Danbury Diesel Names Tracey Curtis First Female Arena Head Coach

DANBURY, CT — The Danbury Diesel arena football team has appointed former Connecticut Giants player Tracey Curtis as head coach for the 2025 season, making her the first woman to lead a professional arena football team.

Curtis, a UCF graduate and Connecticut native, brings extensive experience to the role. She previously coached at the Newport News Apprentice School in Virginia, where she developed two first-team All-Atlantic Central Football Conference defensive backs. Upon returning to Connecticut, she served on the coaching staff at Jonathan Law High School and Southern Connecticut State University.

Curtis also made history as the first woman to play a skill position in the semi-professional United Football League with the Connecticut Giants. In addition to her playing and coaching background, she is a former USA Football Master Trainer and has led youth clinics, including the NFL Play 60 Character Camp with the New York Giants.

"It's an honor and a privilege to bring the roar back to The Danbury Ice Arena as the first female Head Coach in pro Arena football history", said Coach Curtis. Coach Tracey Curtis adds, "I am proud of the person the game of football has helped me become, and I strive to be the person my family, my loved ones, and the State of CT can be proud of. I would love nothing more than to set this team up for success by creating a culture rich in tradition, values, and character; go Diesel."

The team’s 2025 season kicks off June 7 at 6 p.m. at the Danbury Ice Arena during “Danbury Spirit Night.”

The Diesel are part of the Entertainment Football League (ENTFLA) and will play a limited four-game home slate this summer.