Pirates Add Four Coaches

By: Mick Moninghoff

Griggs was last with the team in 2025 as he became the seventh Head Coach of the Pirates. In the span of 10 months, Griggs went from being a defensive backs coach, to Assistant Defensive Coordinator to Interim Head Coach. He coached the first five games of the season leading the Pirates to a 2-3 record.

In October of 2024, Griggs was named Assistant Defensive Coordinator. Griggs joined the team in June of 2024 as a Defensive Backs Coach. The move paid immediate dividends as the Pirates won back-to-back games over Jacksonville and Quad City which helped the team in its playoff run to the Indoor Football League National Championship game.

Prior to joining the Pirates, Griggs spent seven years with the Duke City Gladiators as a player, General Manager and Head Coach. He helped Duke City to back-to-back Champions Indoor Football titles earning league Defensive MVP and Co-Defensive Player of the Year honors. He later served as General Manager and as Head Coach from 2022 through part of the 2024 season.

Griggs started professional career in the Canadian Football League with the Calgary Stampeders. He transitioned to the indoor game with four teams before joining Duke City. Griggs played with the Cedar Rapids Titans (IFL), the Boston Blaze (CAL), the Bloomington Edge, and the Kansas City Phantoms (both in the CIF). 

An All-State high school linebacker in Tallahassee, Florida, Griggs became a two-time All-American while playing safety and cornerback at NAIA William Penn University in Iowa.

Fuller has been a Head Coach seven times in his career. Last season he moved from Offensive Coordinator to Head Coach of the San Antonio Gunslingers after the first two games of the season. After playing in the National Football League, the World League of American Football, and the Arena Football League, he embarked on a coaching career in 1999 as the associate Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator of the Portland Forest Dragons, who were renamed the Oklahoma Wranglers in 2000. 

In 2002, Fuller became a Head Coach for the first time with the Bakersfield Blitz in AF2. He led them to the Western Conference Championship in his first season. In 2004, Fuller was named Defensive Coordinator of the Philadelphia Soul in the Arena Football League. After the fifth game of the 2005 season, he was promoted to Interim Head Coach where he compiled a record of 4-7. His next stop was as Wide Receiver and Defensive Backs Coach for the Dallas Desperados, where he served from 2006 through 2008.

In 2010, Fuller stayed on the defensive side of the ball being named Defensive Coordinator of the Dallas Vigilantes. He later became Interim Head Coach, leading them to a 2-8 record. Fuller was named Head Coach of the Richmond Raiders in 2011. He served in that position for five seasons and led them to a record of 37-24. He was named Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL) Coach of the Year in 2012 and 2015.

From there it was on to the National Arena League as Fuller was named Head Coach of the Maine Mammoths in 2018, leading them to a 7-8 finish after a 1-7 start. In 2019, Fuller became Defensive Coordinator of the Jacksonville Sharks. He was promoted to Head Coach in 2020, and served in that role until the end of the 2021 season.

The 2022 season saw Fuller as the Offensive Coordinator for the Carolina Cobras. On September 13 of that year, he was promoted to Head Coach. 366 days later, on September 14, 2023, Fuller was named the offensive coordinator for the IFL's San Antonio Gunslingers for the 2024 season.

Fuller, a native of Tacoma, WA, played collegiately for two seasons at Walla Walla Community College In 1990 he transferred to Portland State and led the team with 104 tackles his first season As a senior he recorded 84 tackles, four sacks, four interceptions and earned all-conference honors.

Fuller was selected in the eighth round (201st overall) of the 1992 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers. He spent the season on the injured reserve list, but did appear in one playoff game. In 1993, Fuller played in ten games for San Diego and made eight tackles.

After a year away from football, Fuller signed with the Scottish Claymores of the World League of American Football. In 1996 he started ten games making 47 tackles with one sack, and five interceptions. The Claymores defeated the Frankfurt Galaxy for the World Bowl Championship.

The following season he was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles. He appeared in 13 games, started twice and made 19 tackles and an interception. He also played in their one playoff game. He was re-signed in 1997 but did not play.

1998 saw Fuller play four games in the Arena Football League for the Portland Forest Dragons, making 14 tackles with one pass defended.

Simpson brings several years of experience both as a player and a coach to his role of Co-Defensive Coordinator. Most recently he was the Defensive Coordinator and Special Teams Coordinator for the San Diego Strike Force in the IFL from 2023 through 2024, running day-to-day operations and providing gameplans for the team.

From 2022 through 2023 he helped the Northern Arizona Wranglers to become the IFL National Champions as the Defensive Coordinator, defensive backs and linebackers coach. There he was part of the staff that included current Pirates Head Coach Rod Windsor, who was the Wranglers Special Teams Coordinator. His Head Coach there was Les Moss, Orlando's current Director of Football Operations, Offensive Line Coach and Run Game Coordinator.

Simpson, who hails from The Woodlands, TX, began his coaching career in 2015 as a defensive backs coach with the Iowa Barnstormers of the AFL. In 2016 he was promoted to Defensive Coordinator.

As a player, Simpson had an impressive career. In 2007 he played in the af2 with the Arkansas Twisters. His next stop was in the AFL with Iowa from 2008-2010, the Chicago Rush in 2011, and then back with Iowa from 2012-2014.

His career highlights include being named to the All-Ironman team after recording a career-high of 107.5 tackles with Chicago in 2011. In 2012 Simpson was an All-Arena First Team performer playing in all 18 games for the Barnstormers, collecting 106 tackles and a franchise record 10 interceptions including three in one game. He also was Iowa's primary kick returner, setting the franchise record with over 1,700 return yards.

Simpson played collegiately at the University of Missouri where he served as a team captain and was named to the All Big-12 second team in 2004. That season he registered a career bests in tackles with 98 including 15 tackles for a loss. He added two forced fumbles, had six passes broken up, three quarterback hurries and an interception. In 2005 he had 82 tackles, 1.5 for a loss, an interception and broke up 11 passes in 11 games while forcing a fumble. 

Orlando native Bobby Sippio returns to the place that saw him achieve success in the indoor game and where he later coached.

Sippio attended Osceola High School in Kissimmee, FL where he played football and basketball. He went on to play three seasons at Western Kentucky where he was an All-Ohio Valley Conference selection in 1999 and a Division 1-AA All-American in 2000.

Sippio finished his career with the Hilltoppers as the school record holder with 19 interceptions and 357 yards in returns, setting single-season marks with 10 interceptions with 236 return yards in 2000 when he became the first consensus All-American in WKU history. He also had 179 total stops, 41 passes broken up and eight career returns for touchdowns (five interceptions, two punts and a fumble).
Sippio ended his junior campaign with 38 tackles, one sack, five interceptions and six passes defended. 

After not being selected in the 2002 NFL Draft, he signed with the Peoria Pirates in the af2 and was the league's Ironman of the Year. He later joined the Greensboro Prowlers before signing with the Miami Dolphins for a short stint.

2005 saw him in the Arena Football League with the Dallas Desperados. Sippio played in 15 games as a rookie with Dallas, recording 75 receptions for 1,217 yards and 32 touchdowns. He also posted 25.0 tackles, two interceptions and three passes broken up. In year two with Dallas Sippio played in 16 games, with 61 receptions for 863 yards and 22 touchdowns and added 30.5 tackles, two interceptions and nine passes broken up. He scored touchdowns in five different ways during the season, receiving, rushing, interception return, fumble return and kickoff return.

Sippio began 2006 with the Tampa Bay Storm playing in nine games with 55 receptions for 666 yards and 18 touchdowns, He was later claimed by the Chicago Rush.

After signing with Chicago, Sippio changed positions from WR/DB to Offensive Specialist. He finished the 2006 season with 93 receptions for 1,320 yards and 35 touchdowns for the AFL Champions. In 2007 he was a First-team All-Arena performer.  His success led him back to the NFL.

In August of 2007 Sippio signed with the Kansas City Chiefs. He made the final roster, but was released and added to the practice squad. On September 11, 2007 he was activated and went on to play in nine regular season games returning one kick for six yards. After his release in August of 2008 he found his way back to the AFL.

In 2009 Sippio signed with the Chicago Slaughter, but the league halted operations.
That led him to the California Redwoods of the United Football League. He obtained his release as it was back to the NFL with the Detroit Lions for ten days. He returned to Florida and signed with the Tuskers of the UFL and played for Head Coach Jay Gruden.  

In 2010 he came home to Orlando to play for the Predators where he played until 2012. In three seasons with the Predators he had 189 receptions for 2,478 yards and 59 touchdowns. In seven AFL seasons he had 539 receptions for 7,557 yards and 199 touchdowns. Sipoio later coached in Orlando serving as Offensive Coordinator. 

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