Former NAU Coaches Center Stage for NFL Drama

The list of coaches who have come through Flagstaff and Northern Arizona and gone on to success in the NFL is amazing. The fact that several of them have risen to head coaching positions in the NFL is even more impressive. Andy Reid, Mike Shanahan, Marty Mornhinweg and Bill Callahan have all roamed the sidelines of the Walkup Skydome prior to landing NFL head coaching jobs.

This past summer, ESPN was dominated by daily updates with the drama surrounding former quarterbacks Brett Favre, Michael Vick, as well as the quarterback situation with the Denver Broncos and the conflict between Jay Culter and new coach, Josh McDaniels. McDaniels was the replacement for Mike Shanahan, a NAU assistant in 1977 and Cutler supporter. This summer’s dramatics should be sold as a reality show called The Real Quarterbacks of the NFL and then ESPN could quit wasting valuable time on SportsCenter.

In all three situations, the common thread from a Lumberjack spin was that NAU Coaching Staff alumni were directly dealing with the media frenzy.

In case you have been in a cave, Brett Favre could not decide whether he wanted to retire AGAIN and his every move was documented as a reason why or why not he was going to sign with the Minnesota Vikings. When he finally did decide to come back, Brad Childress, a NAU assistant from 1986-89, picked him up at the airport with a helicopter documenting the trip. It felt like O.J. all over again. OK maybe not but it was funny.

Speaking of former NFL players in trouble, Michael Vick is one of the most vilified players in the history of sports for his off-the-field actions. Everyone has an opinion but the only one that mattered was the owner of the Eagles and former NAU assistant Andy Reid, who worked at NAU in 1986. Reid was behind his signing with the Philadelphia Eagles where he is the head coach. Reid answered all questions about protestors, dog fighting, jail time and, oh yeah, football stuff.

To add more Lumberjack connections to the Farve/Vick drama, Farve's offensive coordinator at Minnesota is Darrell Bevell, who played at NAU in 1989. Vick's offensive coordinator in Philadelphia is Marty Mornhinweg, the former Detroit Lions coach who also worked at NAU in 1988 and 1994.

These coaches live with the scrutiny of the NFL everyday. But the heat has been turned up this season with players they are coaching.

By Steven Shaff, NAU Media Relations