How good of a college coach will Reno Mahe be?
How is he with X's and O's, schemes, adjustments and teaching and developing players? How good is he with a headset under pressure? How good is his in-game vision from the sidelines? Can he lead, inspire, recruit?
Of all the coaches hired by BYU for football the last few weeks, he, along with new offensive coordinator Ty Detmer, is the only one that hasn’t had college coaching experience. Does that matter?
It will be one of the most intriguing aspects of this spring and fall in Cougar camp.
Of all the challenges Mahe faces, the part of the job almost everyone agrees will be his strength is recruiting. He is connected, affable and funny. He is a charmer and a comedian and it's hard to find people who don’t like the guy. In Mahe, Sitake hired a salesman.
Recruiting, they say, is the lifeblood of college football. It’s a cliché, but it is gospel according to Nick Saban and Urban Meyer. If you don’t get the horses, don’t expect trophies at the derby.
Mahe barely signed a contract to become an assistant football coach under new head coach Kalani Sitake when recruiting for the 2016 class wrapped up this past week.
It wasn’t a matter of weeks, but days. Now it is on to the class of 2017.
How good of a recruiter can Mahe be?
“I think Reno will be great, he will be a master recruiter,” said former BYU tight end Gabe Reid, whose nephew, tight end Spencer Reid, signed with Stanford out of Timpview High School a year ago.
“He’s the only person in the world who could come in my house, kick my dog, take all my clothes, and when he leaves I’d still feel like it was a great visit.”
Mahe had very little time to take his bag of tricks around the country recruiting. His hiring was announced on Jan. 28 and Signing Day was Feb. 3.
On that day, I asked Mahe if he’d had a chance to break down the game of Kearns High School running back Sione Finau, who flipped his commitment from Oregon State to BYU.
“I have,” he said. “I didn’t watch him in person, but I’ve seen his film. People say he reminds them of me. He has great lateral quickness and has great moves. But I think he’s faster than I ever was.”
Finau’s grandfather is a sibling of the grandfather of PGA Tour golfer Tony Finau. His father’s sister is Milwaukee Buck Jabari Parker’s mother. Of Sione’s football skills, Mahe calls him “an upgraded version of me.” Said the new BYU hire: “He has more breakaway speed than I ever had. He wore my same number. If you watched his film, you’d think you were watching me except he is faster. He’s a stud. I’m a fan.”
Out of college Mahe signed as a free agent with the Philadelphia Eagles, playing both running back and return specialist. He gained 1,600 return yards in his five seasons. He led the NFL in punt return average in 2005 and played in Super Bowl XXXIX on the 2004 NFL Championship team.
While he hasn't coached in college, when pressed, Mahe says he is an X’s and O’s junkie. He loves breaking down plays and can’t get enough of it. He believes he can teach it and hopes he can show it. He believes players will listen and respond to his approach. “I also know what it takes to be at BYU. I know what it’s like to make mistakes, pay for it and then return to this school. I think I can help athletes with life lessons and progress in this environment.”
At BYU, he remains one of the best all-around all-purpose players, eighth all-time in receptions, 13th in receiving and 11th in all-purpose yards. He has spent a lot of time coaching in summer camps across the country since 2007.
Recruiting?
Sitake’s hire of Mahe was investing in a salesman. He hired his personality and connections. It doesn’t hurt to have another Tongan on staff who has half a million cousins.
“I’d like to think I can recruit,” said Mahe. “Then I get around guys like Kalani and Ilaisa Tuiaki and they’re good, way good. I can learn so much from them. The thing is, we are getting out there, we are in the conversation, the energy is out there, people know, they are excited and listening, they are coming to us with kid after kid after kid. They feel comfortable coming to us. “
Mahe has sipped the Kool-Aid. He’s chomping at the bit to get this new career going.
Thing is, it seems Mahe is having too much fun at this. You’d have to take the smile off his face with a jackhammer. It’s like somebody’s going to ask him to give some of his fun back.
“Our motto is: 'Recruiting is 365 days a year' now. It’s not going to start when the recruiting season begins; it is year-round. I’ve known this before, but I never realized how important recruiting is until I’ve seen Kalani do it.”
Mahe can’t wait for the next plane ticket and rental car or direction to bull rush somebody on the recruiting trail.
In Sitake, he waits.
EMAIL: dharmon@deseretnews.com.
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