Gladiators fire assistant, open playoffs on Sunday

Tuesday, May 20, 2003 | 9:12 a.m.

The Gladiators will open Arena Football League playoffs Sunday at Arizona in a noon game. The league announced the dates and times for wild-card round matchups today.

Seeded 10th in the playoffs, the Gladiators (8-8) will travel to Phoenix to play the sixth-seeded Rattlers (10-6) at America West Arena. It will be one of three games on Sunday.

The playoffs will begin Saturday when the fifth-seeded Dallas Desperados (10-6) play host to the 12th-seeded Georgia Force (8-8) at noon.

Sunday's other matchups have the seventh-seeded Grand Rapids Rampage (8-8) playing host to the 10th-seeded Detroit Fury (8-8) at noon and the eighth-seeded New York Dragons (8-8) are at home against the ninth-seeded Chicago Rush (8-8).

All games will be broadcast by NBC.

The Gladiators will begin the playoffs with a restructured coaching staff. Coach Frank Haege on Monday dismissed his defensive coordinator, Brian Schwartze, and said he would share defensive responsibilities with assistant coach Ron James through the playoffs.

"It's best for the team and gives us the best chance to win," Haege said in a statement released by the team.

On their way to an 8-8 finish in the regular season, the Gladiators gave up 756 points for a 47.2 per-game average, fourth-worst in the league.