Coaching Staff

Dean Cokinos

VP of Football Operations/Head Coach

HEAD COACH

Dean Cokinos brings over 30 years experience in coaching and football operations experience to the Nashville Kats. If his name seems familiar to Kats fans, it is because he served as the assistant coach for team from 2005-07 under then head coach Pat Sperduto. During this time he was also tasked as a Pro Scout for the Tennessee Titans (who’s owner, Bud Adams, also owned the Kats). Dean has considerable experience as a head coach in arena football. After moving on from the Kats, he later coached the Georgia Force, New Orleans VooDoo, Alabama Vipers, and the Alabama Hammers. As a head coach, Cokinos boasts two League Championships, five Conference Championships, seven Semi-Final appearances and 13 playoff appearances.

Adam Shackleford

Assistant Head Coach/Director of Scouting

Shackleford began his coaching career at Anderson University in 1999. In 2002 Adam entered the Arena Football League as an assistant coach with the Cincinnati Swarm. In 2003 he was hired as the Offensive Coordinator and Assistant head coach with the Louisville Fire of the AFL.

In 2007 Shackleford became the Head Coach of the Spokane Shock. Over three seasons, his teams would go 50-7, with Three Conference Championships, Two Arena Cup Championship appearances and an Arena Cup Championship in 2009.

In 2010 he was hired as the Head Coach & VP of Football for the Tri-Cities Fever of the IFL. In five seasons his teams made five playoff appearances, earned two conference titles, and had two United Bowl Championship appearances.

In 2016 Adam was hired by new ownership in Spokane and served as the Head Coach of the Spokane Empire of the IFL for 2 seasons leading the team to a Conference Title and A United Bowl Championship appearance.

Adam spent the 2022 & 2023 seasons as the Director of Player Personnel for the Frisco Fighters of the Indoor Football League. Those teams had a combined record of 30-6 with 2 Conference Championship Appearances.

Shackleford's overall career Head Coaching record is 151 wins & 49 losses.

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Nick Johnson

Special Assistant to the Head Coach

Nick coached with our head coach Dean Cokinos at Ensworth HS in Nashville and played for Jeff Fisher with the St. Louis Rams in the NFL.

| Coaching Experience:

2016 – 2023: Ensworth High School Nashville, TN (*His Full-time Job – Nick will help with the Kats)

Associate Director of Admissions
Assistant Football Coach – WR’s/DB’s
Head Girls Track & Field Coach
- Girls TSSAA DIV 2 AA State Track & Field Champions – 2019 & 2021
Strength & Conditioning/Speed Coach
- Trained over 50 NCAA Athletes, including 15 Division 1 (FBS) Football Players

2015 – 2016: Monte Vista Christian High School in Watsonville, CA

Head Football Strength Coach

2014 – 2015: D1 Sports Training in Santa Clara, CA

Implemented and performed training programs for youth, high school and collegiate athletes

| Pro Athletes Trained

AJ Brown (Tennessee Titans, Philadelphia Eagles)
Logan Woodside (Tennessee Titans)
Kristian Wilkerson (Tennessee Titans, New England Patriots)
Daren Bates (Tennessee Titans, Atlanta Falcons)

| Playing Experience:

2012 – 2013 : St Louis Rams - NFL

Team Leader in Pre-Season TDs’ in 2013

2014: Arena Football League

San Jose Saber Cats

2010-2011: Henderson State University

WR & Returner

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CJ Johnson

Coach: WR’s & Kick Returners

Coach CJ played for our head coach Dean Cokinos in Nashville (Kats), Alabama (Vipers & Hammers) and in Georgia (Force)

| Playing Experience:

2000 – 2004: Tennessee State University

Played WR & Kick Returner
3x All-conference
2x All-American
2004 Black College All-American
Tennessee State Record holder in Receiving Yards and Receiving TD’s

2005 – 2014: Arena Football League

Played WR/KR
Chicago Rush in 2005 & 2006
Nashville Kats in 2007
Buffalo Destroyers in 2008
Alabama Vipers in 2010
Georgia Force in 2011 & 2012
Alabama Hammers in 2013 (PIFL)
5x AFL Ironman Award Winner
AFL All-Rookie Team in 2006
PIFL champion in 2013

| Coaching Experience:

2021 – 2023: Metro Co-Offensive Coordinator

Co-Offensive Coordinator & WR coach at McGavock High School

2008 – 2012: Metro High School

WR/ST coach at Hillsboro
Won a State Championship in 2008.

2015 – 2017: Youth League Offensive Coordinator

Offensive Coordinator at Una (Youth League)

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Kim Kuci

Special Teams Coordinator

Kim played for our head coach Dean Cokinos from 1999-2002 in Berlin & Munich Germany and also coached with coach Cokinos in New Orleans (2015) with the Voodoo in the AFL.

| Playing Experience:

1999-2002: NFL Europe – Berlin Thunder – Running Back/ST’s Player

World Bowl Champion 2001 & 2002

1994- 2006: German Football League – Played for teams in Munich, Berlin, Dresden & Braunschweig

Played RB & Special Teams
German Bowl Champion in 2005
Euro Bowl Champion in 2003
Euro Bowl MVP in 2003
League MVP in 2003
Offense MVP in 2001 & 2006
5x Team Captain

| Coaching Experience:

2008: Special Teams Coordinator & RB’s Coach

Westminster College - Fulton, Missouri

2009 – 2014: Head Football Coach & Special Teams Coordinator

Berlin Rebels & Berlin Adler in the German Football League
Euro Bowl Champion in 2014.

2015: Special Teams Coordinator

New Orleans Voodoo in the AFL

2016-2021 – Head Coach & Offensive Coordinator

Berlin Rebels in the German Football League

2023 – Offensive Coordinator

New Yorker Lions in the German Football League

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Team Management

Travel Coordinator

Randy “Hoss” Noska

Equipment Manager

Chris Sanders

Chaplain

Drafted by then-Houston Oilers head coach Jeff Fisher in 1995, the former Ohio State football star and track All-American played all eight of his NFL seasons under Fisher and finishing his career with the Tennessee Titans in 2002. In 97 games, he had 3,285 yards and 17 touchdowns and was a key member of the Titans’ AFC Championship and Super Bowl run.

Since his retirement from football, Sanders has been a teacher and assistant football and track coach first at Christ Presbyterian Academy and since 2008 at Montgomery Bell Academy. He is a member of Bethel World Outreach Center and his personal outreaches include Fellow of Christian Athletes plus private counseling and player development.

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James "Doc" Shelton

Chaplain

Legendary multiple hall-of-fame high school Nashville basketball coach James “Doc” Shelton coached Martin Luther King for 25 years and led the Royals to seven state tournament appearances and state championships in 1991 and 1996. The gymnasium at MLK is named in his honor and 13 of his former players are in full-time ministry.

After 30 years coaching and teaching in Metro Nashville Schools, Shelton traded his sneakers to become an ordained minister and is currently pastor of the Primitive Progressive Baptist Church in Murfreesboro. A member at Cleveland Street Missionary Baptist Church in Nashville from 1968-2004, he served on the Usher Board, Trustee Board, Deacon Board and as an Associate Minister.

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