Coach Jeff Fisher Back In Nashville

The Nashville Kats are returning and bringing former Tennessee Titans coach Jeff Fisher with them.

Fisher will serve as President of Football Operations for the franchise.

The original Arena Football League was founded in 1986, played its first season in 1987 and lasted 22 years before ending in 2008. The league returned in 2010 and lasted through the 2019 season. The Nashville Kats were in the league from 1997 to 2001 and 2005 to 2007.

The late-Titans owner Bud Adams owned the Kats in their second stint. Fisher, 65, was coach of the Titans from 1995 to 2010 and the St. Louis/L.A. Rams from 2012-16.

“I have always been a big fan of Arena Football, especially the Nashville Kats when they played here," Fisher said. "It is so entertaining with so many talented players and coaches. And in that setting, the fans become so much a part of not only the game, but the overall experience.”

Fisher, who led the Titans to the Super Bowl in the 1999 season, also served as an adviser at Tennessee State when former Titans running back Eddie George was hired as the Tigers coach in 2021. Fisher left TSU in 2022 to become coach and general manager of the Michigan Panthers of the USFL.

The Nashville Kats in their first stint were the AFL's Organization of the Year in their inaugural season in 1997, made the playoffs every season and played in the Arena Bowl in 2000 and 2001.

When the Kats returned, they went 6-9-1 in 2005, and then 8-8 in 2006 and returned to the playoffs. The Kats were 7-9 in their final season and just missed the playoffs.

The Kats played at Bridgestone Arena, formerly Nashville Arena, in their previous stints. The average attendance for home games in their eight seasons was 12,302.

The new franchise is owned by Nashville Arena Sports, LLC and will play its home games at Municipal Auditorium, with the season opener set for April 27, 2024. The team will play one regular-season game at the new F&M Bank Arena in Clarksville. The teams will play 10 regular-season games.