Mike Riley’s Generals, Braves at Truist and a State Hall of Fame to crave Also: A look at Blazers in the draft and Wayne Cooper’s legacy
Coach Riley and his players celebrate a victory over the Philadelphia Stars (courtesy Mike Riley)
Updated 5/15/2022 3:10 PM
Reflections from a week spent in Alabama accompanied by the better half …
• Mike Riley is back in the saddle, and loving every minute of it.
“It’s really been fun to be coaching again,” says the Corvallis native, now serving as head coach of the New Jersey Generals in USFL 2.0, the latest effort to build a viable secondary professional league beneath the NFL. The Generals lead the North Division with a 3-1 — the loss coming to the the USFL’s only undefeated team, Birmingham — going into Saturday’s game against New Orleans. (Editor’s note: The Generals defeated New Orleans 27-17 Saturday to improve their record to 4-1 in leading the USFL North.)
All eight teams in this incarnation of the USFL — initially a spring and summer league that existed from 1983-85 — are situated in Birmingham this season, thus saving on travel expenses. They play a 10-game schedule that began on April 16 and concludes in mid-June, with the top two teams making the playoffs in each division.
Riley, who began his career as a grad assistant at Cal in 1975. is coaching for the first time since he left his position as offensive coordinator of the XFL’s Seattle Dragons before the 2020 season due to the health of his wife, Dee. The Rileys have lived in their Corvallis home since then, with Dee coping with symptoms that suggest early onset dementia.
When USFL president Brian Woods reached out last fall to extend an offer to serve as head coach of the Generals, Riley accepted. He knew there would be a high level of coaching, with names such as Jeff Fisher, Kevin Sumlin, Skip Holtz and Bart Andrus among the other head coaches in the league. He had experience in the lesser pro leagues. And he very much missed being part of the game.
The bonus was the league’s location. Dee is a Birmingham native who met Mike when both attended the University of Alabama in the early 1970s. She has friends and family in the area who could help with company and care.
“If it were ever going to work,” Riley says, “this was it.”
The Rileys arrived in Birmingham for the Generals’ two-week training camp, but it soon became clear the living situation wasn’t going to work. Mike seriously considered resigning, but was convinced by his children, Matt and Kate, to continue. Dee flew home and is being cared for by her children. She and Mike talk daily on the phone.
“Even though that did not work out as I’d hoped, (Birmingham) was still a good place for her to be and to reconnect with a lot of close friends and some family,” he says.
Mike Riley addresses the players at a Generals’ practice
Everything else concerning the Generals has been good for Riley, 68, who may own the record for coaching in more professional leagues and at more levels than anyone in history. He was the head coach of the NFL’s San Diego Chargers (1999-2001), of the World League’s San Antonio Riders (1991-92), of the Alliance of American Football’s San Antonio Commanders (2019) and of the CFL’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers (1987-90, winning a pair of Grey Cup championships). That is in addition to college stints at Oregon State (1997-98 and 2002-14) and Nebraska (2015-17).
With the Generals, Riley assembled a staff of six full-time assistants and a pair of interns. Two of his assistants are familiar names to Oregon sports fans. Jay Locey — a Corvallis High classmate who coached with Riley at Linfield and Oregon State before serving as head coach at Linfield and Lewis & Clark — coaches tight ends, running backs and special teams. James Rodgers — the ex-Beaver great who interned with Riley at Nebraska and lived with the Rileys in Corvallis for a spell — coaches receivers and return specialists.
“I’m really thankful to have Jay and James here,” Riley says. “Jay had just retired (from Lewis & Clark), so the timing was perfect. We’ve been close since high school, and he is an outstanding coach with so much experience. James and I have been close since he played for me. He has a great connection with young people. Having his own (position group) for the first time is good for his career. He coaches very specifically, in a very detailed manner, just like he was as a player.”
After the draft in February, Riley and team executive Billy Devaney — with whom he worked at San Diego and Nebraska — set about forming a 45-man roster. Only 38 players suit up on game day, making it difficult to plug holes when injuries occur. But the quality of play is high.
“There is a lot of talent,” Riley says. “These guys were good college players and a number have NFL experience. Almost all of them have at least attended an NFL team camp.”
Riley and offensive coordinator Steve Smith during a game (courtesy Mike Riley)
I watched parts or all of the Generals’ first three games on TV and was in person at Alabama Birmingham’s brand new Protective Stadium to see their 21-13 victory over Pittsburgh last Saturday. Riley splendidly called the plays, as he has done all season.
“It adds a ton of work — it takes a lot of personal quiet time to prepare — but it’s fun for me,” he says. “Those times in my career in college when I didn’t call the plays, I really missed it. I felt like a spectator. I like it because I want that kind of personal accountability. People always ask, ‘Why did you call that play?” I didn’t like to answer that kind of question not knowing why.”
Unlike most coaches, Riley — who quarterbacked Corvallis High to a state championship in 1970 — doesn’t use a play chart when calling plays. He quickly judges the situation and conveys the play to his signal-caller.
“First coach I’ve had who doesn’t use a play-calling sheet,” quarterback De’Andre Johnson says.
“I don’t like reading off the paper,” Riley says. “I’ve never been able to do that. I try to be prepared and have a feel for what might work in any situation.”
The Generals have a balanced offense, much like Riley’s teams at Oregon State. They rank second in the league in total offense and rush offense and third in pass offense. The Generals run more often than they throw, in part because Johnson — who shares QB duties with Luis Perez — is an outstanding runner who ranks fourth in the USFL in rushing and is superb with the run/pass option.
“My experience in these leagues — the three I’ve been in (WFL, AAF and USFL) — tells me that with the short time we have for training camp, it’s hard to have the precision in a drop-back passing game that you’d like to have,” Riley says. “I find it very hard to protect against all the different blitzes, to have the timing and chemistry you need to complete passes. So it’s very important to run the ball and have a good play-action package.”
As always, Riley has made a good impression on his players.
“He’s a great players’ coach,” Johnson says. “He listens to what you have to say, but he’s not afraid to tell you the truth if you’re doing things wrong. And he’s not afraid to try new things. He’s the only coach (in the USFL) going with a two-QB system. And he’s a cool guy, laid back. He likes to tell jokes and old ball stories. We’ve heard a lot of stories about his days (playing for) Alabama.”
Riley has likewise been impressed with the attitude and demeanor of his players.
“It’s a nice group of guys,” he says. “They‘re eager to play football. They’re hungry — just like me.”
So is Locey, who wondered if his coaching career was over after resigning at Lewis & Clark after the 2021 campaign.
“It’s been awesome,” says Locey, who won an NCAA Division III national championship at Linfield in 2004. “The guys want to excel, and the fun part of it is, there’s an absolute love for the game. It’s fun at all levels you coach, but this has been a good group of kids to be around in every way.
“Mike is doing a really good job, and doing it in a positive way. He has so much knowledge of the game, and he’s a great teacher. The cool thing is, there aren’t a lot of outside responsibilities (in the USFL). It’s just about preparing a team and coaching football.”
The future of the USFL depends not on game attendance — other than for the Birmingham Stallions, who have a local following, the games draw virtually nothing — but on television ratings. Fox Sports has ownership in the league, with every game aired live on one of five networks (NBC, Fox, FS1, USA or Peacock). TV ratings so far have been “positive,” but there is plenty of season to be played.
If there is a USFL again in 2023, Riley would like to coach again.
“At the same time, I can’t make any long-term plans,” he says, mindful of his wife’s situation. “I don’t know what the future brings, but I’m grateful for the opportunity right now. I’m thankful for every day I get to do this. I don’t take anything for granted.”
The Eggers in a pre-game pose by the Hank Aaron statue inside Truist Park
• On Sunday, we made a two-hour drive to Atlanta for a Mother’s Day matchup between my Braves and Milwaukee Brewers at Truist Park. Steph got a free carnation, a pre-game meal at Murph’s (Dale Murphy’s restaurant) and a look at one of major league baseball’s newest and coolest venues.
I’ve seen games at many of the MLB parks, my favorites being Camden Yards in Baltimore and Wrigley Field in Chicago. Truist reminds me of Seattle’s T-Mobile Park, which was known as Safeco Field until 2018 and is also one of the best venues. Truist is similar size (though a little smaller), with a beautiful field, good sight lines from almost everywhere and a nice variety of concession choices. Surrounding the park located about 10 miles from downtown Atlanta is “The Battery,” a mixed-used development with plenty of restaurants, bars and shops for fans to enjoy before and after games.
I’d gone with two of my sons to see the Braves’ new stadium during its second year in 2019, when it was called “SunTrust” (corporate sponsorships can be fluid these days). Atlanta played poorly in losing a pair of games to Kansas City. This time, the missus and I saw a 9-2 victory over Milwaukee. That was more like it.
A statue of legendary coaches Bear Bryant (left) and Shug Jordan (right) stands in front of the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame
• Another part of our trip was a visit to the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, located in a spiffy three-story museum across the street from Protective Stadium in Birmingham. It’s an outstanding shrine to the state’s sports greats, with more than 5,000 objects and special exhibits for such as Bear Bryant, Nick Saban, Joe Namath, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Joe Lewis, Jesse Owens, Carl Lewis, Bo Jackson and Charles Barkley, among many others.
(Also enshrined: George Wallace, the former racist governor of Alabama, who evidently was once a “regionally successful” boxer in high school, and George “Goober” Lindsay, Gomer Pyle’s goofy cousin on “the Andy Griffith Show,” who was a major proponent and contributor to Special Olympics in the state. That’s setting the induction bar a bit low in my mind.)
Looking at Alabama’s classy repository made me long for one in my home state. The Oregon Sports Hall of Fame hasn’t had a physical home since it left a downtown Portland location owned by Standard Insurance in 2008. Memorabilia is currently in storage at a warehouse in Gresham. There are no plans to change that any time soon, according to Mike Rose, the Hall’s former executive director and now a member of the board of directors.
“We need an angel,” Rose says.
There are plenty of artifacts of more than a century of sports in this state in storage.
Alabama native John Stallworth’s No. 82 from the Pittsburgh Steelers is on display
“The value of the collection is between $1 million and $1.5 million,” Rose says. “A lot of it we own outright. Some of it is on loan from families of inductees.”
For now, remnants of the careers of greats such as Terry Baker and Danny Ainge and Steve Prefontaine and Dick Fosbury and Kevin Love and Marcus Mariota are tucked away somewhere, out of sight.
The situation is confounding. The Hall needs a benefactor that can donate some land and help with operational costs of a building. It wouldn’t have to be in the Portland area. It could be in Eugene, or Salem, or almost anywhere along the I-5 corridor through the Willamette Valley.
“We might be able to negotiate some space at the new Hayward Field,” Rose suggests. “How much, I don’t know.”
Who can come to the rescue? Nike is the first thought of just about everyone.
“If we could find a piece of dirt or a building, we could go to Uncle Phil and say, ‘Endow this and we’ll make us all proud,’ ” Rose says.
Joe Namath is one of the great quarterbacks in Alabama Crimson Tide history
Other sports-minded businesses come to mind. Adidas. Columbia Sportswear. Moda Health. Reser’s Fine Foods. The Pape’ Group. Damian Lillard Enterprises. Perhaps some of the wealthier members of the Hall would chip in to help the cause.
Rose says there will be an induction ceremony for the eight-person 2022 class on July 31 at Providence Park. It’s good that Rose and others on the board still care enough to make such arrangements. It would be a shame to see the thing die for lack of interest.
In the meantime, the Hall needs to find someone to update its website (oregonsportshall.org), which seems stuck on 2020 and has what appears to be a very incomplete number of past inductees. The sports heritage of this state deserves better in a lot of ways.
• The NBA draft lottery is Tuesday. Blazers GM Joe Cronin — newly bequeathed with a four-year contract extension and the removal of “interim” from his title — is collecting rabbits’ feet, four-leaf clovers and kits of karma in an effort to reap the No. 1 pick. Portland is slotted at No. 6, with a nine percent chance at No. 1.
Executives always claim they’ll take the “best player available, regardless of position.” In Portland’s case, though, that shouldn’t be the case. Cronin, who will eventually sign center Jusuf Nurkic and guard Anfernee Simons to free-agent contracts, also has Damian Lillard and Josh Hart in the fold. That means barring some major acquisitions through trades or free agency — I’m betting against it — the Blazers’ needs are definitely at the forward positions.
Plenty of forwards are projected to be taken in the lottery, among them fours such as Duke’s Paolo Banchero, Auburn’s Jabari Smith, Iowa’s Keegan Murray, LSU’s Tari Eason and Baylor’s Jeremy Sochan and threes such as Duke’s AJ Griffin and Baylor’s Kendall Brown. I’m not well-versed on this year’s draft, but the 6-10, 220-pound Smith — who shot 42 percent from 3-point range as a freshman — looks intriguing to me.
Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren is listed as a center, but I see the talented 7-foot, 195-pound stringbean playing more as a four, with his athleticism and 3-point ability. Holmgren reminds me of Kristaps Porzingis, shorter but with better handle. The worry, of course, is injuries and stamina. At No. 6, he’d be worth the gamble.
Former Trail Blazer center Wayne Cooper, gone at 65
• Wayne Cooper — who died on April 12 at age 65 — wasn’t one of the great players during the 30-plus years I covered the Trail Blazers for Portland newspapers. In my estimation, though, he was one of the best guys among the hundreds I dealt with through the years.
“He was a wonderful friend and a great human being,” says Geoff Petrie, the Portland general manager during Cooper’s second run with the Blazers (1989-92).
Cooper wasn’t a big name on those Blazer teams that reached the NBA Finals in 1990 and ’92, not with Clyde Drexler, Terry Porter, Buck Williams, Jerome Kersey, Kevin Duckworth, Cliff Robinson and Danny Ainge around. “Coop” was still an important part of that group, though, a 6-10, defensive-minded veteran who embraced his backup role and was a mentor for the Blazer “bigs” of that era.
For a reporter, Cooper was a dream — cooperative, funny in an understated way, quiet and easy to get along with. I found I could go to him with a question and, off the record, he’d fill me in straight.
Cooper’s 14-year NBA career, which included two earlier seasons in Portland (1982-84), ended in 1992. A year later, Petrie hired him as an executive assistant. When Petrie moved to Sacramento in 1994, he brought Cooper with him, serving most of the next 20 years as vice president/basketball operations.
“He will forever be remembered around here as ‘Big Papa,’ ” Petrie says from his home near Sacramento. “We did so many things together. We traveled together a lot scouting. We also spent a lot of time together socially. It’s a huge loss for me as well as a lot of people.”
During his time with Sacramento, Cooper often visited Portland on scouting trips — perhaps in part to visit a daughter who lived in the area. We would often eat a pre-game meal together in the media dinner room. If I had a question concerning the NBA, I’d call him. He’d let me know what was going on. “Just don’t quote me,” he’d say.
Already gone from those great Blazer teams are Duckworth, Kersey, Robinson, Cooper and Drazen Petrovic. Good people. Cooper was one of those, for sure.
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