Andrew Weidinger - The Head Coach of the London Guard

Starting his coaching career at The University of Arizona in 2000, Andrew Weidinger has been everywhere, and then some, on his path to becoming EFA London’s Head Coach.

"Like every kid who has ever put the pads on, all I ever wanted to do was play in the NFL. Then I managed to crack a vertebrae when I was in high school and couldn’t play anymore, which got me interested in coaching. I was very fortunate to have a lot of great opportunities and work with a lot of great people, which led me to a decade in the NFL, and that experience has obviously opened all the doors here in Europe."

His passion for coaching started quite young and took him on an amazing journey. He didn't just show up in Europe and start coaching.

Weidinger spent some professional time with the NFL. For nearly a decade, he committed his skills to the Atlanta Falcons from 2006 to 2014. From 2015 through 2018, he assisted the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

He was essentially learning how to identify and develop football talent before he had even reached the NFL- not "just coaching". During his time at the University of Arizona, he was handling recruiting, scouting, travel, video, and administrative work simultaneously. That kind of work gave him an eye for players and their potential.

"I think that one of the hardest things to do in sports is project a player from one level to another. The one guy who showed up and was way better than I thought was Chris Godwin with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I had gone to Penn State and worked Chris out, watched all the tape, done my homework, and I felt like he was just going to be an “ok” player in the NFL. We drafted him, he shows up, he’s hyper intelligent, always in the right spot at the right time, physical, fast, everything you could ever want. So Chris is at the top of my list of guys who surprised me when I actually worked with them in-person.”

After his time in Tampa Bay, Weidinger's path finally took him across the Atlantic. A brief stop with the Arizona Hotshots in the AAF preceded his European debut with the Potsdam Royals in 2021. He then took his first HC position with the Barcelona Dragons of the ELF, ending 2022 with the title of Coach of the Year.

2023 and 2024 saw him return to the position of OC, with another title received as Assistant Coach of the Year in 2023 and two ELF Championship wins with the Rhein Fire. He returned to Spain in 2025, but this time with the Madrid Bravos.

Having grown up in the US and reaching the highest level of football there, I was intrigued to know what seemed to keep drawing him back to Europe.

"In the US, football gets a whole lot less fun the higher you go. High school football is the most fun you’ll ever have. College football can be a beat down at times. The NFL is a never-ending grind. And on top of all that, you’re facing the constant threat of being fired from every job you’ve ever had. I lost a lot of my passion for football towards the end of my time in the US. Football in Europe has helped me find that passion and a joy for the sport again. It all comes from the players – it’s so much fun to be around guys who just want to get better, want to learn, playing for the joy of the game and desperate to win."

Arizona to Madrid. From Chiefs in High-School all the way to Bravos in Madrid. He's seen it all.

Despite all of his accolades and accomplishments, I asked Coach if he finally feels like he's "made it." His answer couldn't have been more "Weidinger":

"Ha, no."

Followed by, "If you have any self-awareness, you know that there is always somebody out there better than you at whatever it is you’re doing. As a young coach in the NFL, you’re sitting in game plan meetings with some of the best coaches in the sport. You can’t go 10 minutes without somebody saying something that makes you think, “oh, that’s a great point, I didn’t know that.” I envy the guys who are convinced they belong and always ready for the next step. That’s not me, I’m just trying to get better."

2027 brings the next chapter in Europe for him as he takes on the position of Head Coach for the EFA London Guard. Anyone looking forward to working with Coach Weidinger should heed his words of wisdom:

"Everybody I get has to understand that we’ve got a lot to learn, and we’re going to have fun doing it. We’re running a real NFL playbook with real NFL plays and real NFL volume. We went into some Rhein Fire games with more run plays in our game plan than we ever did with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That’s a testament to the guys embracing the learning and embracing the system. And if you’ve got thin skin, you’re not going to make it because I will crack jokes all day, every day. I want to have the guys to run the style of offense we ran with the Rhein Fire. It’s what I enjoy coaching the most, and I’ve had to deviate from that every year I’ve been in Europe outside of those two. We’re working hard to get those kinds of guys. Hopefully, we can make it happen.”

Weidinger’s American football journey has taken him to every level and around the world. His experiences will definitely influence what he will accomplish with the Guard. However, there is always room to grow, and a “ball boy” in London just might have the next great idea for Andrew.