LIBERTY AND COACH O’NEAL ANNOUNCE SIGNING OF FRANCHISE CONTRACT

The Salina Liberty and Head Coach Heron O’Neal are proud to announce the official signing of a franchise contract. This now means that as long as the Ownership Group of Salina Liberty operates as Salina Liberty Incorporated, Coach Heron O'Neal will be the Head Coach chasing another championship. This is a commitment by both the Salina Liberty Ownership Group and Coach Heron O'Neal.

O’Neal will enter the second year of his current agreement in 2027, but both Liberty ownership and O’Neal wanted to make their long-term intentions clear: they believe their future is together in Salina.

Since taking over the Liberty in 2018, O’Neal has helped establish Salina as one of indoor football’s most consistent and respected organizations. Under his leadership, the Liberty earned consecutive first-place conference finishes in 2018 and 2019, captured the 2019 Northern Conference championship, advanced to three consecutive Champions Bowl appearances and won the franchise’s first league championship in 2022. He also led the Liberty to the National Arena League championship game during the organization’s inaugural NAL season in 2026.

O’Neal has twice been named Champions Indoor Football Coach of the Year during his tenure in Salina and was inducted into the Indoor Football League Hall of Fame in 2021.

“Coach O’Neal has brought leadership, stability and championship expectations to the Salina Liberty,” said Dan Mendicina, President of the Salina Liberty Ownership Group. “From the beginning, he has believed in this organization, this community and Liberty Nation. This is about more than one season or one contract. Our ownership group believes in Coach O, and he has made it clear that he believes in what we are continuing to build together. We are extremely proud to make this career-long commitment.”

During O’Neal’s tenure, the Liberty have navigated multiple leagues and significant changes throughout the indoor football landscape while continuing to compete at a championship level. Through each transition, the relationship between O’Neal, Liberty ownership and the Salina community has remained a constant.

O'Neal's impact extends well beyond team success. Throughout his tenure with the Salina Liberty, six players have earned opportunities to continue their careers at the upper levels of professional football. Those signings bring O'Neal's career total to 68 players who have advanced to higher levels during his 21-year coaching career, further demonstrating his commitment to developing players both on and off the field and helping them achieve their professional goals.

“Salina has become home to me, and the Liberty mean much more to me than simply being a place to coach football,” O’Neal said. “The relationships I have built with our players, coaches, staff, ownership, sponsors and fans are incredibly important to me. Liberty Nation has supported us through every challenge and celebrated every success alongside us. I am grateful for the trust ownership has placed in me, and I am committed to continuing our pursuit of championships and building something the entire Salina community can be proud of.”

The career-long commitment reflects a shared vision for the future of Liberty football and the strong relationship that has developed between O’Neal and the organization. Together, they will continue working to recruit and develop championship-caliber players, build a winning culture and provide Liberty Nation with a team that represents Salina with pride.

“Coach O has already secured an important place in the history of this franchise,” Mendicina said. “We believe the best chapters of that history are still ahead of us.”

The Salina Liberty look forward to beginning the next chapter with Coach O’Neal leading the way.