WEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - Sports has always had an ability to create special bonds between families and this father-son duo is proving just that.
Mike MacIntyre and his son, Jay, plan on turning around the football team at Florida International University (FIU).
“He grew up a coach’s son, I grew up a coach’s son so it’s kind of in our DNA,” said Mike.
Mike’s son is the new FIU wide receivers coach and he looked forward to working with his father.
“I get to work under him and do whatever I can to help the team win, help him win, and help the team be successful,” said Jay. “That’s always been one of my dreams.”
Jay realized his passion for coaching when he played college football in Colorado alongside his father as head coach. Mike led the Colorado Buffaloes to their first 10-win season in 15 years, so Jay has big shoes to fill.
But, Mike said his son has some experience of his own, as Jay was an assistant coach in two different schools.
“I brought him here knowing, he knew how to coach, he knows what it’s about,” said Mike. “He knew the intensity of it. He recruited in the state of Florida when he was at Southeastern and when he was at UT Martins so he knows the recruiting area. So he has the intensity level and the coaching ability to do it.”
The term ‘Daddy Ball’ is bound to be thrown around, but in Jay’s case, it might be ‘Daddy Coach.’
“Jay’s guys are probably used to it,” said FIU quarterback Gunner Holmberg. “This guy was a player for his dad. I’m sure the other coaches might think he can get away with more stuff, but he holds himself to a really high standard. It’s fun to see Coach MacIntyre hold him to a high standard cause especially since he’s his son so he’s got more of a love to him.”
When asked if Jay would be given the ‘pink slip’ if he failed to make the wide receiver team better Mike had this to say:
“I don’t think that’ll happen. I think he’ll do well, but I mean, we are all in this together. It’s gonna take us a while to climb this mountain. We’ll climb it and we’ll work hard together. I don’t wanna give anybody a ‘pink slip.'”
We wish FIU and its coaches the best of luck in this upcoming season.
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