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UL’s Dan Carrell to Coach For Jeff Fisher in USFL

Dan Carrell knew exactly what he was signing up for when he made the decision that he wanted to become a college football coach. The 2005 Union Local graduate, however, admits that he didn’t necessarily foresee quite the path that he’s taken to the professional ranks. “The coaching carousel gets more intense every year,” Carrell said during a recent phone interview. After spending the past two seasons as the defensive coordinator at UMass, the entire Minutemen staff was let go after last season. More and more jobs — at all levels of college and pro football — have been taken, which led to Carrell getting a little bit nervous about his future. “(The search) was looking bleak and it was getting rough on my family,” Carrell admitted. However, the soon-to-be 35-year old had a friend in the coaching fraternity he met during his stint at New Mexico put him in touch with Jeff Fisher. Yes, the same Jeff Fisher who was formerly the head coach of the Tennessee Titans and led them to a Super Bowl. Fisher is now embarking on a new opportunity as the head coach of the Michigan Panthers in the re-birth of the USFL. “Coach Fisher was working at Tennessee State as a consultant because Eddie George is the head coach there and my buddy knew he was looking for a defensive coordinator and recommended me to him,” Carrell said. Obviously, it pays to have friends. Carrell got a call from Fisher, who had already lost two members of his assembled staff to other jobs, about the position and just six days before the USFL Draft, Carrell accepted an offer to join the staff. “I started basically immediately because I had to watch and evaluate between 200 and 300 players for the draft,” Carrell said. Carrell has done everything he can to soak up every ounce of knowledge from Fisher, who had rave reviews about. “I’d always heard great things about Jeff Fisher,” Carrell said. “They’re all true and then some. He’s really at the part of his life where he’s trying to develop players and coaches. It’s been an incredible experience in getting to know him and learn from him.” The USFL opened training camp on Friday in preparation for its season openers, which are scheduled for April 17. Until the playoffs, which will be held in Canton, the entire league is based and will be played in Birmingham, Ala. Obviously, several professional football leagues have popped up over the course of time. None, obviously, have taken on the popularity of the NFL and eventually fizzled. Some simply couldn’t make it through the 2020 COVID shutdown. Again, Carrell knows what he’s gotten himself into. “Coach Fisher has been involved with this league for a while and he wouldn’t have done that if he didn’t believe it was stable and they didn’t have a good plan,” Carrell said. “Fox Sports owns a major stake in this league, so it’s not out there fighting for a television deal.” Carrell simplified it quickly. “If people are watching on television, (the league) will survive,” Carrell said. “The production will be incredible. It will feel like a NFL game.” Carrell, similar to the players who are on the 10 USFL teams, believes this opportunity may lead to more down the road. “Just like the players’ dream is to get to the NFL, my dream is to coach there, so we’re all on the same mission,” Carrell said. “This is definitely a different dynamic than coaching 18 to 22 year olds. It’s one I’ve wanted to be a part of for a long time. I feel very fortunate.” Carrell, who graduated from West Liberty in 2011, accepted a job in strength and conditioning at South Carolina right out of college. He returned to West Liberty for a season and then was hired as an offensive intern at Ohio State. He spent one season with the Buckeyes before going to Kentucky as a graduate assistant then he accepted a GA position at Houston. He spent time as a full-time coach at Houston and then was at New Mexico in 2019, setting the stage for his tenure at UMass, which was basically hijacked by COVID. SETH’S SCOOPS TODAY MARKS opening day of spring sports in Ohio. And, as expected, temperatures are not expected to get out of the 30s and there is snow in the forecast. AFTER LOSING a game on its schedule, Shadyside has completed its 2022 football schedule. The Tigers have picked up Brownsville Area, Pa.. It will visit Fleming Field on Sept. 23. Staskey can be reached via email at sstaskey@timesleaderonline.com or at twitter.com/TLSportsSeth

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