Darren Arbet’s SaberCats First Again
Tim Ball
Saturday May 15, 2004
After losing to Arizona, can the San Jose SaberCats get on with the business of being a football team of football players made of flesh and blood, and not a bunch of plodding cyborgs on a methodic mission? How many times already this year has “the biggest matchup of the season” included a game with the SaberCats?
What goes unnoticed in all of the hype and hyperbole about San Jose “perfection” is the blood and guts left on the field by a team that maintains excellence while battling for their football lives each and every game. Each week, challengers stand to gain their own reputation by notching a victory over the “best team in the league.”
And yet, even with the loss to the Rattlers and in a year with unbelievably talented teams even in the expansion franchises, it is the SaberCats who were the first team to secure a playoff berth. Again.
But it is not so much “why,” “how,” or “what,” but “who” is responsible for the SaberCats setting the bar for winning percentage so high for the last five seasons?
Darren Arbet has been with the SaberCats since their inaugural season in 1995. As an assistant defensive coach and special teams coordinator for four years under Todd Shell, Arbet’s patience has paid off for the SaberCats franchise. Given the job as head coach in 1999 and finishing with a record of 6-8, Arbet and the San Jose faithful have not seen a losing record since. Arbet has gone on to earn Coach of the Year in 2000 and 2002, in the year that saw the SaberCats lose only one game on the way to winning ArenaBowl XVI.
SaberCats and Arena Football excellence have become synonymous, and even ESPN Sports Center featured the SaberCats’ run at a perfect season in 2002. Once again, Arbet’s team is heading into the playoffs picked to make the ArenaBowl, and are the first team to have secured a playoff spot.
Arbet began his coaching career in 1990 when he was named an assistant at his alma mater, California State University, Sacramento. During his three-year tenure with Cal State, Arbet coached the tight ends and special teams and served as the athletic department’s academic adviser.
Arbet played two seasons in the AFL as a fullback/linebacker with the Los Angeles Cobras in 1988 and the Maryland Commando’s in 1989, before a wrist injury that required multiple surgeries ended his playing career.
A knowledgeable, quiet and strong presence marks his management style. Arbet’s a true leader that can make any man at any age suck in his gut with just a glance towards them.
Be prepared
“You ready to go?”
You hear that phrase often as players catch the eye of Arbet when running by. There are no backups on Arbet’s team, and this determination to have players prepared and alert drives the SaberCats under his leadership.
Nowhere did this preparation of readiness find the height of challenge than in 2002. Undefeated after winning their first twelve games, not only did the SaberCats suffer their first and only defeat of the year, but also they lost their starting quarterback and Offensive Player of the Year, Mark Grieb.
The SaberCats carried only two quarterbacks all season, and Arbet looked to backup John Dutton to not only come in and lead the SaberCats, but to continue the assault on the record books on the way to the championship. The philosophy of readiness imparted all season long had Dutton taking equal number of snaps in practice as Grieb and this preparation paid off.
Dutton not only took the team to their first ArenaBowl championship, but also earned MVP awards in every playoff game, including the ArenaBowl.
A player waiting for their shot has been the hallmark of SaberCats consistency as there is little drop-off in performance when backup players enter a game. Nowhere is this more apparent than in San Jose’s winning percentage, which has hovered around .750 since Arbet took over at the helm.
Arbet’s leadership allows players and personnel to do what they are trained to do. He and his staff handpick players who can wait for their chance to play while at the same time having the abilities and attitude of a starter from preseason to playoffs. It is common to hear San Jose players comment about the gametime intensity of every practice and that being the key to so many victories.
Hardly noticeable during practice, Arbet moves throughout the field with a commanding presence and gives instructions to support and motivate his players rather than intimidate and discipline with his authority. Any player not hustling is reminded by Arbet in no uncertain terms about running and running fast to where they are supposed to be.
With possibly the most talented coaching staff in the league, with offensive coordinator Terry Malley and defensive coach Michael Church to rely on, Arbet orchestrates a team that can only be called fearsome, but knowing the competition and the talent being faced is the key to San Jose success.
Respect for opponents keeps the SaberCats ahead of the pack.
“There are very talented teams in this league,” said Arbet in a preseason conversation. “Most teams have a core of experienced players that also keep the talent level joining their teams at top level. In the arena game things can turn around in seconds, and if you are not ready you are going to lose many games.”
Winning takes time
The talent level of the players coming into the AFL is at an all-time high and even some the expansion franchises will make this year’s playoffs.
The buzz during the preseason was the amount of talented teams that would be flooding the league this year. A look at the standings now shows that that was not guesswork or hype, but good research and sound conclusion.
San Jose was on the top of list of teams expected to be there at the end and once again it is Arbet’s SaberCats who made it there first.
Tim Ball is a writer in the Chicagoland area. Married and father of three, his opinions on Arena Football reflects the positive aspect of the game as a family event second to none in pro sports.
