New Jersey Ciphers Ready to Take Flight in Morristown

Arena football is coming back to the Garden State! And if you live in Northern and Central Jersey, you won't have to go far to see them.

The New Jersey Ciphers of the newly formed Entertainment Football Association, will take to the field this year under the bright lights of Morristown's Mennen Sports Arena this summer, marking a return to indoor football for North Jersey.

One of four teams in the ENTFLA, the Ciphers introduced their new Head Coach, Nicholas Coppola, and General Manager, Chris Martone on Tuesday at the 1776 Restaurant in downtown Morristown.

"I am looking forward to this season," Coppola said. "I am super excited to finally be announced, and I am ready to get rolling on the recruiting process."

Described as a relentless competitor, Coppola brings a wealth of head coaching experience with him to the position. A resident of Eatontown, New Jersey, and father of four, Coppola was the head coach of the Jersey Bearcats, Jersey Flight and Jersey Shore Brawlers. Over seven seasons he amassed a record of 48-16, winning two league championships over that time span.

"I am going to open up the lines of communication. The staff and I have a wish-list of players we are looking at, and we can now have those conversations. We will have tryouts in mid-April, and supply the best talent," Coppola said.

Julian Robinson will be the Defensive Coordinator; A.J. Roque will be the offensive coordinator. Roque played quarterback at Kean University from 2004-07 and had stints playing in indoor leagues with the Albany Conquest, Florida Stingrays and Harrisburg Stampede.

The Front office will be led by General Manager Chris Martone who brings years of business management experience to the position. His focus will be on leading a grassroots effort to spread the word about the Ciphers in the greater Morris County community, while building partnerships with businesses throughout the area. 

"We want to be an asset to the community, where for four nights a season everyone in town is excited, and they come to the game," Martone said. "We will entertain them with football, a concert, a halftime show, and an afterparty. When the arena lets out, we hope to send out 2,500 people who will hit up the business district. We want to come here, be proud to be accepted here and make them proud," Martone said.

"It's very expensive nowadays to take a family of three or four to watch a game. You must drive into the city, deal with the traffic, and tolls. You are two hours in the car. So, if we put something in Morristown. People can walk to the arena; it's a lot less expense. 2,500 people in Mennen Arena is rocking! I have sons who played hockey there who say it can get crazy loud there," Martone said.

He will be joined by the newly minted Director of Business Operations Emmitt Davis.

"We want to be an asset to the community. I am super happy with the team we assembled. I am proud of coach and the staff he quickly assembled. We look forward to forming partnerships with the people of Morristown," Martone continued.

The 2025 season is comprised of eight games over nine weeks and begins June 6. The Ciphers open the season on the road against the Fitchburg Heroes. The home opener is June 21 against Fitchburg. 

The Ciphers remaining three home games will be July 5 and July 19 against the New York Dragons, and August 2 against the Danbury Diesel.