Never in a million years would we have guessed that Brad Childress and Michael Vick would be on the same coaching staff in a spring football league, but that’s where we are today.
The Alliance of American Football, a new spring league that will debut after the NFL’s 2019 Super Bowl, announced Wednesday that Childress will be the head coach of a team in Atlanta, with Vick the offensive coordinator.
Well Atlanta, looks like you’re in good hands! #AllianceATL Head Coach Brad Childress and Offensive Coordinator @MichaelVick will be building their Alliance in the great state of Georgia. Join us at 2:15pm ET on Facebook Live to hear what they have in store for the season. pic.twitter.com/iteYAx69kh
— The Alliance (@TheAAF) April 25, 2018
Only one other team has been announced since the league was founded on March 20, but that team, in Orlando, has already named NCAA legend, Steve Spurrier, its head coach.
Childress was head coach of the Minnesota Vikings from 2006-2010 and guided the team to the NFC Championship Game in 2009, where they lost in heartbreaking fashion to the New Orleans Saints.
What’s the Alliance of American Football?
The league describes itself as “high-quality professional football” that will fill the football void during the NFL’s offseason.
There are eight teams that will play a 12-game schedule, kicking off Feb. 9, 2019 and running through late April.
Players will presumably feature many of the best players who weren’t quite good enough to make it to the NFL.
Games are streamed live on the league’s app, although the league’s opening game will be televised on CBS.
The league also promises state-of-the-art protection for players, a bonus system featuring fantasy football rewards, along with post-football career support through counseling, scholarship opportunities and education.
Jared Allen is an investor
Former Vikings defensive end Jared Allen is an investor in the league, and he told The MMQB’s Peter King that they’ll have business rules that require players to be in the community Monday-Thursday, supporting charities they’re passionate about.
Allen also said players and teams can stay in the locker room if they don’t want to stand during the national anthem, but if they’re on the field they’ll be forced to stand.
Allen played for the Vikings from 2008-2013, where he racked up 85.5 of his 136 career sacks.
Retired NFL stars Troy Polamalu, Hines Ward and Justin Tuck will also have key roles in the league’s front office.
