Catawba coach returns to NFL Europe World Bowl

Catawba College co-defensive coordinator, Jim Tomsula, will be coaching in his second NFL Europe World Bowl in as many years for the Berlin Thunder. Tomsula helped lead the Thunder to the 2004 World Bowl Championship. The Thunder will take on the Amsterdam Admirals on Saturday, June 11 and will air live on Fox at 11:00 a.m. The Admirals, ironically, have as their assistant coach, Richard Kent, a former Catawba football assistant coach. The game will be played in Dusseldorf, Germany.

Tomsula does not serve as the only Catawba graduate coaching under the NFL umbrella. Larry Beightol coaches the offensive line for the Green Bay Packers. Beightol, a member of the Catawba Sports Hall of Fame, has coached in 21 NFL seasons including stints with the, Dolphins, Atlanta Falcons (1985-86), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1987-88), San Diego Chargers (1989), New York Jets (1990-94) and the then-Houston Oilers (1995). During his 1989 season with the Chargers, he also served as offensive coordinator, in addition to coaching the offensive line.