Ex-NFL Coach Jeff Fisher Named Interim Commissioner of Embattled Arena Football League

The third reincarnation of the one-time cable staple is in chaos.

May 6, 2022; Birmingham, AL, USA; Michigan Panthers head coach Jeff Fisher paces the sideline. / Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports

It's a stretch to say the Arena Football League was ever healthy, but the league once led an entertaining existence as a deep-cable staple of the 1990s and 2000s.

The present-day version of the league has not been that, as its existence has been plagued by embarrassments such as announcing teams' inceptions without informing their home markets. However, in an apparent bid for legitimacy, the AFL is putting a former NFL coach in charge.

Ex-Houston Oilers, Tennessee Titans, St. Louis Rams and Los Angeles Rams boss Jeff Fisher has been named the league's interim commissioner, he told Mike Organ ofThe Tennesseean Tuesday.

"As things progressed there were some roadblocks along the way and there were some difficulties over the last couple of weeks," Fisher said. "There's been a united ownership group that's headed by G6 Sports (owner of the Arena Football League) and they basically asked if I could help from an interim commissioner's standpoint to help the league and I told them yes."

The AFL, which initially intended to play with 16 teams this season, is down to 10 less than a month into its second resurrection.