Rick Neuheisel Full Introductory UFL Dallas Renegades Head Coach PC via AlanAlfordSportsTalkShow.com

Can you just tell us what are some of your personal and professional goals now that you're the new head coach? I'm elated. I guess I'm the old elder statesman amongst the coaches. I remember getting the chance at Colorado as a young guy back in 1995, and I was the second youngest coach in college football at the time. So now I'm at the other end of the spectrum. But regardless, it's just great to be involved with this enterprise. I've been a fan of spring football forever. I played in the old USFL back in the mid 80s, 1984, 85 with the San Antonio Gunslingers, still close with a bunch of guys that I played with back then, and coaches that coached me. I had a great experience in the Alliance of American Football, coaching the Arizona Hot Shots, still proud of all the things we got done there. We had a winning record. We had a bunch of kids get a chance to play in the NFL. And I know everybody had a great experience being a part of that team, whether it was trying to catapult them in their football careers, or it was the end of the line and having a memorable experience like that with a bunch of good teammates. That's really what football's all about. And then when you get the synergy of a fan base that really rallies around a group, then it really becomes fun. And spring football, at least my experiences have been, you get close with the fans because they're close to you. And to me, that's what makes this so fun. I can feel Mike Rapoli's energy and enthusiasm for this project. So I feel really, really fortunate that I get to do this. The only problems that I have is my phone is absolutely blowing up with coaching guys that all want to come do it with me. And I wish I could say yes to everybody, but unfortunately that's just not the reality. So making those difficult decisions will be one of the tough spots, but we'll get through that and look forward to getting to Texas and getting underway with all the other great coaches that are gonna be part of this league. All right, Max. All right, coach, thank you very much for doing this. I appreciate it. Because of your long experience in NCAA football and now seeing your son try to navigate that landscape, is being a pro coach easier than being a college coach in this era? Well, this actually feels more collegiate than what's going on in the college marketplace now, because every guy on this team is gonna earn the same amount of money. If you really think about it, what everybody's getting is a scholarship, a scholarship to play one more year of football and to see where their careers can go. They're not making delineations as to who's getting what. No agent's gonna call in and say, he's gotta have more and all that kind of stuff. No one's gonna opt out, because if they do, there's no place to opt out to. This is really pure football, for the love of the game, as the saying goes. An opportunity to prove that you're worthy, to get into an NFL camp and chase that dream, that brass ring, if you will, and that's all a noble cause. But it's also a chance, if it doesn't work out, to leave on your own terms and to be proud of what you got accomplished as an athlete and be looking forward to the challenges that lie away from the football field. Awesome, thanks. Ivan? Hey, thanks, Sarah. So good morning, coach. I gotta, I'm sorry. Good afternoon. You're on East Coast Time. So I got a couple questions. I answer the morning, afternoon, evening. I'm not sure where I am most of the time anyway. That's how I roll. I love it, I love it. I like how you say it for the love of football. You get it. That's definitely what it is. So that's gonna shift my first question to you. So player development is a major pillar of the UFL. How do you plan on balancing winning now and the preparation for players for the future NFL opportunities, like tight end Sal Cannella, who was recently activated by the Cleveland Browns? So there are gonna be all sorts of great Arizona. He was the Wake Forest quarterback. I remember watching him in a bowl game. And I said, that kid can really play. And all of a sudden I get this chance to coach in the spring league, the AAF. And I went to our general manager, Phil Savage, who's now back with the Jets, right? It got him a springboard, a chance to go be in the scouting world of the NFL. And I said, we need to get this Wolford kid. I think Wolford's made 30 million bucks, maybe closer to 40 in his NFL career since that time, which I think we got him off of Wall Street. I think he was working for a company on Wall Street. And I said, I want you to consider playing a little bit more ball. And he was all in and has been all in since. Those are great stories. But equally as important are the stories of the guys who maybe don't quite have what it takes to take the next step, but to finish on their own terms and to have the opportunity to say, hey, this was wonderful. I was part of a great team. I'm good. I'm excited about the lessons that I've learned from football. They'll help me in my life as a husband, as a father, as a businessman, as a good guy in the community. It's all gonna work out. And so I think that's why I've been such a fan of this. Like I said, I've got all kinds of teammates that went on to great things. I've got all sorts of kids that I coached that went on to do really fun things and exciting things in their own lives, personal lives. And that will be the same case with these fellas that'll be part of the Dallas Renegades. I cannot wait to get started. Wow. So my next question, and I see why you was a great pick, and I see it might lead to my next question about the fans getting behind you. So my next question is the Dallas Renegades just moved to Frisco, Texas, which is a sports town. How do you plan to connect the old and new fan base to re-energize the support for the Dallas Renegades? In every way, past the stadium that maybe isn't as cavernous as some of the big ones, you can get close to the action. There can be some intimacy. You can get to hear what's going on on the sideline. And I think that resonates. There's lots going on in the spring. I mean, baseball, basketball, it's all happening. But I promise you, if you come to a Renegade game and you get close to the action, you're gonna fall for the kids that are playing. You're gonna enjoy the way they're getting coached. You're gonna love the competitive field. You're gonna love some of the rules that Mike has up his sleeve in terms of making it more competitive and entertaining. And I think we're gonna get a really cool fan base there in Dallas. Dallas is a championship city. There's no question about it. It's been known for championships for a long time. Troy Aikman taught me more about Dallas than I ever knew. And he's a huge fan. I still think he calls Dallas his home. So this is exciting to come to that town. And I think Renegade fans will be excited about the product we put on the field. Perfect, thank you for your time. That's all. Thank you, Sarah. Thanks, Coach. Thank you. Ethan, go ahead. How's it going, Coach? Ethan Burch here with the UFL. Congratulations on the opportunity to come here and coach in Dallas. Got a quick one for you. Can you tell me why this is the right moment for you to step back onto the sidelines and why Dallas? People ask all the time, do you miss coaching? I've been in broadcasting now with CBS for 11 years and forever thankful for that relationship and I've loved it. It keeps me close to the game. But when people ask you miss coaching, I say every day. Because it's about relationships. It's about connections and the ability to put together a goal and strive for the goal. And when you fall short, figure out what you did wrong and strive for it again. And then when you finally reach the goal, to celebrate the goal and then look forward to the next goal. That's the best way of anybody going about creating a successful life. And so these opportunities, when they come along, you have to make sure you've got the energy for it. You've got to make sure that you're motivated to produce the kind of outcome that you're looking forward to. And I'm at a point, my kids are out of the house. My wife is looking for a team. And so we're excited to be Renegades. We love Texas. Our son went to SMU. We've been in and around the Dallas area. I've got a bunch of friends in and around Dallas and Fort Worth and they're all gonna be Renegade fans now. I might even call Gary Patterson and see what he's doing. You see if he wants to come and coach. We'll have some fun. Thanks coach. Thank you, Oscar. Thank you very much, Sarah. Hello, coach. Nice to meet you from Mexico City. Claro Sports here in Mexico. It's a real pleasure getting to talk with you. What is the main challenge in this new stage of your career? That's my first question. One thing you learn in coaching and you should learn quickly is it's not about you. The best form coaching is to impart what you know about the game, to try to create relationships that are long lasting and to make sure that those who play for you and play with you know that your motivations are only to make them better and to help them proceed along the path that they'd like to go along. That has always been part of me. There's a book by a guy by the name of Frosty Westering. It says, make the big time where you are. There's a portion of the coaching community that always is looking for the next job, not necessarily where their feet are. That fortunately has not been my issue. My issue's always been about wanting the best for the kids that I coach, for the best for the coaches that are with me and to make sure that there's ample reward for the work that we're putting in. We're gonna work hard, we're gonna laugh and we're going to play as hard as we can play but we're gonna have fun doing it. That is absolute and those that come along will find that to be the case. Okay, perfect coach. And the second one, I remember, I still remember names like Marquis Tuya Sosopo, Drew Brees. I don't wanna touch any sensitive nerves, but Drew Brees is now in a Hall of Fame finalist. What is your opinion about that? Trust me, I'm old. I've been around for Washington. Drew was Purdue's quarterback at the time and we played each other in the 2001 Rose Bowl and we all went to Disneyland. Disneyland always hosted the two Rose Bowl teams and Drew was talking to one of my middle son at the time, Jack, who was not tall enough to get on the roller coaster. And Drew says, they're not telling me I'm not tall enough to get on the roller coaster either. Drew ended up being a Hall of Famer despite the height deficiencies and I marvel at, I still think Drew Brees is the inventor of the back shoulder pass. We talk about it all the time. The back shoulder on the sideline was always kind of an under throw, but Drew back shouldered the seam throw. He back shouldered the corner route with an outside leveraged nickel player. He back shouldered everything and became an artisan of how to do that. And now it's kind of commonplace, but it was Drew Brees that kind of invented those throws and he's remarkable. In case of Marcus Tuiasosopo, who's now coaching with the Detroit Lions, Marcus has had a wonderful career, but you talk about a warrior. We put our team on his shoulder pads and it took us all the way to the Rose Bowl. Perfect, thank you very much, coach. Happy New Year. Thank you. Awesome, thank you, Oscar. Alan, I guess you're next. Yes, coach. My question would be, you got a chance to, you have a lot of tremendous experience, USFL, collegiate, NFL. What was your initial impression when you got a chance to meet owner Mike Rapoli and the management team here at the UFL? No, I read his bio before we got a chance to talk and a New Jersey guy, self-made man into the race horses, obviously has a huge stake in this deal, but it was clear when we talked how enthusiastic he is and what his goals are for this. And they resonate. He wants this to be fun. He wants it to be fun for everybody involved, both players and coaches, but certainly fans and communities. He's got it into stadiums that will feel full if we do our jobs and activate the local communities. They'll come out there and they'll want to come back because they're going to be entertained with a level of play and a style of play which will resonate with them. So I think the guy's obviously a brilliant businessman and I think he's onto something. And for me to be the old guy in the room for guys like Ted Ginn Jr. and AJ McCarron who are taking this on for the first time, I'm excited to get to meet those guys. And the idea that we're all in the same place where I'm practicing, there can be some collaboration because at the end of the day, this is about helping somebody up to the next level of the sport. And I've been there and done that. This is going to be fun to help those have that same chance. Perfect, thank you. Anthony? Thanks, Sarah. Coach Anthony Miller, Average Football Talk. Congratulations on the job. I was curious about how you're going about with the coaching staff at this point. How much have you contacted your coaches versus... Blowing up. So how much are you going to look at outside hiring versus looking at the current staff that Bob Stoops had with the Renegades? And then I was curious, I know your son is kind of available now. Have you talked to him about potentially joining your coaching staff on the offensive side? I have. I think Jerry's got a copy. He hasn't announced it yet, but those deals are probably... I said, how can there be a job that's too good to pass up when I'm offering you a chance to come with me? He said, all right, you be the assistant, I'll be the head coach and we'll flip the thing. I said, you go enjoy that job, son. You go enjoy that job. But listen, this is obviously... Bobby texted me earlier today. I'm giving him a call and I certainly want to hear about the coaches that he had. I had a number of coaches in the Arizona franchise that certainly have all texted that want to be part of this. This is the really difficult part is because there's only so many seats at the table and that's the way it should be. But to make those decisions will take some painstaking work with an emphasis on pain because you hate to tell anybody no that wants to do this. This isn't to make a living. This is because you have a love affair with football and being part of the young people's chance to succeed. And so this will be hard. It'll be the hardest part of the job. Awesome, thank you, coach. Allen, go ahead. Yes, and coach, being that you have played the position of quarterback and you get it, how does that help you with today's quarterback and helping them to fulfill their goals going forward? Defenses are darn good. We're watching this college football playoff right now and seven of the eight teams are like easy to see how they got there. Have to be dimensional. You have to have either a keen understanding of how everything works so that you require very little in the way of protection because you can get the ball out of your hand quickly or you have to have a dimension to your athleticism that allows you to do off-schedule plays or you have to be a guy that can both run and pass where we can create options. Now, not necessarily a traditional option where it's ride and decide with a running back and then down around with somebody as a pitch man, whether it be a wide receiver that motioned to a backfield or something like that, or but there's traditional where you ride and decide and now throw the ball across the line of scrimmage, which is now commonly referred to as the RPO. Option football is part of it and quarterbacks understanding that, understanding defenses is pivotal, but what's happened over the course of the last several years is I think there's a lot of quarterback coaches that have taken shortcuts and so I've met a lot of quarterbacks in the last 20 years that don't have a full understanding of how defenses play and so the era of Drew Brees, we just mentioned him, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, those kind of quarterbacks that were able to sit back there and put their hands up and fake count you to see what kind of tells you're gonna give me on the defense and now know exactly what to expect from both the front and the secondary based on that stuff is kind of a lost art and so as a quarterback guy, I like teaching that so that you can kind of glean from what's happening over there, what to expect from a coverage, what to expect from a front and your protection because the life you save will be your own. It's imperative that you get and now you have, it's almost like taking the game that's going at 60 miles an hour and making it now feel like it's going at 15 miles an hour because I understand it all. So that's part and parcel of my theory about coaching. I want players to understand what's going on on the other side so they can almost coordinate a defense before they can coordinate an offense and now know exactly how to attack it. Perfect, thank you. Ivan? Yes, thanks, Erin. Thanks, Coach, again for this. This is my last question. So the Dallas Renegades fan base has high expectations since the team won a championship under Coach Stoops. What is your immediate vision for the team both on and off the field? Off the field, the kind of guys that look like you're a professional, right? You understand that you've got to be mindful of all the things that are required of being a great teammate, meaning punctuality, responsibility, commitment, attitude, all those different things. That's just part of being a professional. On the field, there's no question that we want to be explosive. We want to put pressure on opposing offenses and we want to be able to excite the crowd by being explosive on offense with big plays and the ability to control the ball. At the end of the day, you're trying to win games, but there's an entertainment value to this as well. And so we'll do what we need to do to be as entertaining as we can be. We had that kind of experience in Arizona. I think our quarterback threw the most touchdown passes in that league and we had a number of two-point plays that were successful, so we're going to be fun to watch. Perfect, and last question, Oscar. Thank you. Coach, like a Mexican guy, I need to ask you about Luis Perez. Luis Perez, like we say here in Mexico. What is your opinion about Luis and how looks the future with or without Luis Perez with the Renegades? Well, listen, I've heard and seen Luis for years and years and he's been wildly successful in spring football. There's no question about it. And there's no reason that he can't continue to be wildly successful. All those decisions though, Oscar, are going to have to be made at another time because I'm just diving in. I've got to get into the film room and do all that study and see what's out there and available. But there's no question that I'm a big fan of Mr. Perez. Perfect, coach. Gracias. Muchas gracias, my friend. Awesome. Thank you so much, everyone. I appreciate it.