Singletary to be head coach of Memphis AAF team
MEMPHIS -- The Alliance of American Football came to the Liberty Bowl to bring a new professional football team and head coach in NFL Hall of Famer Mike Singletary.
Singletary, who was introduced Thursday as coach of the yet-to-benamed Memphis franchise, said that when league co-founder Bill Polian called him, it didn't take long to get excited about the opportunity to not just coach again but be a part of the AAF.
"It's an opportunity for the fans to see a great product on the field, for players to continue their career and reinvent themselves, for coaches to continue to invest in the players and make a difference in their lives," Singletary said.
That excitement is what the AAF hopes to ride on as it attempts to cash in on football fans looking for viable alternatives when the NFL season is done. Memphis will be the third franchise of the eight-team league that launches on February 9, 2019.
Former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver and Super Bowl MVP Hines Ward and Alliance head of football operations J.K. McKay introduced Singletary but also explained why Memphis, which has a brief history of pro football teams, was a great fit for the AAF.
"Memphis is a great culture and a great community for football," said Ward, who added he got tips from former teammate and Memphis football alum DeAngelo Williams."It's a great place, you got Beale Street...and hiring a guy like Coach Singletary is just awesome. If you come play for Memphis, you're going to be inspired and go out to play hard."
Singletary previously coached three seasons with the San Francisco 49ers and compiled an 18-22 record, including going 5-4 during his interim year in 2008. His last coaching stop was being a defensive assistant with the Los Angeles Rams in 2016.
Singletary was also hired to coach at Trinity Christian-Addison High School in Addison, Texas, just outside of Dallas. He said that he would be able to fulfill both rules since the schedules don't overlap.
Former Memphis Tigers player Kosha Irby was named as team president. Irby played at Memphis from 1997-2000 and was previously the regional director of live events for World Wrestling Entertainment since 2011.