The Frankfurt Galaxy have hired former CFL bench boss Bart Andrus to be their next head coach and offensive coordinator, the European League of Football team announced on Sunday.
“Bart Andrus is an absolute top coach who has already coached at many levels. He is a proven offensive expert who will help us enormously with his vast experience. He already knows Europe from his time in NFL Europe and we are proud to present someone of his calibre as our new HC and OC,” sporting director Thomas Kösling said in a statement.
Andrus was the Toronto Argonauts’ head coach for one terrible season in 2009, which was marked by his inability to adapt to the CFL game and public spats with players like Arland Bruce III and Byron Parker. The Argos went 3-15 under his leadership and he was fired that December.
The native of Sepulveda, Cal. later returned to Canada in 2021 and spent the season as the quarterbacks coach with the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees under Marcel Bellefeuille. The team finished 4-4 that season, losing in the OUA Semi-Finals.
The 66-year-old began his coaching career in 1981 and spent time in the NCAA, NFL, NFL Europe, CFL, UFL, The Spring League, XFL, USFL and U Sports. He served as an offensive assistant with the Tennessee Titans (1997-1998, 2008) and quarterbacks coach in 1999, before returning to the NFL in 2013 to be an offensive assistant with the St. Louis Rams. Most recently, he led the USFL’s Philadelphia Stars to a 10-10 record in the team’s two seasons of existence.
Andrus last coached in Europe from 2001 to 2007, where he served as head coach of the Amsterdam Admirals and posted a 34-36 record. He won a World Bowl championship in 2005 and was named NFL Europe Coach of the Year. Prior to that, he was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Rhein Fire in 2000.
The European League of Football, which was founded in 2021 as a spiritual successor to NFL Europe and features semi-pro continuations of several franchises, has featured plenty of CFL connections. Former players like Raheem Wilson and Marloshawn Franklin Jr. starred in the league this year, while three former CFL head coaches — Adam Rita, Joe Paopao, and Ron Smeltzer — banded together to coach the Barcelona Dragons in their inaugural campaign.
The Frankfurt Galaxy won the inaugural ELF championship in 2021 but have not been back since, finishing out of the playoffs with a 4-8 record in 2024. Former CFL players on the roster include receiver Kevin Kaya, defensive lineman Karlis Brauns, and offensive lineman Steven Nielsen.
