Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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IRISH IN THE PROS 50 APRIL 2023 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED BY TODD D. BURLAGE S an Antonio isn't the setting where former Irish quarterback Jack Coan could've ever expected to begin his pro- fessional football career. But as long as he's there as the starting signal-caller for the San Antonio Brahmas of the new XFL, Coan has every intention of max- ing out his time in the Lone Star State. Coan made his professional debut with the Brahmas Feb. 19, after win- ning the opening-day starting job dur- ing training camp. He completed 25 of 36 pass attempts for 207 yards with 1 touchdown in an 18-15 loss to the St. Louis Battlehawks. Coan followed up his debut perfor- mance with a 165-yard, 3-touchdown effort in a 30-12 win over the Orlando Guardians Feb. 25. Through two games, he had completed 68.3 percent of his passes for 372 yards with 4 touchdowns and 1 interception, plus had 6 rushing attempts for 33 yards. Before Coan landed in the eight-team XFL, he signed with the Indianapolis Colts in 2022 as an undrafted free agent. But the Sayville, N.Y., native lost his battle with former Texas signal-caller Sam Ehlinger for the Colts' third-string quarterback duties, was released during final roster cuts and eventually landed in San Antonio as the last quarterback allocated in the league when teams were assembled in the fall. "You sort of come into this new league and don't really know what to expect," Coan told Irish Sports Daily shortly before his XFL debut. "You re- ally don't know any of the guys on the team, or what the offense is going to be or what the scheme is going to be. It's sort of just trying to learn as much as you can every day." Coan, 24, isn't the only Notre Dame representative taking part in the XFL reboot. The two never played together in South Bend, but former Irish tight end Alizé Mack is also a member of the Brahmas. Mack, who played at Notre Dame from 2015-18, recorded 68 career catches for 716 yards and 4 touchdowns with the Irish en route to becoming a seventh-round draft pick of the New Orleans Saints in 2019. Mack, 25, spent four years bouncing around NFL practice squads but never stuck on an active professional roster before he landed in the XFL. Coan connected with Mack for a 19- yard touchdown in the Brahmas' win Feb. 25. Through two games, Coan had targeted Mack 10 times with 7 recep- tions for 57 yards and the score. "Mack is an unbelievable player, and I'm super excited to get the opportu- nity to share the field with him," Coan said. "Notre Dame is 'Tight End U' of course. He's an unbelievable tight end. I was fortunate to play with one [Michael Mayer] while I was at Notre Dame, and I'm fortunate to play with a great one here." Coan has been away from Notre Dame for barely a year, 14 months to be exact. But even so, much has changed since he played for the Irish under head coach Brian Kelly, with Tommy Rees as his po- sition coach and offensive coordinator. In his first two starts for the San Antonio Brahmas, Coan connected on 68.3 percent of his throws for 372 yards with 4 touchdowns and 1 interception. PHOTO BY MATT PENDLETON/COURTESY SAN ANTONIO BRAHMAS Jack Coan Sets His Professional Course In The XFL