Neuheisel Returns to Tempe

By. Kaci Demarest, Arizona Hotshots Content Manager

When Arizona Hotshots head coach Rick Neuheisel leads his team out on to the field at Sun Devil Stadium, it won’t be the first time that he’s led the home team out of the tunnel.

“It was my home stadium before I ever headed off to college,” Neuheisel said. Neuheisel’s football journey began at McClintock High School in Tempe where he was a three-sport varsity athlete: baseball, basketball, and football.

When he was announced as the Hotshots head coach in May, he said he was standing in Arizona State Athletic Director Ray Anderson’s office staring out at the field recalling his high school football championship.

“In 1977 in early December, we played for the state championship on that field,” Neuheisel said. “That was literally 40 years ago, so to have this chance to come back and do this at a level where everybody is getting this second chance of sorts, I couldn’t be more excited.”

A cornerstone of The Alliance’s mission is to give players another shot to play professional football. The same concept applies to coaches.

“I don’t think anybody leaves coaching voluntarily,” Neuheisel said. “I think we all have it in our blood for those of us that have made a career out of it. To have the opportunity to get back and do that, especially at the level where you get to help guys get that next chance to make it to the highest level, I thought that was really intriguing.”

Over his twelve years of coaching in the Pac-12 (formerly the Pac-10) between Colorado, Washington, and UCLA, he amounted an 87-58 record. The last time Neuheisel was a coach was during his four year career at UCLA through 2011.

Neuheisel said he was approached by The Alliance Co-Founder and Head of Football Bill Polian at the Senior Bowl about the conception to get back into coaching.

“He pulled me aside, and I go, this is hush hush stuff,” Neuheisel said, “He presented the idea of coaching in this league. I said, Bill, I am 100% interested.”

After consulting with his bosses at CBS, Neuheisel was aboard for the journey.

“It’s too good to be true,” Neuheisel said. “I can do what I do with CBS in the fall with covering college football, and then I get to wear my old hat, the old coaching hat, get a whistle on, and coach the Arizona Hotshots in my home town.

His one request was to have former NFL executive Phil Savage as the General Manager for the team he would be coaching. Coincidentally, Savage had requested Neuheisel be the head coach of the team he would be overseeing.

“I just know his work ethic,” Neuheisel said. “I know how tireless he is. I know he’s very easy to get along with, even-tempered.”

A notable portion of Neuheisel’s professional career took place in the United States Football League (USFL) as the quarterback for the San Antonio Gunslingers.

The Hotshots hosted their training camp for the 2019 season in San Antonio along with the other seven teams in The Alliance.

The situation allowed for Neuheisel to return to his old stomping grounds and to connect with some of his former teammates from that endeavor.

“We all remember how much fun that was so they’re kind of jealous that I’m getting to do it again, just from a different angle,” Neuheisel said.

While The Alliance follows in the footsteps of other leagues, Neuheisel believes The Alliance will succeed because they’ve set themselves up for long-term success through the structure they’ve set up. The main thing is to bring quality football to the table.

“There are plenty of coaches and plenty of players to put on a great show for people that love football,” Neuheisel said. “The numbers say there are a ton of fans that turn off sports television when the Super Bowl ends. They don’t have to.”

Neuheisel said he’s excited to be able to return to coaching and hopes that his players embrace the chance to lace up the cleats again and to hopefully continue their careers on their terms.

“If you get to a situation where you have to say goodbye to it, say goodbye in a way that you’re proud of the way you competed and played the game,” Neuheisel said. “If you get the opportunity to play, play with all you’ve got because you never know when your days are over. The last thing any of us want in any walk of life is regret.”