans and first took the field for the 2012 season.

Since 2014, the Titans/River Kings franchise has played its home games at the newly renovated Alliant Energy PowerHouse, after having played their first two seasons at the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena.

The Titans were the first indoor team to be based in Cedar Rapids. The Titans have appeared in two United Conference championship games (2013, 2014), losing to the Sioux Falls Storm both times.

During the 2018 season, the Titans were sold to new ownership and announced that they would rebrand for 2019 with a name-the-team contest, ^[1] eventually taking on the Cedar Rapids River Kings name. ^[2]

Due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the River Kings went dormant for at least the 2021 season. ^[3] The team website was deactivated in 2020 ^[4] and the team was not included as a 2022 league member.

The River Kings would return in 2024, initially as members of the revived AIF, before abandoning its schedule in that league after two games and playing the remainder of the 2024 season as an independent.

Franchise history

2012 – Titans

Main article: 2012 Cedar Rapids Titans season

In August 2011, it was announced that the Cedar Rapids Titans would become an expansion team of the Indoor Football League for the 2012 season owned by Chris Kokalis, Bob Sullivan and Kenneth Moninski. ^[5] Titans' general manager, Chris Kolalis stated, "We believe that Cedar Rapids is a fantastic market to bring a team into. We hope to promote economic development and be a part of the growth of the community by being active and giving back to the fans." ^[5] The team also announced that they would play their home games at the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena, with the intentions to play in the newly renovated, U.S. Cellular Center in 2013. ^[5] On November 18, 2011, the Titans hired former NFL player, Kyle Moore-Brown, as the first coach in franchise history. ^[6] They won their inaugural game on March 3, 2012 with a 32–13 win over Lehigh Valley Steelhawks. ^[7]

2013

Main article: 2013 Cedar Rapids Titans season

The Titans lost their pre-season warm-up against Green Bay but began the 2013 regular season with three straight wins in a home-and-home series with Chicago and hosting the new Texas Revolution franchise out of Allen. ^[8] After a two-week bye, the team lost its next three games. The Titans recovered from this stumble and finished the season second in the United Conference with a 9–5 record. They made the post-season but lost to the Sioux Falls Storm in the United Conference Championship. ^[9] The team fared much better at home than on the road with 5 of its 6 losses coming when it was away from the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena.

2014

Main article: 2014 Cedar Rapids Titans season

The Titans were one of eight returning teams plus one expansion team for the 2014 Indoor Football League season. After a 38–47 loss to open the 2014 season, the Titans went on to win their next 8 games in a row. The Titans entered Week 12, with a chance to claim first place in the United Conference, but fell 36–48 to the undefeated Storm. The Titans avenged the loss during the final game of the season, defeating the Storm 49–37. The victory placed the Titans in second place in the United Conference, and ended the Storm's undefeated season. The Titans' 2nd-place finish meant a road playoff game against the Storm in the United Conference Finals, where they were defeated 36–73.

2015

Main article: 2015 Cedar Rapids Titans season

The Titans were tasked with replacing 2014 starting quarterback Spencer Ohm, while also losing the IFL's leading rusher, LaRon Council. The team signed Sam Durley, from the defunct Wyoming Cavalry, to be their new starting quarterback. Durley got the Titans off to a 6–3 start, good enough for second place in the United Conference, but he was released on May 4, 2015 to sign with the New Orleans VooDoo. ^[10] However, just two weeks prior to Durley's release, the Titans had traded for the 2014 IFL MVP, Willie Copeland. ^[11] Jeremiah Price was named the Defensive Player of the Year.

2016

Main article: 2016 Cedar Rapids Titans season

The Titans were yet again looking for a quarterback heading into 2016. The team selected Dylan Favre (quarterback for the national team from the 2015 Football World Cup and the nephew of Brett Favre) to lead the team. Favre finished 6th in the league in passing touchdowns and 5 in passing yards as the Titans finished the season 12–4, clinching the 2 seed in the United Conference. The Titans won their first playoff game in team history with a 66–36 victory over the Wichita Falls Nighthawks, ^[12] but were once again defeated by the Sioux Falls Storm 48–41 in the United Conference Championship. Price repeated as the Defensive Player of the Year.

2017

Main article: 2017 Cedar Rapids Titans season

The Titans hired former Iowa Hawkeyes wide receiver, Marvin McNutt as the third coach in team history. ^[13]

2018

Main article: 2018 Cedar Rapids Titans season

After the 2017 season, head coach McNutt took over as general manager and hired Billy Back, the 2016 IFL coach of the year with the Wichita Falls Nighthawks, as the new head coach. ^[14] However, coach Back would leave the team a couple of months after his hiring to coach the expansion Carolina Cobras of the National Arena League for the 2018 season. The Titans then hired former NFL linebacker Marvin Jones as his replacement. ^[15]

On January 30, 2018, the Titans' ownership announced the team was for sale with hopes of selling to new local ownership. ^[16] In June, it was announced that the Titans had been sold to Roy Choi, a California-based businessman, with the intentions of keeping the team Cedar Rapids. ^[17]

River Kings

Original River Kings logo (2018-2023)

In a letter to fans posted on the team's website on August 17, 2018, new general manager Ryan Eucker announced that the Titans' name and identity would be replaced as part of a rebranding process after the ownership change. ^[1] On August 20, 2018, Eucker announced a name-the-team contest to select a new team name and identity with submissions due by September 5. ^[18] On September 22, the team announced their new name as the Cedar Rapids River Kings with a new logo and color scheme to be unveiled by mid-October. ^[2] On September 25, 2018, general manager Ryan Eucker announced that Mark Stoute had returned as the head coach of the River Kings. He coached the Titans from 2013 to 2016. ^[19] A few games into the season, general manager Eucker was sent by the new owner to his other IFL team, the San Diego Strike Force, to take over as general manager. Reggie Harris was promoted to the River Kings' general manager.

The River Kings finished with a 1–13 record and head coach Stoute was fired after the season. ^[20] Victor Mann was brought in as head coach after his previous team, the Texas Revolution, had folded the previous season. ^[21]

The River Kings participated in one of the two league games that were completed in the 2020 season before the entire league's season was curtailed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The team also withdrew from the league's 2021 season. ^[22]

2024

In 2024, the River Kings were revived as a member of American Indoor Football. Two games into the AIF season, the league ordered the suspension of co-owner Dominic Montero for "deviations from professional standards" (such that it required Montero to take "workplace sensitivity" training to be reinstated for 2025), despite clearing the team of fiscal malfeasance; ^[23] in a compromise, the AIF granted the River Kings release from the remainder of its schedule in the AIF, opting to play the remainder of its season outside the auspices of that league. ^[24] Among the leagues that began scheduling the River Kings after the severance was the Arena Football League, which had lost five of its 16 teams in a reorganization and used the River Kings to plug holes in its schedule. ^{[25] [26]}

Players

Current roster

Cedar Rapids River Kings roster

Quarterbacks -- Prince Davis -- AJ Funk -- Isaak Hahn -- Verlon Reed -- Kaylor Sullivan Running backs -- Tremon Bright -- Devonte Butler Wide receivers -- Tremon Bright -- Demetrius Davis -- Shilol Flannagan -- Daniel Hugan -- Khalil Jenkins -- Donovan Johnson -- La Vaughn Macon -- Robert Majors -- Saton Roberts -- Jordan Thomas

Offensive linemen -- Emmanuel Akingbilu -- Shane Gay -- Robert Hoyle -- Claudjone Jules -- Aneus Ruiz -- Douglas Tucker Defensive linemen -- Anthony Bartley -- Dalan Cofer -- Rickey Neal -- Enoch Smith -- Braden Wietholter

Linebackers -- Lonnie Bickham -- Jonathan Jones -- Dashawn Meadors -- Damien Williams -- Austin Wood Defensive backs -- Darius Arrington -- Davante Brown -- Terrell Carey -- Kalin Heath -- Dren Johnson -- Jah-Real Mills -- Jaton Roberts -- Corey Tucker Special teams -- Cody Barber

Reserve lists Currently vacant Rookies in italics Roster updated January 5, 2024 42 Active, 0 Inactive

All-IFL players

The following Titans/River Kings players have been named to All-IFL Teams:

• RB LaRon Council (2)
• WR Carl Sims, Bryan Pray (2), Damond Powell
• OL Maurice Robinson, Albert Erni, Jr., A. J. Harmon
• DL Xzavie Jackson (4), Kyle Jenkins, Jeremiah Price (2)
• LB Nikolas Sierra
• DB T. J. Simmons, Ricky Johnson
• K Rockne Belmonte (2), Nicholas Belcher
• KR Robert Brown, Demetruce McNeal

Individual awards

The following is a list of all Titans/River Kings players who have won league awards

Special Teams Player of the Year Season Player Position 2014 Rockne Belmonte K

Defensive Player of the Year Season Player Position 2015 Jeremiah Price DL 2016 Jeremiah Price DL

Staff

Cedar Rapids River Kings staff

Front office Owner – Dominic Montero Owner – Anthony Bartley President – Drake Roach General manager – Daron Clark Head coaches Head coach – Daron Clark Offensive coaches Offensive line/Defensive line – Derrizett Cropp

Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator – Anthony Bartley

Statistics and records

Season-by-season results

League champions

Conference champions

Playoff berth

League leader

Season	Team	League	Conference	Regular season			Postseason results
				Finish	Wins	Losses
2012	2012	IFL	United	7th	4	10
2013	2013	IFL	United	2nd	9	5	Lost United Conference Championship (Sioux Falls) 20–44
2014	2014	IFL	United	2nd	11	3	Lost United Conference Championship (Sioux Falls) 36–73
2015	2015	IFL	United	2nd	9	5	Lost United Conference Championship (Sioux Falls) 12–34
2016	2016	IFL	United	2nd	12	4	Won United Conference Wild Card (Wichita Falls) 66–36 Lost United Conference Championship (Sioux Falls) 24–58
2017	2017	IFL	United	5th	1	15
2018	2018	IFL		5th	3	11
2019	2019	IFL		9th	1	13
2020	2020	IFL			0	1	Season cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2021	Dormant year
2022	Dormant year
2023	Dormant year
2024	2024	AIF			0	0
Totals					50	67	All-time regular season record
					1	4	All-time postseason record
					51	71	All-time regular season and postseason record

Head coach records

Note: Statistics are correct through the 2024 American Indoor Football season.

Name	Tenure	Regular season			Playoffs		Awards
		W	L	Win%	W	L
Kyle Moore-Brown	2012	4	10	.286	0	0
Mark Stoute	2013–2016, 2019	42	30	.583	1	4	2013 IFL Coach of the Year
Marvin McNutt	2017	1	15	.063	0	0
Marvin Jones	2018	3	11	.214	0	0
Victor Mann	2020	0	1	.000	0	0
Daron Clark	2024–present	2	3	.400	0	0

References

1. Ryan Eucker (August 17, 2018). "LETTER TO FANS FROM GM RYAN EUCKER". CedarRapidsTitans.com.
2. Ryan Eucker (September 22, 2018). "Cedar Rapids IFL Announces New Team Name". CedarRapidsTitans.com.
3. "2021 IFL SCHEDULE RELEASED". IFL. November 17, 2020.
4. "Wayback Machine archives for goriverkings.com". Archived from the original on 8 August 2020. Retrieved October 22, 2021.
5. "Professional Football Coming to Cedar Rapids". www.kcrg.com. ABC. August 29, 2011. Archived from the original on January 27, 2013. Retrieved September 20, 2012.
6. Jeff Johnson (November 18, 2011). "Titans hire Moore-Brown as head coach". The Gazette. Retrieved September 20, 2012.
7. Mike Condon (March 3, 2012). "Titans trounce Lehigh Valley, 32-13, in first game for Cedar Rapids IFL franchise". The Gazette. Retrieved September 20, 2012.
8. Bonner, Michael; Saville, Scott (March 2, 2013). "Titans Steamroll Texas To Stay Perfect". Cedar Rapids, IA: KCRG-TV. Archived from the original on September 30, 2015. Retrieved March 4, 2013.
9. "Titans fall to Storm in conference championship". thegazette.com. The Gazette. June 22, 2013. Retrieved March 31, 2014.
10. Douglas Miles (May 3, 2015). "Durley leaving Titans for AFL's New Orleans VooDoo". www.thegazette.com. The Cedar Rapids Gazette. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
11. Douglas Miles (April 13, 2015). "C.R. Titans trade for reigning IFL MVP". www.thegazette.com. The Cedar Rapids Gazette. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
12. Douglas Miles (July 9, 2016). "Dylan Favre totals 7 TDs for Cedar Rapids Titans in 66-36 playoff rout". www.thegazette.com. The Cedar Rapids Gazette. Retrieved July 11, 2016.
13. Douglas Miles (October 11, 2016). "Former Iowa Hawkeyes receiver Marvin McNutt named Cedar Rapids Titans head coach". www.thegazette.com. The Gazette. Retrieved March 21, 2017.
14. "FORMER COACH OF THE YEAR JOINS TITANS; MCNUTT PROMOTED TO GM". CR Titans. October 30, 2017.
15. "FORMER ALL PRO NFL LINEBACKER NAMED TITANS HEAD COACH". Cedar Rapids Titans. January 3, 2018.
16. "Cedar Rapids Titans up for sale". KCRG-TV . January 30, 2018.
17. "Cedar Rapids Titans Announce New Ownership". OurSportsCentral.com. June 19, 2018.
18. Ryan Eucker (August 20, 2018). "NAME THE TEAM CONTEST". CedarRapidsTitans.com. Archived from the original on August 22, 2018. Retrieved August 21, 2018.
19. Ryan Eucker (September 25, 2018). "Cedar Rapids MARK STOUTE RETURNS AS HEAD COACH". GoRiverKings.com.
20. "RIVER KINGS BEGIN SEARCH FOR NEW HEAD COACH". River Kings. July 20, 2019.
21. "Victor Mann Agrees to Lead River Kings". OurSports Central. September 5, 2019.
22. "Current Teams - Indoor Football League". Indoor Football League. Retrieved October 22, 2021.
23. Final Decision Regarding Cedar Rapids River Kings Organization
24. AIF Reflects Adaptability in Schedule. American Indoor Football press release. May 8, 2024. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
25. FISHER IN AS AFL COMMISSIONER. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
26. "Schedule change has Billings Outlaws next playing June 1 at West Texas". 406 MT SPORTS. 2024-05-23. Retrieved 2024-05-23.

External links

• Cedar Rapids River Kings official website