ELF Championship Game 2023: Stuttgart Surge HC Jordan Neuman’s path to Duisburg

| American Football | 09/24/2023

Three German Bowls, two Austrian Bowls and two Eurobowls. These are just a few of the achievements of teams lead coached by Jordan Neuman.

As we head into the European League of Football Championship Game, Neuman has a shot to add another trophy to the cabinet, as he has led the Stuttgart Surge from a winless season to a possible championship-winning season in the space of a year. Let’s take a look into how Neuman worked his way towards being one of the most dominant coaches in European American Football history.

Neuman’s journey through the world of American football began during his high school years at Western Hills High School in his hometown of Fort Worth. From 2001 to 2004, he served as the quarterback for the McMurry University team, competing in the NCAA’s third division in the state of Texas. In 2005, he made a significant move to Germany, where he joined the Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns.

During his time with the Unicorns, Neuman not only contributed on the field but also engaged in youth development within the club. He even took on the role of player-coach for the Schwäbisch Hall Renegades baseball team. After concluding his competitive sports career with the Unicorns in 2008, he transitioned fully into coaching.

Between 2009 and 2013, Neuman took on coaching responsibilities, serving as the offensive coordinator for both the Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns and the Vienna Vikings. His coaching prowess led the Vienna Vikings to victory in the Austrian championship and Eurobowl on two occasions.

In 2014, Neuman returned to the Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns, once again taking on the role of offensive coordinator and contributing to youth development. He eventually became the club’s first full-time football coach. Simultaneously, he joined the coaching staff of the German men’s national team, where he focused on coaching quarterbacks and contributed to their gold medal win at the 2014 European Championships.

His career took another significant turn in October 2016 when he assumed the position of head coach for the Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns, succeeding Siegfried Gehrke. Under his leadership, the Unicorns secured consecutive German Bowls in 2017 and 2018, breaking a streak of second-place finishes in previous years.

In 2021, Neuman achieved international success with the Unicorns, winning the Central European Football League (CEFL). He not only led the Unicorns as their head coach but also played a pivotal role in nurturing the club’s youth academy.

One of the most remarkable achievements during his coaching career was a 50-game winning streak in the German Football League from the time he took over until German Bowl XLI in 2019. This streak exceeded the winning streaks of other prominent sports teams in Germany, including THW Kiel in the Handball Bundesliga and FC Bayern München in the Football Bundesliga.

In 2022, Neuman guided the Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns to win the GFL once again, before defending their CEFL championship title in a blowout victory over the Parma Panthers. 

In a significant development, in October 2022, Neuman transitioned to the Stuttgart Surge in the ELF, embarking on a new chapter in his coaching career. With him he brought a plethora of weapons, including multiple coaches and a whopping 23 Schwäbisch Hall players. Among this list of players are quarterback Reilly Hennessey, Austrian wideout Yanick Mary and defensive back Mitch Fettig to name a few. The Surge will look for a huge upset this weekend as they take on the undefeated Rhein Fire in Duisburg, while both teams hunt their first piece of ELF silverware.

A current student at Bournemouth University as well as a quarterback with eight years of playing experience. Brad's goal is to be a part of the growth of the game around the world through journalism and media.