STORM EXTEND HEAD COACH SHOOP

The Nordic Storm have moved to secure one of the key architects of their early success, extending head coach John Shoop’s contract through the 2028 season as the European Football Alliance franchise continues to build around continuity heading into its second campaign.

The news was confirmed by Nordic Storm chairman Lars Milsten, who highlighted organisational stability as a central pillar of the club’s long-term strategy.

“Continuity is the name of the game if you want to build something great,” Milsten wrote on social media. “From the get-go, the Nordic Storm wanted to build something solid, something lasting and something competitive and high performing. Besides having over 30 players returning and on the roster from year one, the [team] has retained head coach John Shoop for another two years, through the 2028 season.”

The extension represents another significant vote of confidence in Shoop, who was one of the most high-profile coaching appointments in European football when the Copenhagen-based organisation launched ahead of the 2025 European League of Football season. He arrived in Denmark with decades of coaching experience on both sides of the Atlantic, with a résumé including collegiate stops at the University of North Carolina, Columbia, Vanderbilt and Purdue, while also serving as offensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears under head coach Dick Jauron from 2001-03.

Since moving into European football, Shoop has become one of the most respected coaching figures on the continent, beginning as offensive quality control coach at the Hamburg Sea Devils before accepting head coach positions with both the Munich Ravens and Rhein Fire ahead of moving to Copenhagen and helping establish the Storm as an immediate contender.

The decision to extend Shoop’s contract comes amid an impressive start to the EFA season. The Storm opened the campaign with a convincing victory over the Prague Lions before following up with another statement performance against Raiders Tirol, reinforcing their status as one of the early favourites in the six-team competition.