Rampage hire Kraft as first head coach

CEDAR RAPIDS - The Cedar Rapids Rampage have settled on Jeff Kraft as their coach to lead the Major Arena Soccer League franchise into their inaugural season this fall.

Kraft, 50, is a native of Baltimore, Md., and played professionally for the Kansas City Comets of the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) in 1986, then three seasons with the Hershey Impact of the American Indoor Soccer Association (AISA).

Kraft is no stranger to expansion clubs. He spent one year as an assistant coach with the Chicago Storm of the MISL in their 2004-05 expansion season.

From there, Kraft served as head coach of the Rockford Thunder (later named Rampage) for six seasons in four leagues, the first three in the AISL. Rockford folded after the 2012-13 season, but not before Kraft won an AISL championship and Coach of the Year honors in 2008. Kraft added a National Indoor Soccer League (NISL) Coach of the Year award in Rockford's 2009 debut season in that league.

Kraft was 39-28 overall with Rockford.

Most recently, Kraft was head coach of the Wichita B-52s of the MASL for the first five games of last season before being dismissed five games into the season.

Kraft will be present as Cedar Rapids conducts a pair of open player tryouts August 15-16 at the U.S. Cellular Center.

The club will plays its first home game Oct. 30.

Here is the press release from the club:

Cedar Rapids, IA – The Cedar Rapids Rampage announced at a press conference today that they have hired the team's first head coach in Jeff Kraft. Kraft brings over 20 years of experience, and two Coach of the Year awards, to Cedar Rapids' newest professional sports franchise.

'We are extremely excited to bring in a coach like Jeff Kraft to lead the Rampage in our inaugural season. He's a veteran coach that has experience in building championship teams,” said Rampage Co-Owner Chris Kokalis. 'We look forward to him building a winner here in Cedar Rapids.”

Kraft started his indoor soccer career as a player in 1986 with the Kansas City Comets of the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL). After one season with the Comets, Kraft signed with the Hersey Impact (AISA). During his three-year tenure with the Impact, Kraft totaled 31 goals and eight assists in 74 games. He led the team in game-winning goals with six.

Kraft earned his first coaching gig shortly before the 2004-2005 MISL season when he was named Assistant Coach for the MISL's Chicago Storm. After just one season, Kraft went on to become the head coach of the Rockford Rampage (AISL).

During his four years with the Rampage, Kraft posted a 39-28 overall record. That record includes winning the 2007-2008 AISL Championship on his way to earning 2007-2008 AISL Coach of the Year honors.

The Rampage are scheduled to have open tryouts on August 15th & 16th at the US Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids. New head coach Jeff Kraft will be in attendance. The team expects players from around the country to be in attendance. Players can register for the tryouts by visiting the Rampage website at cedarrapidsrampage.com.

Season tickets are now on sale and start as low as $80 each, which includes 11 home games. The 2015-16 season will kick off October 30th with the team's home opener.

l Comments: douglas.miles@thegazette.com