The Aix-en-Provence Argonautes from France’s top division have announced the signing of one of the most experienced coaches in Europe, Richard Bonds, as their new head coach and defensive coordinator.
The 55 year old Bonds from South Carolina, most recently helped Poland’s Tychy Falcons reach the LFA semifinals. Prior to that he helped Turkey’s Koc Rams win back-to-back Turkish titles acting as both assistant head coach and defensive coordinator. His coaching resume in Europe stretches back 10 years when he helped the Zurich Renegades win the Swiss title in 2008 as assistant head coach and defensive coordinator. In fact, in the past seven years, his teams have reached the championship final in five different countries. In total, Bonds has coached in nine different countries outside of the United States.
The new head coach was asked of this thoughts on the challenges.
Bonds:
“My personal and collective goals are the same. I want the Argonauts to find excellence. I want to see the team unite and believe in my concepts, my philosophy and my ideas and prove to all that we have to count with us in the French Elite Championship. For me it will be my second French experience since I have already been to the Gladiateurs de la Queue-en-Brie in 2015. It will however be my first visit in Southern France and I have looking forward to discovering the people, culture, climate and food of the region. Watching the videos from previous season, I was able to see that there is talent at all positions and I can’t wait to help exploit all that talent to compete in the elite championship and bring the Argonauts back to excellence.
What are your favorite NFL and college teams, and your favorite player?
Bonds:
My favorite NFL team is the New York Giants. I lived for 17 years in New Jersey and the New York region and it’s hard not to be a fan of this team. At the university level my favorite teams are Alabama and South Carolina. I don’t have a favorite player but as a coach what I prefer is the players who are coachables.
What do you have to say to your players?
Bonds:
To my future players I would like to say that the future is promising, that believing in yourself and your coaches is the key to return to the best national level, which is the goal of the team and the club. I’m a hard coach but just, asking for perfection, discipline, unity and trust of my players and coaches. You will never find a coach who will take as much care of you as a player but also as a person. These elements are those who define champions on and outside the field in addition to talent alone. Without you I’m not a coach and goals as a team, coach or player are impossible to reach if as a coach or player you don’t believe in your coaches or in the systems we install. I ask you to learn more, to become better every day, on and off the ground. None of this will be easy, but all these efforts and sacrifices will make us formidable opponents. Be proud to be Argonauts and represent Aix-En-Provence, I can’t wait to meet you all.
The Argonautes finished the 2018 season with a 2-8 record and out of the playoffs for the first time since entering France’s Elite division in 2015.
Bonds’ international coaching resume is impressive to say the least
