Tucson Sugar Skulls hire Frisco's Billy Back as head coach after Hurtis Chinn resigns

The Tucson Sugar Skulls have hired Billy Back as head coach following the resignation of Hurtis Chinn.

Back led the Frisco Fighters to the best regular-season record in the Indoor Football League each of the past two seasons. He has won multiple championships as a head coach in indoor football.

"We are thrilled to bring in a coach of Billy Back's pedigree, as he has a history of winning,” Sugar Skulls owner Cathy Guy said in a news release. “We feel that this is a great fit for Billy at this stage in his career, as well as for the Sugar Skulls and the Tucson community. As an organization, we are always committed to hiring the best coach to put us in a position to compete for a championship. We're very excited for this next chapter of Sugar Skulls football."

Chinn was named the IFL’s Coach of the Year after leading the Sugar Skulls to a 9-6 regular-season record in his first year on the job. The team did not provide a reason for his resignation.

Back is the Sugar Skulls’ fourth head coach since their first season in 2019, following Marcus Coleman, Dixie Wooten and Chinn.

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Back spent the past two seasons in Frisco after leading the Spokane Shock to the IFL playoffs in 2021. The Fighters were 14-3 last season, 15-3 in 2022.

"I'm extremely grateful for this opportunity to work with Cathy Guy and the Tucson Sugar Skulls organization,” Back said. “I'm looking forward to getting to work with the Tucson community and building something special. Our main objective going forward is to protect the Boneyard, winning in front of our fans and putting ourselves in a position to compete for a championship."

Frisco advanced to the conference championship round this past season, falling to the Sioux Falls Storm 45-44.