By @LightningDragon
There are many great coaches in the CFSL. Helping out ADs behind the scenes, may not get as much recognition, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t crucial. Most ADs will tell you that a good coaching staff will make or break a coaching staff.
So I decided to experiment a bit for this article. I asked around the league and came up with five names of up-and-coming coaches who could be the next AD lurking around the corner. While this list is far from the complete list of the best coaches around, I wanted to choose five recognizable names on five different teams who are likely to be considered in the next round of hiring CFSL ADs.
All five coaches were asked a series of questions, listed at the bottom of this article if you are curious. I took their answers, plus quotes for all five of these coaches’ current ADs, and compiled profiles on the coaches interviewed. Comments are edited for clarity and brevity. Coaches are listed in alphabetical order.
JohnnyV76V
JohnnyV76V is the newest coach on our list, making a big impression in a short time. When I surveyed League Chat for this article, asking for the most notable up-and-coming coaches, his name showed up almost more than anyone.
JohnnyV76V is in his second season in the CFSL, with this being his first season as an official Oregon coach. As Oregon’s new RC, he helped AD Gavin Lussier in forming the Ducks’ recruiting strategy this past offseason. When asked what lessons he has learned under the Oregon AD, he had this to say. “There are no shortcuts. When game planning, the only way to improve is to suck it up and sim as frequently as possible. Also, a daily presence in the locker room is crucial to keeping the team engaged. Family is everything.”
As for the Oregon AD himself, Lussier had this to say about his new RC. “What is there not say? [JohnnyV76V] is a genius. A great coach. A guy who is immensely active and already refined our team in one season [as coach]. He has been pivotal.” He also added, “[JohnnyV76V] has been the missing piece to this Oregon team and is helping me right the ship. I love the dude, just like all of my coaches. He’s awesome. And he cares.”
Outside the league, JohnnyV76V is a native of Ohio. He is a self-professed avid golfer and loves watching both NASCAR and his beloved Ohio State Buckeyes. When asked what team he’d like to add to the CFSL, JohnnyV76V couldn’t choose the already existing Buckeyes. So instead he went for the uniform combos. He’d love to wear the colors of either UCLA or Arizona State as an AD in the CFSL. As for who he would like to add to Oregon, he chose football legend Sean Taylor. Pass defense is as important as ever in the CFSL, and Taylor was more than just any ordinary defensive player. A game-changer in every way, he’d be a great addition to the Oregon Ducks.
Jordan Baker
Jordan Baker is another fan of Florida State AD Tom Pence, having been a previous coach for him. However, since making his new player he’s been one of the big engines behind Ohio State’s full-attack pass offense the last few seasons. Since arriving at Ohio State in Season 19, Baker has coached almost every role in the Ohio State system. As someone familiar with both sides of the ball, he’s been invaluable to Ohio State AD Zach Davis.
Davis had this to say about his coach. “Jordan is the kind of person who is always there for the team, no matter what. He leads by example, never hesitating to step up when something needs to be done. What sets him apart is how involved he is. He is always watching games, watching our sims. His loyalty, attention to detail, and willingness to put in the extra effort make him somebody people should look to for future opportunities, and that is exactly what makes him so important to [Ohio State].
Baker has one of the more interesting stories outside the CFSL. He’s both a registered nurse and an ordained minister. A former high school football player as well, Baker would also be one of the youngest ADs in the history of the CFSL at 22. He is a Tennessee Volunteers fan.
When asked what player he would add to Ohio State, Baker went for a defensive legend in Ed Reed. Ohio State certainly has a good defense, but adding prime Ed Reed might upgrade the Buckeyes from just very good to plain unfair. Let’s all be thankful we don’t have to face Reed in the CFSL. As for which team Baker would add to the CFSL, Jordan is a big fan of history. His choice was to bring the dynasty back to Oklahoma State.
Kaki
Kaki is the second longest-tenured coach on our list, having been a CFSL coach since Season 18. In that season, he joined the young coaching staff of West Virginia under AD Nathan Murphy. When fellow WVU coach Jacob Cobb became the AD at USC, Kaki followed him and took a prominent spot on his new staff. He started as the Defensive Coordinator, before being promoted to the AHC spot the last two seasons.
When interviewed, he credits both Murphy and Cobb for teaching him how to recruit in the CFSL. He said, “I have always been able to talk to people, but learning how to sell a program was different for me.” Learning under both ADs has certainly helped his career, as he helped USC win back-to-back National Championships. Team success is a key indicator for prospective ADs, something Kaki has over almost any other hopeful AD in recent seasons.
His current AD, Jacob Cobb, had this to say about Kaki. “We don’t win back-to-back with him. He’s been here with me since Day 1. He’s been a big part of every piece of what we have built here at USC. Every recruit, every playbook, every game plan he’s had his hands in. He’s a true right-hand man for me!”
Kaki’s interests outside the CFSL include baseball, and “the other football (soccer)”, and is a former college athlete. When asked which team he would like to add to the CFSL, it was no surprise the Nebraska native chose the Cornhuskers. As for which player he would love to add to his current team, the former defensive mind chose either WR Jordan Whittington or DT Ndamukong Suh.
Norman Bates
Norman Bates has been a Michigan legend. He’s also the longest-tenured coach interviewed for this article, having been a GA as far back as the MAC days when he was with Toledo in Season 11. After leaving Toledo, Bates found himself in Michigan in Season 17, where he has been ever since. He currently serves as Michigan AD Aaron Ike’s AHC.
Under Ike, he has learned how important going the extra mile is, and just how much work is involved in the CFSL machine. A diehard Michigan Wolverines fan both in and out of the CFSL, it is no surprise why Bates has stuck so long as the Protected Coach for Michigan.
As for the AD himself, Michigan AD Aaron Ike had this to say about his coach and longtime friend. “[Norman] has been pivotal in helping me build the culture of this program. He works hard at everything that is asked of him. He has learned, from the bottom up. He’s a great coach.”
Bates has football experience, having previously played college football at Miami. The New York native (originally) would love to bring Syracuse back into the CFSL as his school to add. And while he shouted out his Miami teammates, his choice of players to add to the current Michigan CFSL squad would be either Ndamukong Suh or Charles Woodson. Talk about two interesting choices. I’ll let the readers decide which one would help this current Michigan squad.
Tankasaurusrex
Tankasaurusrex has been a coach for five seasons now. He got his start in the Auburn coaching system under AD Cole Mantell. After Mantell stepped down, he transferred to Florida State to coach under Florida State AD Tom Pence. He has risen through the ranks in FSU’s vaunted coaching school, moving this season into the AHC position under Pence. An Atlanta native, Tankasaurusrex is a diehard Georgia fan who is a former high school football Center. When asked which team he would like to add to the CFSL, however, Tankasaurusrex had an interesting answer. He wants to command the, quote, “real USC”, in the South Carolina Gamecocks. For a lifetime Bulldog fan, coaching their rival was one of the more interesting choices in my interviews.
When asked which real-life college football player he would bring to the CFSL, Tankasaurusrex was more than happy to represent his current CFSL team. He chose former FSU WR Kelvin Benjamin, hoping to add his elite speed and route running could be the final piece to the Seminoles’ quest for their first Championship since Season 14.
Tom Pence, his AD, had this to say about his AHC. “[Tankasaurusrex] is amazing. He took his time to learn recruiting with me and has become a great game planner, helps with the locker room, and does a bulk of simming every week. I think he will become a very good AD and whatever school he was to get would do great with him.”
