2015 Birmingham Bulls season
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| 2015 Birmingham Bulls season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Mark Pagett |
| Home stadium | Erin Go Bragh |
| Results | |
| Record | 4–6 |
| Division place | 6th (SFC1) |
| Playoffs | did not qualify |
| Team MVP | Mark Bonazebi |
| Uniform | |
 | |
The 2015 Birmingham Bulls season was the team's 32nd season in competitive British American Football. It was also the first season under rookie Head Coach Mark Pagett and Chairman Richard Penwright, whilst Rob Amor returned for a fifth year as Club Secretary. The Bulls entered the 2015 season in the second tier following a league restructure, and were considered by some to be favourites for post-season success and immediate promotion back to the top tier.[1]
Following the departure of the previous coaching staff, former player Matt Sheldon was appointed as Offensive coordinator,[2] while Alan Steel, departing the Coventry Jets, was appointed as Defensive coordinator.[3] Coaches Mark Webb and Paul Roberts were retained in their role as Special Teams and Defensive Back coaches respectively.
Part way through the season, Offensive coordinator Matt Sheldon stepped down from his role and was replaced by O-Line coach Gary Hodgen. Despite early season promise, including an away win against the eventual league champions Farnham Knights, a five-game losing streak put paid to any notion of post-season football in 2015.[4]
Rookies
Following successful recruitment sessions in the winter of 2014,[5] several rookies joined the team, along with former players returning from playing in Europe.[6]
| Position | Player |
|---|---|
| FS | Dotun Ademiju |
| ILB | Mohammed Awil |
| WR | Joshua Boulton |
| DE | Matthew Brown |
| CB | Elliott Forster |
| DE | Gavin Henry |
| OLB | Dominic Taylor |
| OLB | Simon Taylor |
| DE | Jay Willis |
Transfers
| Position | Player | Previous Team |
|---|---|---|
| OLB | Dimeji Ademiju | Walney Terriers |
| FS | Oheeul Choudhury | Coventry Jets |
| WR | Marc Henry | Yorkshire Rams |
| OL | Andrew Kane | Glasgow Lions |
| OL | Tom Levick | Lura Bulls |
| CB | Calum Roberts | Colchester Gladiators |
| DT | Scott Robinson | Coventry Jets |
| K | Luca Zigliani | Lazio Marines |
Staff
|
Head coach
Offensive coaches
Defensive coaches
Special teams
|
Playing staff
Final roster
Birmingham Bulls 2016 | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Quarterbacks
Running backs & Full backs
Wide receivers & Tight ends
|
Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen
|
Linebackers
Defensive backs
|
Special teams
Injured Reserve
Rookies in italics. | ||||||||||||||||
Statistics
Offence
| Category | Name | |
|---|---|---|
| Passing yards | Dan Wilkes | 204 |
| Passing TDs | Richard Penwright & Dan Wilkes | 1 |
| Rushing yards | Mark Bonazebi | 1206 |
| Rushing TDs | Mark Bonazebi | 14 |
| Receiving yards | Michael Beaty | 187 |
| Receiving TDs | Michael Doyle & Mark Bonazebi | 1 |
Defence
| Category | Name | |
|---|---|---|
| Total tackles | Olu Amudipe | 57 |
| Solo tackles | Olu Amudipe | 29 |
| Sacks | Olu Amudipe | 6.5 |
| Interceptions | Gareth Thomas | 8 |
| Forced fumbles | Jake Harbon, Domeni White, Lee Macken | 2 |
| Fumble recoveries | Olu Amudipe & Stephen Stoakes | 2 |
Special teams
| Category | Name | |
|---|---|---|
| Field goals | Luca Zigliani | 1 |
| Punt yards | Luca Zigliani | 1317 |
| Kick return yards | Gareth Thomas | 304 |
| Punt return yards | Gareth Thomas | 240 |
Bulls players set or equalled several team records throughout the 2015 season. Mark Bonazebi recorded 1206 rushing yards, the most in Bulls history, and his 93-yard run against the Hertfordshire Cheetahs was the longest in team history.[7] Gareth Thomas' 9 total takeaways was a new Bulls season record, and his 4 interceptions against the Hertfordshire Cheetahs was a record for most single game takeaways and interceptions. His 8 total interceptions equalled Hall of Famer Paul Roberts' single season record. His 125 punt return yards against the East Kent Mavericks was also a single-game record for the Bulls.[8]
Award winners
The Bulls held their annual awards night on 20 September 2015.[9]
| Award | Winner |
|---|---|
| Team MVP | Mark Bonazebi |
| Player's Player | Mark Bonazebi |
| Offensive MVP | Mark Bonazebi |
| Defensive MVP | Gareth Thomas |
| Special teams MVP | Gareth Thomas |
| Coaches' MVP | Richard Penwright |
| Offensive Development Award | David Pemberton |
| Defensive Development Award | Stephen Stoakes |