Connections between The XFL and potential coaches

[MikeMitchell]

We are about to head into The XFL's preseason in 2019. Everyone is speculating on potential head coaches. You can check out the ThisisTheXFLShow podcast for a great discussion on potential head coaches.

The key thing to look towards if you are following the league is the connections that The XFL's braintrust has with coaches in college and the pros.

XFL Commisioner Oliver Luck was the AD of West Virginia from 2010-2014. He has worked as a top executive in both The NFL and NCAA but his time and ties to West Virginia might lead to coaches making their way over to the XFL. Luck hired Dana Holgerson. A student from the Air Raid offense, so any prominent assistants on those staffs while Luck was there are potential hires for The XFL.

Oliver Luck and XFL Vice President Doug Whaley both have connections to former NFL Head Coach Chuck Pagano. Oliver's son Andrew was coached by him. Pagano is currently one of the head coaches for The NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, a game that Doug Whaley is directing and coordinating for the second year in a row this coming January. Former NFL Head Coach Mike Tice is coaching the opposing team in the game. Tice is a New Jersey native and i mentioned him as a possibility for the New York franchise.

Whaley has ties to assistants that worked with him in Pittsburgh and Buffalo. Now i am not so sure that The Ryans or Doug Marrone have good relationships with Doug, but perhaps someone like current Ravens assistant Greg Roman is a possibility. Roman has ties to Whaley as OC in Buffalo, he also coached at Stanford while Andrew Luck was there, and actually coached on the Stanford staff when The XFL's Director of Football Operations Sam Schwartzstein was a team captain there as well.

Sam Schwartzstein is a name that came out of left field recently. He has a prominent job as DFO in the XFL. Schwartzstein played with Andrew Luck at Stanford. Schwartstein's head coach at Stanford was David Shaw. It's possible that Schwartstein targets coaches who coached him in college. Be on the lookout for players that Sam played with in school as potential targets in The XFL like QB Kevin Hogan or RB Stepfan Taylor.

Director of Player Personnel Eric Galko has several ties in the football community. From college to the pros. That includes agents, players, front office personnel and coaches. Galko has been in charge of YourCallFootball the last couple of years. Picking the players and coaches for the series of games. Last year, Merril Hoge and Mike Sherman were the coaches of those games. Sherman is currently coaching in The CFL. I will be interested to see who the two head coaches are this year. Hoge despite having no coaching resume, was fantastic in his coaching role last year. He's an outside the box type candidate.