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Dave Wilson, ESPN Staff Writer
The International Football Alliance, a new spring professional league with three teams in the United States and three in Mexico, has hired former Baylor coach Art Briles as the head coach of its Dallas team, league officials said on Thursday.
In addition, league sources say they are in negotiations with former Washington State coach Nick Rolovich to coach another team.
The IFA, which plans to begin play in June 2024, will feature two teams in Texas — in Dallas and another market yet to be determined — and one in San Diego. The teams in Mexico will be located in Cancun, Guadalajara and Chihuahua.
In addition to Briles and Rolovich, Hal Mumme, the originator of the Air Raid offense, will coach one of the Mexican teams. Noel Mazzone, who has more than 40 years of experience as an offensive assistant in college and pro football, will coach of the Guadalajara club.
Each team will feature 53 players plus seven practice squad members. They are limited to 20 American players, with the rest required to be from Mexico or other international countries.
It’s a return to the sideline in Texas for Briles, 67, fired from Baylor in 2016 following a report by a law firm that investigated how Baylor and his football program responded to allegations of sexual assault against his players. Briles spent 2019-20 as the head coach at Mount Vernon High School in East Texas, where he went 20-6 and led the Tigers to the state semifinals. In 2022, he led Firenze Guelfi to the Italian Bowl championship in another international league.
IT’S OFFICIAL! The IFA is excited to announce former @BUFootball & @UHCougarFB head coach Art Briles as the new coach of the Dallas Pioneros!
Coach Briles was named the @AP College Football Coach of the Year in 2013 after leading Baylor to a @Big12Conference championship! pic.twitter.com/WYIvjWkT61
— International Football Alliance (@TheIFAFootball) August 10, 2023
Rolovich was a volunteer assistant at San Marin High School in Novato, California last fall. He was fired by WSU in Oct. 2021 along with four of his assistants after they refused to comply with a Washington State mandate that all state employees be vaccinated against COVID-19. Mumme, the former Kentucky coach, has recently been an assistant in the XFL and Mazzone was offensive coordinator for the USFL’s New Orleans Breakers.
The IFA is conducting tryouts in search of players, including one in Melissa, Texas, north of Dallas, on Aug. 20.
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