Top to Bottom Changes has Utah Thinking Championship

Don Eisenbarth
Thursday February 24, 2011

After a league worst record of 2-14, you’d think that the Utah Blaze would be in a “rebuilding” mode. Promising only an improved roster and maybe a winning record, but that wasn’t the mode of operation for the opening press conference of the 2011 season.

“We are going to change the climate of Arena Football starting with our franchise. The Salt Lake community deserves a high quality program; we are going to deliver that.” Said Head Coach Ron James, who started as head coach midway through last season. “We are going to work tirelessly to make sure that we’re a playoff team next year, and in contention for the ArenaBowl every year that I’m the head coach.”

Bold statements were the order of the day.

“We’re here to make a couple power statements about the future of the Utah Blaze.” Said team president Bill Gibson. “We have a two prong strategy with a singular vision. One, we want to put together the best organization possible. Two, we want to also put the best product on the field bar none. Our vision is singular and it is to be a top tier team in the AFL by the year 2012. We have our sights set high. We will be in the playoffs in the end of 2011 and we are shooting for Arena Bowl champions by the year 2012.”

Sights set high indeed.

So how do the Blaze plan to facilitate the worst to first transition in two years or less? First off, along with Logan Hunter and Kristin Murdock, who were partners in the previous ownership group, former BYU and Washington Redskins lineman Jason Buck have become the owners of the Utah Blaze. Buck’s addition is key for a change in Utahan’s public perception about the Blaze. Former owner Dave Affleck and his quarterback son were an embarrassment on and off the field, and led to the prevalent local misconception that the new AFL was a lesser league filled with lesser talent.

Also helping to remove the stigma of the new AFL being a lesser league, the Blaze have moved back to the EnergySolutions Arena (formerly Delta Center) where they played the 2006-2008 seasons. “We welcome the Utah Blaze back to EnergySolutions Arena and are pleased to provide the Salt Lake community a premier venue to experience a professional football game,” said Randy Rigby, president of the Utah Jazz. Rigby has the pulse of the community correct and the move back to the ESA shows the fan base that the Blaze ownership have a desire to be a premier arena football team in the premier sporting venue in the state of Utah.

From there, the Blaze have also added stability to the coaching staff by signing head coach Ron James to a two year contract. James has a long term legacy in the AFL, having been a head coach for the Las Vegas (now Cleveland) Gladiators for two seasons and being in and out of the league since 1999.

Also, the Blaze have brought in Utah State alum Matt Sauk, who was the offensive coordinator for the 2010 ArenaBowl champion Spokane Shock, as the new offensive coordinator. Sauk moves from the 3rd ranked offense in the league to take over an offense that scored the least amount of points in the AFL last season. Yet Sauk believes that the Blaze are going to make that jump into the next level of the AFL. "We're going to win," Sauk said. "I'm a winner, and I will accept nothing less."

The Blaze have then followed up by stocking the team with players that Coach James calls “three high level QBs into the mix, a couple explosive WRs, a top level center, a quality kicker and a couple of outstanding cover DBs.”

These players include former Blaze players in AAll-AFL second team WR Aaron Boone and his brother OL/DL Jason Boone, WR/DB Aaron LeSue, and DL Caesar Rayford. These four players were described by Coach James as players who already “fit the mold of the (future) team.” That mold is a team full of high character, aggressive players who are “not going to stop until we claw to the top,” as Coach James said.

The Blaze are going to need all the toughness they can get if they want to achieve the goals they have set for the next two years. The Blaze have never been a top tier team. The best record they’ve ever had is 8-9. They’ve been to the playoffs 3 times, but hosted only once and have never made it out of the first round. At their best, the Blaze were competitive and entertaining, but they’ve never been dominating.

Coach James will have to overcome history if the Blaze are going to reach their goal. James has an all time record of 14-26 as a head coach. Not exactly a stellar record, but the commitment that he has to this franchise can’t be doubted. Honestly, there’s not a coach that can rally a disheartened fan base better than Ron James. He’s got a rapport with the fans and his players that’s really something special, and I applaud the Blaze ownership for signing Coach James to the 2012 season.

Also, the Blaze will be facing a stiffer competition in the Western Division as the three team division stacked with perennial powers in the Arizona Rattlers and the 2010 champion Spokane Shock turns into a tougher four team division with the re-addition of the always tough San Jose SaberCats. With more teams in the division, the fight for the playoffs will be harder than ever.

Also, there appears to be a quarterback controversy starting up in the ranks of the Blaze, as they have signed 3 QBs for next year. The Blaze have signed the up and coming former QB of the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgs (and University of Utah Alum) Tommy “Gun” Grady, former BYU quarterback Brett Engmann and former Spokane backup QB Eric Meyer. Who starts for the Blaze next season is anybody’s guess, and the coaching staff will have their hands full decided how the depth chart for the now stacked position will fill out.

The road is long and hard for the Blaze. Whatever happens between now and the March 17th kickoff of the 2011 season, the Utah Blaze appear to be a team ready to quickly shed everything about it that lead to the 2-14 season of 2010. As a fan, this rededication from ownership down to the players and support staff is refreshing and exciting. While I may still have my doubts about the Blaze’s going from worst to first, I am of the firm belief that the days of the Utah Blaze being the kicking post and laughing stock of the AFL are completely and entirely over.

A first look at the 2011 Utah Blaze and the facilities of the EnergySolutions Arena will be available free for the fans on Wednesday, March 2nd as the Utah Blaze will have an open to the public 80-play scrimmage against the San Jose SaberCats. The Open House event goes from 3-5 with doors opening at 2:30 and, again, is free and open to the public.