Mike DeBord spent much of the last year, day after day, breaking down NFL film, making cut-ups, studying the game and gaining knowledge.
But DeBord was no longer in coaching. He had spent a good portion of his career at Michigan, and then in the NFL with the Seahawks and Bears before returning to college football at Tennessee and then taking over as Indiana offensive coordinator. He retired from football after the 2018 season, but a brief return to coaching with former Bears coach Mike Martz on his San Diego Fleet staff of the now-defunct Alliance of American Football, sparked his coaching instincts.