Utah Blaze: Uncertainty for White, free agents

By Loren Jorgensen
Deseret News
Published: Monday, June 30, 2008 12:01 a.m. MDT
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Thanks in large part to short, non-guaranteed player contracts, there are often major personnel changes from year to year for Arena Football League teams. Fewer than half the 2008 Utah Blaze, for instance, were on the team in 2007, and that's not unusual for teams around the league.

Now the Blaze, whose up-and-down season came to an end Saturday with a 49-44 home loss to Colorado in the playoffs, have numerous key people who will soon become free agents.

And that includes Danny White.

The only head coach and general manager in the three-year history of the Blaze has an expiring contract, and it's not a sure thing the former Dallas Cowboy star quarterback and AFL coaching legend will return.

Blaze president Jason Jones said Saturday that the next step was for him to meet with owner Jon Garff to discuss the next steps for the franchise. Obviously retaining White or else finding a new head coach and general manager is a priority.

White declined to discuss the future in any detail following Saturday's season-ending loss. He did say that "we found the nucleus of players that, if we can keep them together and add a little bit next year, I think the future looks bright."

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White also didn't indicate that he had any intentions of hanging up his whistle and retiring even though his contract is expiring.

"We've got to get together as coaches and decide where we need to improve and what we need to go looking for (in the free agent market)," said White.

Not renewing White's contract seemed like a much bigger possibility a couple of months ago when the Blaze lost the first nine games of the season. At the time, White even said he would understand if the Blaze ownership felt a change was needed because the team wasn't getting the job done on the field.

But the Garffs let White and his assistant coaches finish out the season, and the Blaze ended on fire, winning six of their final seven to earn the first home playoff game in franchise history.

But Utah is still winless, now 0-3, in the postseason.

"Overall, it was a disappointing year," said White. "Going 6-10, 6-11 is not acceptable at all. It's not even close to being acceptable. But 6-1, if you look at the second half of the year, that's what what we expected for the entire season."

Two of the biggest bright spots for the Blaze were the wide receiver corps all year and the defensive backfield down the stretch. But those are the two spots that could be hardest hit by free agency. All three starting receivers can become free agents and two of the three defensive backs can as well.

Huey Whittaker, J.J. McKelvey and Aaron Boone, the trio that each caught more than 100 passes from quarterback Joe Germaine for more than 1,500 yards apiece, can all try to test their value on the open market if they so desire.

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Recent comments

I believe, that the momentum shift, of the football game, was the…

Ric "Gunny" Matthews | July 3, 2008 at 10:08 p.m.

they still need to get rid of Mr. Jones as team president. He is…

Anonymous | June 30, 2008 at 10:17 p.m.

Re: what they need!!. FYI they had plenty of play makers. Pace did…

tyronne h. | June 30, 2008 at 10:12 p.m.