AAF may end up a bigger opportunity for coaches than players

The Alliance of American Football, or AAF, has begun its inaugural season. It has fans who want more football excited about the possibilities.

One thing they have dreams of is that league becoming a breeding ground for players who might not have gotten the opportunities they should’ve in the NFL. People love underdog stories and it feels like the AAF can be that league that provides an opportunity to players who didn’t get them. However, this might be a bit of a misconception. History shows that players who were cast off by the NFL rarely rebound in another league.

Instead it’s the players whom the other league drafted and developed themselves that end up being the breakout stars. It was true of the AFL and again of the USFL. No, this new league might instead end up being a great platform not for players but for coaches. Men who might not be getting the looks from the NFL and could showcase their skill in another league.

After all, what better way is there to prove their merit than by putting together quality performances with what would be considered backup and third-string talent in the NFL? It was true back in the 1980s.

USFL was proof that AAF can be a breeding ground for future top coaches

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It’s been so long since there was another credible football league. Not since the mid-1980s when the United States Football League tried their hand at challenging NFL supremacy. They had promise initially, but poor management by their ruling body soon led to its collapse. Not before providing opportunities to several of their coaching number though. Many of whom would go on to the big league and have lots of success. Here are just a few of the names:

Jim Mora Sr.
Steve Mariucci
Vic Fangio
John Fox
Jim Fassel
Jim Johnson
Marv Levy
Vince Tobin

All but one of those names ended up becoming head coaches in the NFL. Fox, Fassel, and Levy took their teams to the Super Bowl a combined seven times. Mora turned both the New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts into playoff contenders. Mariucci made it to the NFC championship game in 1997. Fangio and Johnson became two of the best defensive coordinators of their respective eras and Tobin won a playoff game as head coach in Arizona.

Make no mistake. NFL teams will be watching the AAF rosters for potential players they might’ve missed. Then again, it may end up being the coaches who they take the bigger risks on in the long run.

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