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Marcus Arroyo isn’t going to worry about what he can’t control. The first-year UNLV football coach, like many of us over the past two months during the coronavirus shutdown, would be wasting his energy being annoyed by such irritants.
Rather, he’s putting his calculated touches on the program from behind the scenes — which could be a blessing in disguise. There’s no spring practice for second-guessers to question how the offense looks and feels or who’s playing a certain position, there’s not the constant appearances a newbie has to make to get to know supporters, and there’s not the flights for staffers to rush to on the recruiting trail.
In a coaching world where time is precious, Arroyo’s mostly been situated in front of his screen. Everything, whether it is prospects taking a tour of the new Fertitta Football Complex, meetings with players to install the playbook and more, has been moved to videoconferencing.
Arroyo estimates being involved in more than 4,000 Zoom meetings. Some have included special guests, such as former NFL quarterback Josh McCown and former Atlanta Falcons coach Mike Smith addressing players or staff.
“You have to pick what tools are available,” Arroyo said. “At least you have eye contact and personal interaction. Nothing beats looking someone in the eye.”
Football coaches are never short on confidence, and Arroyo surely falls into that category, especially with his ability to organize an offense. His swagger is merited: He mentored Justin Herbert at Oregon, where they won the Pac-12 and Rose Bowl before Hebert was a first round pick of the Chargers. Arroyo also spent time at Oklahoma State, another great offense, and worked in the NFL.
Yet, the new challenge of installing the offense and defense remotely could be easier said than done. It’s one thing to be told where to run, block or tackle, it’s another battle to put those theories into play against live competition.
As creative as UNLV has been in working remotely, Arroyo still knows “we are in a different world.”
Arroyo, hired by UNLV in late 2019, only had about one month to explore the city before going into quarantine. The initial 30 days were spent building a recruiting class, which was one of the best in the Mountain West, and shows Arroyo’s ability to get his message across. He’s 40, young and hip enough to relate to players, and he has the credentials to back it up.
One moment stands out: As part of the Vegas Golden Knights pregame siren spinning, he got an up-close preview of how passionate Las Vegas fans can be. T-Mobile, as it is every night Vegas plays, featured a standing-room only crowd that showed the new coach some hometown love.
“If something stands out in the pandemic, it’s the resilience of everyone here. I love that,” he said. “(Seeing) the resiliency and the community coming together, that excites me.”
How the community will come together in the fall for UNLV football hasn’t been determined because of the pandemic.
What’s known? The Rebels will play in the $2 billion Allegiant Stadium near the Strip, a facility they are sharing with the NFL’s Raiders in a program-changing move decades in the making. It’s finally here, and there’s no excuses why UNLV can’t be the league’s best team moving forward. I firmly believe that, and so does Arroyo.
What’s not known? Because of the pandemic, the initial game Aug. 29 against Cal could be played with no fans. The game could be canceled. So could later games on the schedule. It’s anyone's guess as the economy slowly reopens with capacity on crowds.
But, again, Arroyo isn’t spending time worrying about that. It’s out of his control. His team will be ready to play when the powers that be tell them to show up. They are willing to play wherever and whenever they are told. Eventually, home will be Allegiant, and eventually those videoconferences will be replaced with in-person gatherings. And if Arroyo has his way, those losing seasons UNLV suffered at Sam Boyd will be replaced with championship runs at Allegiant.
“Your juices are wild when you go by that thing,” he said. “...It’s a huge part of the momentum that ties the program and the city and movement we’ve put together.”
Ray Brewer can be reached at 702-990-2662 or [email protected]. Follow Ray on Twitter at twitter.com/raybrewer21