Klein Listed Among WIFL Team Owners

The San Diego Thunder of the World Indoor Football League on Thursday released a list of 10 team owners, one of whom is Gene Klein, former owner of the Chargers.

The team also announced that Don Coryell, former Charger coach, will be a coaching consultant and that Nate Wright, a former NFL defensive back, will be the defensive coordinator.

According to the Thunder, the owners are: Klein; Dirk Broekema, chairman of Bowest Corp., a loan-servicing, insurance and escrow concern in La Jolla; Jim Brown, owner of Marvin K. Brown Cadillac; Mike Cavanaugh, a real estate developer in Del Mar; John Hine Jr. and John Hine Sr., owners of Hine Pontiac Mazda-Sterling in San Diego; Larry Lawrence, owner of the Hotel Del Coronado; Leon Parma, president of Coast Distributing Co., a San Diego-based beverage wholesaler; Johnny Saunders, former Charger general manager; Jerry Simms, a retired banker and automobile dealership owner who lives in La Jolla, and Walter Zable Sr., president of Cubic Corp., a San Diego-based defense contractor.

Each party owns an equal unit in the corporation, which was formed earlier this month, and each lives in San Diego County. Saunders, also the general manager and president, said “two to four” more county residents probably will buy in.

The Thunder will begin its first season June 20 at St. Louis and will play Baltimore June 26 at the Sports Arena.

Ticket prices will range from $5 to $20, and parking will be free, the team announced.

David Kessler, the team vice president, also said the league would have a game of the week on the FNN/Score cable television network.