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AFM Magazine

AFM Magazine


Letter to the Editor

A Tale of Two Decades
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These are the best of times; these are the worst of times.

Paraphrasing from Charles Dickens may seem trite, but it sums up the current situation of one of the best offensive coaches I know, and how the winds of fortune affecting the coaching profession can blow a coach off-course.

Peter Vaas is currently an offensive assistant with the Barcelona Dragons in NFL Europe. How he arrived is an interesting story.

Vass finds himself at a career crossroads. He makes "good" money working out of the country four to five months per year and out of his out of his oceanside home in New Hampshire the rest. He is able to spend plenty of quality time with his wife, Rosann, and his beloved daughters, Katelyn, 14, and Kelly, 11. In many ways, Vaas is blessed.

Yet Peter Vaas is also cursed by the football gods, consigned to coaching "outside of the loop," seemingly unable to climb back into the arena in which he was successful a few years ago.

As the 1980s ended, Vaas was a "hot" coach, coming off of a very successful stint as head coach at Allegheny (Pa.) College. In his five years with the Alligators, he turned a team without a winning season in the previous seven years into a national contender in NCAA Division III. The big boys began to notice and Lou Holtz offered Vaas the chance to join the Notre Dame staff as quarterbacks coach. From Allegheny to South Bend—Vaas had arrived.

In 1992 Vaas made a decision that still haunts him to this day. His alma mater, Holy Cross, came calling, eager to have a favorite son return to take over the program. Vaas knew that the program was transitioning from the only Patriot League school giving athletic scholarship to non-scholarship status. He realized it would be difficult, but this was a chance for he and his wife to go home and raise their kids in the pleasing environment of suburban Boston. He also had a healthy dose of attitude, ". . . to heck with the hardships. . . I'll get it done."

Needless to say, Holy Cross did not enjoy the same level of success in the non-scholarship era, and in 1995, Vaas was unceremoniously dumped after a 14-30 record over four seasons. School administrators knew how difficult it was going to be to win once the scholarships went away. Vaas felt somewhat bitter and betrayed.

Fired, Vaas found himself in a tough situation. He felt labeled as a "small-college coach." Vaas went through a period of soul searching, even questioning the sanity of staying in the coaching profession. But, ultimately, he realized he is a "ball coach" and coaches should coach.

March 1996 began a sojourn that has seen Vaas go from offensive coordinator of the CFL's Montreal Alouetts to his current job with Jack Bicknell in Barcelona. All along the way, he has sent out countless resumes, trying to get back into the college or NFL circle.

So, now what does he do? Keep shaking the trees in hopes a job will fall his way, or enjoy the decent life he has with his family?

I suppose I know the answer. Peter Vaas will keep trying to get back to the Notre Dames of the world. Success has that effect on you—once you've tasted it, nothing else will do. You say to yourself, "If they can do it, I know damn well I can." Hopefully, one day soon, some coach will realize that the true test of a man is how he performs under adversity. And Peter Vaas has not only passed, he has persevered and thrived.

"Dragon Attack," of this issue, Vaas gives some insight into his strategies and the Barcelona vertical game.

Sincerely yours,

Barry Terranova
Publisher






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