McMillen Feeling Pressured to Win
Jeff Sims
Wednesday March 9, 2011
The Chicago Rush will be entering a new era in their tenth year of existence in the Arena Football League.
There is a new President/General Manager in Gene Nudo, who is a long time arena football veteran, but is spending his first season with the Rush organization. Nudo, who is from the Chicago area, is looking forward to his first year in the AFL in the windy city.
“I am very excited about the group of guys that we got,” said Nudo. “I like what coach McMillen is putting together.”
There is a new head coach in Bob McMillen, who takes over the reigns after former coach Mike Hohensee was the only head coach this organization had seen since it’s inception in 2001. The former Rush fullback/linebacker gets his first head coaching opportunity since retiring from his playing days after the 2007 season. In 2008, McMillen was the fullback/linebacker coach for the Rush. When the league was “dark” in 2009, McMillen spent the season as the assistant head coach with the Chicago Slaughter, who was then a member of the CIFL. He returned to the Rush last season and was the assistant head coach under Hohensee.
McMillen takes over for a team that has annually been a top contender in the league each year. Typically, a first year head coach is given some time to build his team and develop a winning program. In looking to maintain the success of the organization, McMillen feels pressure to win right away.
“I’ve got a lot of pressure on myself,” said McMillen at the team’s Media Day event. “First, I have huge shoes to fill in Coach Hohensee.”
Mike Hohensee left the Rush after last season due to differences with team ownership. In his nine seasons with the Rush, Hohensee amassed a record of 83-57 (9-8 in the playoffs) and in doing so, was pretty much the face of the organization and was adored by the Rush’s loyal fan base.
“I have been very fortunate to learn from some of the greatest coaches in this league (Danny White, Darren Arbet, and Mike Hohensee), said McMillen”. “I learned a lot from Coach Ho. He was a mentor to me. He was a friend and it was a shock to see him go. But I am ready and I am prepared for this and I am excited for this opportunity.”
In order to be prepared for this opportunity, McMillen has put together a coaching staff that he hopes will assist him in game management and preparedness, while minimizing any errors or bad decisions similar to what former head coach Ernesto Purnsley experienced in Utah last season.
He has brought back defensive coordinator Walt Houseman to the Rush to be his assistant coach and defensive coordinator. Coach House has been around arena football for over ten years and during his first stint with the Rush had one of the top ranked defenses in the league.
McMillen has also brought in his former Arizona Rattlers teammate Sherdrick Bonner to be his new offensive coordinator. Bonner is touted as one of the best players to ever play in the AFL and a quarterback that was known for his control of the game on offense.
Rounding out the “Arizona Rattlers North” connection is Nudo, who coached both McMillen and Bonner during their playing days in the desert.
“I have a president in Gene Nudo who just mentors me more than anything right now,” said McMillen. “He is taking me through the steps right now to where eventually I will take this thing over on my own.”
Also putting pressure on McMillen is that this season marks the ten year anniversary of the Chicago Rush. The team has put together a number of special promotions and events surrounding the season. Special giveaways and jersey retirements of two former Rush players, McMillen himself and former defensive lineman John Moyer, are set up to honor this special season for the team. McMillen says that having a winning team will bring out more fans to these events and make the season a success.
In the team’s nine previous seasons, they have never missed the playoffs. McMillen feels the pressure to keep that streak alive and keep a winning team in Chicago. There is also a personal reason for McMillen wanting to keep that streak alive.
“I also want to keep that playoff streak alive,” he said. “Not only have the Rush made the playoffs every season, but I have never missed the playoffs as a player or coach. So I think that is a lot of pressure.”
In those nine playoff apperances, the Rush have appeared in four conference championship games and won one ArenaBowl title (2006). McMillen feels that he is putting his own touch on this team to bring a new look and style of play to maintain that success.
“You don’t see a lot of familiar faces here,” stated McMillen. “But I have brought in some veterans from other teams that were leaders and would make other guys around them better. That is what I wanted and that is what I have been looking for. I am looking for good character guys that I know will be teachers on the field and leaders when they have to be. I am surrounding myself with good guys.”
McMillen continued, “We are going to be a very physical team that runs to the football on every play, no matter if we are on offense or defense. We are going to go out and hit you in the mouth on every play and that is what I have instilled in these guys since day one.”
There is no doubt that McMillen has moved on from his days as a punishing fullback to a coach that looks to punish other teams with his teams’ style of play. He even has the correct coach-speak down as well, using clichés like a veteran. When asked about this upcoming season, there was a cliché to be thrown out immediately.
“Our favorite cliché right now is one game at a time and we are just looking for our first game against Milwaukee right now.”
Pressure? What pressure?