March 10, 2023 – Indoor Football League (IFL) – Vegas Knight Hawks News Release
Mike Davis wears many hats for the Vegas Knight Hawks: he’s both the general manager and the head coach. As the team heads into a new season as a member of the Indoor Football League, how to turn his off-season moves into on-field success is at the forefront of his mind.
“Most of my GM duties slow down once the season starts, because everything kind of falls into place. Coaching-wise, just getting the guys back, integrating the new guys with them and seeing who kind of gels the best together,” Davis said.
“We signed the league MVP from two years ago. My job is always to put the best 25 guys on the field to allow us to be successful and get wins. It’s a quick turnaround there.”
How does Davis determine who “the best 25 guys on the field are?” Obviously, there’s an emphasis on statistical achievement – hence the splash move on former IFL MVP DaQuan Neal, who won the award his rookie season. But Davis reiterates the importance of building a team, not just a paper roster of star players.
“Does “on paper” always translate to on the field? No, it doesn’t. We’re excited about the group we have coming in for camp, how that works out. You have to stay healthy and you have to have the right chemistry. So there’s a lot of factors that go into a successful season. But if you can get that done, then the sky’s the limit,” Davis said.
“It’s a 50 yard field, it’s a fast pace. I call it fast-break football. This year, with our team, we should average 50+ points a game. It’s exciting, we have a great crew coming in.”
The IFL also will host the league’s championship game at the Knight Hawks’ home arena, The Dollar Loan Center. But although the prospect of home-field advantage during a title game is an exciting one, Davis is keeping his focus squarely on the regular season.
“Obviously everybody goes into the season with the championship in mind. But you can’t lose focus on how you get there. We take it day by day, week by week, and game by game,” he said.
“And when you do that, it’s like the motto: one foot in front of the other. If you continue to get better and gel as a team, who knows what happens.”
• Discuss this story on the Indoor Football League message board…
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
