UTAH FREEZZ NAME JEFF BETTS AS NEW HEAD COACH BETTS TO BE FOURTH PLAYER/COACH IN THE WISL

10 May 2000

Jeff Betts has been named the new Head Coach of the Utah Freezz. Betts will be the second coach in team history, replacing Dave Poggi. He will also be the first player/coach for the franchise and the fourth player/coach in the WISL. This will be his first stint coaching as a professional. Coach Betts will be available for interviews with media outlets from 1 to 2 pm today at The E Center of West Valley City. Betts joined the Freezz organization as a player after being allocated to Utah from Portland during this off-season. Last season while serving as Portlands captain, Betts finished second on the Pythons, totaling 24 goals and 14 assists in just 19 games. For his career, Betts has racked up 364 points (197-167-364) in just 199 games, good for an average of 1.83 points per game. Betts is Portlands all-time leader in goals, assists and points (163-141-304). Jeff joined the Portland franchise in 1993 after finishing his collegiate career at the University of Portland. He was the number one pick of the Milwaukee Wave in the 1993 NPSL Draft and played one season for the Wave. He has also played for Florida in the NPSL and has played outdoor soccer with Ft. Lauderdale (APSL) and with the San Jose Clash of the MLS. Betts is the fourth player/coach in the seven team WISL for the upcoming season. He joins Tatu (Dallas), Iain Fraser (Sacramento) and Darryl Doran (St. Louis). Betts is a 1993 graduate of the University of Portland with a degree in Sociology. He is married to Tina and they have one son, Dominic. The player/coach is something that is common in indoor soccer and it is quickly becomg the way of our league, said Freezz General Manager Ted Roberts. When the opportunity came up to get Jeff for this position, we jumped at it. Not only is Jeff one of the top five players in this league, but he is a proven leader who is passionate about teaching the skills of indoor soccer to younger players. The Freezz will open the 2000 season with an exhibition game on July 29. Season ticket packages are now available for the 2000 Utah Freezz season. For more information, call (801) 988-KICK.

-- Matthew Jaques (MJaques@utahgrizz.com), May 10, 2000