Mardy Gilyard, one of the Pirates all-time leading receivers joins the team as Wide Receivers Coach.
Gilyard played three seasons with the Pirates and in 29 regular season games had 157 receptions for 1,720 yards with 48 touchdowns. He also carried the ball 27 times for 54 yards with seven scores.
His most productive season was in 2019 when was selected to the National Arena League First -Team as a wide receiver and kick returner.
That year Gilyard set an NAL single season records with 33 total touchdowns (29 receiving, four rushing) and 198 total points. The former University of Cincinnati standout was fourth in receptions with 84, fourth with 950 receiving yards, and finished in the top ten in receiving yards per catch and receiving yards per game. His 29 TD receptions were tied for second most in the NAL.
Gilyard was also selected as the league’s best kick returner. Among players with ten or more returns, Gilyard had the highest average return at 25.2.  With 12 kick returns he amassed 302 yards.  Gilyard was second in the league with 1,288 all-purpose yards for an average of 92.0 yards per contest.
Gilyard still holds the Pirates single season record for touchdown receptions with 29, receptions with 84 and 25.2 yards per return. His average of 22 yards per catch in the playoffs is also a team record.
The former fourth round pick of the St. Louis Rams in 2010 (99th overall) had an All-American career at the University of Cincinnati. Gilyard had a four year stint in the National Football League with St. Louis, the New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs. From 2013 to 2017 he also saw action with the Jacksonville Sharks of the Arena Football League, the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League and the Monterrey Steel of the NAL. In 2022, Gilyard signed and played for the Tiburones de Cancún in Mexico.
Gilyard was a Pirates offensive assistant coach in 2023.
