After leading the Utah Blaze to a 9-9 record last season, head coach Ron James was named president of the team.

The move, which consolidates the Blaze's on-field and off-field pursuits, was announced at a Thursday news conference at EnergySolutions Arena. James remains head coach, in addition to his new responsibilities.

"We made great strides on the football side of our organization last year," he said. "We hope to bring that energy and enthusiasm to our relationships with our community and corporate partners."

James has been head coach of the Blaze for a year and a half, but his history with the team stretches to 2006, when he was an assistant. James has spent a decade in the Arena Football League as a coach, but has never served as team president for any organization.

He steps in for Bill Gibson, who returns to a marketing position he had at owner Logan Hunter's Abundant Brands company prior to his tenure as team president.

James admitted he was unsure whether he could handle the job when owners Hunter and Kristin Murdock approached him with the opportunity.

"It takes a lot of work just to get the football team off the ground, so I was a little hesitant because I wasn't sure there were enough hours in the day," he said. "But I have a great bunch of guys in the front office and on my coaching staff that make me look good. It's just a matter of being organized and making sure I'm not too distracted."

The team also announced a partnership with Rainmaker Marketing Group, which it hopes will expand its exposure in Utah while generating greater revenue for the organization. The company, which just started this year, is led by Jason Badell and Brad Davis, who have extensive histories in sports marketing.

Badell declined to announce any new marketing initiatives for the Blaze, but said projects were in the works and some announcements would come in following weeks. Rainmaker will focus on selling the experience of going to Blaze games, Badell said.

"We want people to go home, even if they can't necessarily remember the score, and remember they had a good experience with the Blaze," Badell said. "We want people to know what the Blaze are about and see what they have to offer."

kgoon@sltrib.com

Twitter: @kylegoon