The Massachusetts Pirates have named Ameer Ismail Head Coach for the 2025 season. It marks the second time in franchise history that Ismail will guide the Pirates as he was the first Head Coach of Massachusetts in 2018.
That season Ismail led the expansion franchise to the best record in the National Arena League with an 11-5 mark. He also served as Defensive Coordinator and saw his team hold opponents to 42.9 points per game and 211.7 yards of total offense per contest. His aggressive defense caused 42 turnovers with 28 interceptions and 14 fumble recoveries for an average of 2.6 turnovers per game. At the end of the season he was named the National Arena League Coach of the Year.
Pirates Founder, Co-owner and General Manager Jawad Yatim is looking forward to Ismail’s return.
“Ameer is familiar with the organization and the flow of our operation, he’s had a lot of success as a player and coach in this league previously. He’s detail oriented which extends beyond just his schemes, he brings energy to the position and we’re glad to have him,” Yatim said.
For Ismail, this will be his fourth time as a Head Coach. The Holland, MI native’s first head coaching position was in 2017 with the Bloomington Edge of Champions Indoor Football. After a 7-5 regular season he was picked to lead the Pirates. His most recent head coaching stint was from 2020 through 2021 with the Iowa Barnstormers of the Indoor Football League, but that season was lost to the pandemic. His all-time regular season coaching record is 18 – 10 heading into the 2025 season.
“It’s a great opportunity to say the least,” Ismail said. “They have come a long way as a franchise through different leagues. I approach things with more of a leadership mentality from what I can do. First, to listen and learn and how to make things better with what works and what were the deficiencies. I want to provide my players and coaches the resources to be successful and to be able to learn and grow in all facets of football in their lives and to address their professional football aspirations,” he added.
Ismail has coached professionally since 2014 when he was the Defensive Coordinator under Head Coach Mark Stoute with the Cedar Rapids Titans of the IFL. He later was on the staffs of the Tri-Cities Fever and the Spokane Empire.
A former IFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2012, Ismail has twice coached in the Canadian Football League; in 2018 with Montreal and with Edmonton in 2024.
Ismail adds his style will be professional, strict and based on doing things the right way.
“We will have good players and we’ll have a good staff, yes we’re going to win but how we do it matters. We will have a blue collar mentality with grit with everybody doing what it takes to be successful because at the end of the day, winning a championship is the goal,” he said.
Ismail also has an extensive college coaching career as he has served twice as an assistant at his alma mater, Western Michigan, where he was an All-American as a player. Other stops include Davenport University, Judson University and Albion College. He also served as Defensive Coordinator at Lake Erie College, Kalamazoo College and Wilkes University.
As a player, he began his pro career in 2007 going to camp with the Kansas City Chiefs. Ismail spent time in the Arena Football League with the Jacksonville Sharks and the Milwaukee Mustangs, but excelled in the IFL where he played three seasons. 2010 saw him with the Tri-Cities Fever, then the Bloomington Edge in 2012, and the Chicago Slaughter in 2013. He became a two-time First Team All-IFL linebacker and was the 2012 IFL Defensive Player of the Year with a record 167 tackles in only 12 games. In his IFL career he recorded 257 tackles, 14 sacks, six interceptions, five forced fumbles and eight blocked kicks. Ismail also is an IFL Hall of Fame finalist.
Ismail last played in 2016 in the China Arena Football League where was also an assistant coach. He earned All- Pro honors in a six game season setting league records with 67 tackles and 15 tackles in a game. He also had 18 tackles for a loss, three forced fumbles, five fumble recoveries, four sacks, two blocked kicks, an interception and four passes broken up.
All that came after a legendary career at Western Michigan University where he was an All-American, Conference Defensive Player of the Year, and a two-time First Team All MAC selection. In 2006 Ismail led the nation in sacks with 17 and tackles for loss with 26. He is the school and conference single-season sack record holder. He holds the NCAA single-game record with six sacks in a 41-27 win over Ball State University. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science & Physiology, as well as a Master’s Degree in Sports Management & Administration.
The 2021 United Bowl Champions
Massachusetts Pirates are members of the Indoor Football League (IFL) and play their home games at the Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell. For 2025 ticket information for the Massachusetts Pirates please call (508)452-MASS (6277), email [email protected] or visit http://www.masspiratesfootball.com. Follow the Pirates on Facebook via Facebook.com/MAPirates, Instagram @mass.pirates, and X @mass_pirates.
