Potential XFL Head Coaching Candidates

[MikeMitchell]

One of the issues with The original XFL or any upstart pro football league is attracting head coaches. When a pro league doesn't have a lot of players who have name value or recognition. They look towards hiring head coaches with name value to give their league credibility. The alternative pro football league has a lot going against it, especially in 2019 and beyond. First off, coaching salaries have grown significantly in both the pro and college ranks. Second, it's hard to convince an assistant to uproot his family and leave a cushy job in college or the NFL to take a gamble on a league that may not be around in a year or two.

Most pro football leagues like The UFL and now the AAF end up snagging some head coaches from the past or what some would label as retreads. The truth is that a lot of these coaches were no longer wanted by NFL teams. They have name value but have fallen out of favor and are no longer in consideration for prominent coaching jobs.

The United Football League actually lasted 3 seasons. They had the likes of Dennis Green, Jim Fassel and Jim Haslett. They actually coerced Marty Schottenheimer and Jerry Glanville out of retirement but neither ended up coaching a game due to league financial issues.

The AAF has Mike Martz, Mike Singletary, Brad Childress, Steve Spurrier and Dennis Erickson among others. Guys who had their NFL runs but have since been closed out by the league. It's very hard to attract prominent coaches who are still big names currently in The NFL and in college football. These types of coaches fall out of the cycle and then decide to make a comeback in what is considered a lesser league. The "big time" jobs are no longer available to them.

The original XFL had it's fair share of unknowns and coaches who were not on the main radars of NFL teams. Rusty Tillman was a career special teams coach with no chance at becoming a head coach. He wasn't a highly sought after assistant for head coaching interviews, so of course an assistant lifer like him would take a chance on being head coach of The Hitmen. Kippy Brown and Jim Skipper were two highly respected NFL position coaches that were never positioned as potential head coaching candidates. They were pigeon holed into a system where the best they could do was be an assistant head coach or an interim head coach while a franchise searched for a new football leader. The jump to the XFL made perfect sense for them. Two of the better XFL head coaches were Galen Hall and Al Luginbill. Both guys had good track records outside of the NFL but never got a sniff in the big time. The same story with Jim Criner in Las Vegas. The late Ron Meyer was completely off the NFL radar for 10 years before reemerging in the XFL. He did a great job rallying Chicago from 0-4 to the playoffs. On the opposite end of the spectrum was Gerry Dinardo, who despite a few good years at LSU was nearly 20 games under 500 as a college coach and inexplicably ended up coaching the Bolts to a 2 and 8 record.

The temptation for the current XFL is to attract some big name coaches, guys who will effectively become the face of their franchises and their respective markets. Some names that will be floated out there are the likes of Rex Ryan or Jack Del Rio. Jim Caldwell and John Fox were a part of the XFL's reimagine commitee back in the summer, so they could be in consideration. The feeling is that nether will be head coaches in the NFL again despite both men having winning records.

There are two veteran head coaches that I will leave off this candidate list. The first is Marc Trestman. The former Bears head coach and multiple time CFL Grey Cup champion. Trestman has a wealth of experience and is worth consideration based on his familiarity with The XFL's new cfl style 25 second play clock. The other is a former teammate of Oliver Luck in Houston, Mike Munchak. He is currently the offensive line coach of the Steelers and has head coaching experience with The Titans. The XFL could give the former Oiler hall of famer another shot at being a head coach.

In a recent interview, Oliver Luck mentioned that XFL head coaches will be paid 500k a season and that they would act as the GM of their teams as well. He mentioned smaller staffs similar to college and that the teams would have presidents that are mostly in charge of the day to day operations and business end rather than compiling football talent.

This list of potential XFL head coaching candidates will be going against the formula of older more seasoned head coaches and more towards the Sean McVay approach. A younger under the radar coach who has an eye towards the evolving future of pro football. These are names to watch and consider.


TODD LYGHT NOTRE DAME DB'S COACH 49 YEARS OLD

The former multiple time pro bowler and superbowl champion is one of the best position coaches in all of college football. Rivals.com rated him as one of the best recruiters in the entire nation. As a former player, he connects really well to young players. In a league like The XFL where the emphasis will be on scouting with Optimum and Doug Whaley. Lyght is a good fit. It doesn't hurt that he has a championship pedigree and history in the St.Louis market. If the XFL's St.Louis team decides to go that route.

JOE LOMBARDI SAINTS QB COACH 47 YEARS OLD

This works on a few different levels. The name value is there with Joe being the grandson of the legendary Vince Lombardi. It also doesn't hurt that he coached in the original XFL with The Hitmen as RB's coach. Him coming back to the league is a great story. A young coach with coordinator experience in The NFL, who has been working with one of football's best offensive minds in Sean Payton. Lombardi was also born and raised in Seattle, Washington. Another XFL2020 city site. The problem is going to be convincing him to become a head coach in The XFL. He could become a candidate for NFL head coaching jobs down the line. 500k a season might not be enticing enough to leave the cozy confines of Drew Brees and the Saints.


GRAHAM HARRELL NORTH TEXAS OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR/QB'S COACH 33 YEARS OLD

A prolific record breaking quarterback at Texas Tech. After an on and off stint with The Packers(3 years) and short stints with The Jets and in The CFL. Harrell has moved into the coaching ranks. He has quickly risen to being an OC and running an air raid offense, the same he mastered as a player in college. The Texas born Harrell would be the ideal candidate to get an early jump on. Positioning with a Texas based XFL franchise would seem like a perfect fit.

SCOTT MILANOVICH JAGUARS OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR/QB'S COACH 45 YEARS OLD

The former 1st overall pick of The Los Angeles Xtreme. Scott Milanovich was most recently elevated to The Jaguars OC spot after Nathaniel Hackett was fired. It remains to be seen how that turns out. There's a chance that the entire staff at Jacksonville could be gone by seasons end. After winning an XFL championship as Tommy Maddox's backup. Milanovich ended up transitioning to a coaching career a couple of years later in NFL Europe and The CFL. He went from QB coach to coordinator and then eventually to head coach with Toronto. Milanovich would end up becoming the CFL coach of the year and ended up winning 3 Grey Cups. He left his head coaching post in the CFL for a shot at making it as a coach in the states. Like Joe Lombardi, it would be cool to see Scott make a return to the XFL, perhaps with LA?

MIKE FURREY BEARS WR COACH 41 YEARS OLD

The former Las Vegas Outlaw ended up starring in The Arena League and then playing 8 seasons in The NFL. He led the arena league in receiving, signed with The Rams and then ended up transitioning to playing and starting at defensive back with them. He even recorded a game winning interception for a td and was a special teams ace for St.Louis. Furrey didn't catch a single pass on offense. Furrey then went on to The Lions, back at receiver, he catches 98 balls and was 2nd in the NFC in receptions. After his playing career was over years later, Furrey transitioned into coaching as head coach in the smaller college ranks and then making his way into the NFL, reuniting with former arena league teammate and current Bears Head Coach Matt Nagy. By the time, XFL2020 gets started, Furrey will have two years picking up Nagy's offense, which is being used in KC with Patrick Mahomes and is currently at work with Trubisky and the Bears. Furrey's background on offense, defense and special teams, along with his work in Arena and The XFL make him a good candidate for this league.


KERRY COOKS ASSISTANT DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR/DB'S COACH OKLAHOMA 44 YEARS OLD

Sensing a theme here with XFL 2001 Alumni. Former XFL starting QB's Jeff Brohm(Purdue) and Tim Lester (Western Michigan) are not on this list. They are making too much coin in college to be swayed into The XFL. Kerry Cooks is making roughly 475K at Oklahoma. Kerry Cooks does have an XFL background from his year playing with The Enforcers back in 01. Not the only star XFL defensive back to make a name for himself after his one year in the league. Louis Riddick (Orlando Rage) is on ESPN after stints as a pro personnel guy in The NFL. Cooks like Todd Lyght is one of the rising young college assistants with a strong recruiting background. Kerry has coached some of the best pass defenses at both Notre Dame and Oklahoma and is one of Lincoln Riley's best assistant coaches.


FRANK PONCE OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR/QUARTERBACKS APPALACHIAN STATE 47 YEARS OLD

Miami based High School head coach, who is considered one of the best recruiters and offensive minds in college football. He transitioned well from high school into college. Ponce runs a highly efficient offense at App State, which ranks as one of the best and most innovative offenses in all of college football. With his age and recruiting prowess, it's only a matter of time before he is head coach. Would the XFL take a chance on an unknown, perhaps for a Florida based team, especially if the coaches are gong to be defacto GM's as well.


DELL MCGEE ASSISTANT HEAD COACH/RUNNING BACKS COACH GEORGIA 45 YEARS OLD

One more XFL alum for the road. The former Los Angeles Xtreme defensive back has transitioned well into coaching. He is currently the assistant head coach at one of the nation's best college football teams in Georgia. Rivals.com named McGee the 2018 National Recruiter of the Year after the Bulldogs signed the consensus No. 1-rated recruiting class. Two of his star pupils are killing it in the NFL this year in Nick Chubb(Cleveland) and Sony Michel (New England). McGee is young, connects well with young players, has a strong personality and has experience playing in alternate leagues like The Arena League, NFL Europe and of course The XFL. He's not on the radar as a head coach but he should be.