New Yorker Lions re-sign Top Coaching Duo of Troy Tomlin & Dave Likins to long-term contract extensions

Two days before their German semifinal win over the Kiel Baltic Hurricanes, the Braunschweig New Yorker Lions took an important step in securing continuity and the future of the club.

The highly successful coaching duo of head coach Troy Tomlin and defensive coordinator Dave Likins have both extended their contracts with the defending German champions ensuring they will remain with the New Yorker Lions for many more years.

Tomlin’s new contract ties him to the Lions for the next five years while Dave Likins signed an extension for four more years.

With this, the core of the coaching staff since the end of 2012 and the key to the team’s enormous success since then, will remain intact. Since signing with the Lions, the pair has guided Braunschweig to three consecutive German Bowl titles and is looking for a fourth this weekend when they face the Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns in German Bowl XXXVIII. The Lions have also won the EuroBowl twice since Tomin and Likins arrived (2015, 2016).

Tomlin’s history with Braunschweig stretches back to 1994 when he took over as defensive coordinator and helped the Lions win the German championship three times (1997, 1998 and 1999) while winning Eurobowl in 1999 as well. He stepped up as head coach in 2001 and led the team to four straight finals berths while winning Eruobowl again in 2003. His record of 100 wins against only 20 losses speaks volumes about his qualities as a head coach.

Dave Likins is a true defensive specialist. He joined Braunschweig in 1992 and 1993, and then returned from 1998 to 2000 when he was part of the German Bowl winning staff of the Lions. In addition to special teams, he also handled the secondary and was an important part of the rise of Braunschweig football at that time.

He was a member of the coaching staff together with then head coach Kent Anderson and Troy Tomlin, helping the Lions to win two league titles (1998, 1999) and a victory in the Eurobowl (1999).

After the 2000 season Likins moved to the Hamburg Blue Devils as defensive coordinator, where he helped Hamburg win three straight German titles, defeating the lions all three times.

He returned to the United States but came back in 2008 signing with the Swarco Raiders in Austria where he reached the Austrian final and won Eurobowl.

Then, after another stint back home in the States he signed on as head coach and defensive coordinator of the Berlin Adler in 2011 before moving over to Switzerland’s Calanda Broncos in 2012 as defensive coordinator. The Broncos went undefeated that year in the Swiss league winning the Swiss title while also capturing the Eurobowl championship.

Since joining Tomlin and the Lions in 2013 Likins has fashioned statistically the best defense in Germany and possibly all of Europe.