New book gives insider’s look into BYU’s attempt to hire Andy Reid

Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid is arguably the best football coach in the NFL.

He’s got Super Bowl rings, an amazing coaching tree, ties to his mentor, the late LaVell Edwards , and supports his alma mater, currently 14th-ranked BYU.

In stretches and many varied occasions, BYU fans have fantasized about Reid leaving the NFL to become the head coach at the university in Provo.

The topic crops up whenever there’s a perceived need for his established legendary coaching abilities.

In a book by former BYU athletic director Val Hale entitled “Out of the Blue,” published this fall, Hale details a time back in 1999 when Reid listened to a prospective offer from BYU while the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles.

Reid is currently coaching the defending world champion Chiefs atop the AFC standings in the NFL. His tutelage and playbook have helped elevate his QB, Patrick Mahomes, as the best in the NFL.

After working as a graduate assistant coach for Edwards, Reid began his journey in the coaching business with stops at San Francisco State, Northern Arizona, UTEP, Missouri and the Green Bay Packers before taking the head coaching job with the Philadelphia Eagles, taking a 1999 Eagles team from a 5-11 record to 11-5 in 2000, first in the NFC East Division.

This was the season Edwards looked to retire from BYU, ending a remarkable run.

Writes Hale:

“Andy loves BYU, and we knew he would have some interest in the position. The question was whether he would be willing to take a huge pay cut to come to BYU and if he would walk away from an NFL head coaching position to become head coach of his alma mater.”

Hale knew, and so did his immediate supervisor at the time, BYU Vice President K. Fred Skousen, it would be administrative malpractice to fail to approach Reid and pitch Edwards’ job to the up-and-coming star coach.

“Andy agreed to interview with us. Again, finding a way to interview an NFL head coach during the season is tricky,” Hale writes. “Andy suggested Fred Skousen and I fly to Phoenix, where the Eagles were playing the Cardinals. We could secretly interview him and (wife) Tammy in their hotel suite.”

Details like this, tidbits on how BYU tried to get things done behind the scenes and out of the limelight, are plenty and valuable reading in Hale’s memoir of his journey that began as a football player, marketing director, sports information director and athletic director.

“Fred and I were nervous about doing this interview and others. BYU fans were watching our every move. Someone would see us at the airport and call reporters with the news. Then the media would speculate about which candidate we were interviewing. We somehow made it to the hotel in Arizona without being recognized.”

Hale doesn’t say if he and Skousen wore disguises.

“Our interview with Andy was exceptional,” writes Hale. “He said he was interested in coaching at BYU, that it was something he had always wanted to do. Salary wasn’t a significant issue. We talked about the BYU job and his current situation in Philadelphia for about an hour. When we left, it was clear Andy was a strong candidate.”

Coming down the elevator to the lobby, Hale and Skousen ran into former BYU and then Eagle tight end Chad Lewis and most of his family, who had traveled to Phoenix to see the game.

“Our plans to travel incognito were foiled. I am certain Chad figured out why were there, but he didn’t spill the beans,” Hale writes.

As the final Edwards season wound down and the Cougars were struggling to win six games, Hale and Skousen also interviewed Gary Crowton, who was with the Chicago Bears. Reid’s Eagles were headed for the NFL playoffs, which made it tough to set up an interview with a general authority for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — a required step in the hiring process.

As Hale arranged for a private jet and a member of the Quorum of the Twelve to fly to Philadelphia to make it easy for Reid to be interviewed so BYU could close the deal and get on with recruiting, Reid “put on the brakes,” telling BYU folks while he had high interest to coach at BYU someday, his loyalty to his staff and players in Philadelphia, and the worry that his staff wouldn’t be able to find jobs for two seasons were heavy on his mind.

“Then there was the trust the Eagles organization had placed in hiring him, and now that the team was enjoying success, he felt it would be disloyal to leave and force them to start over. Essentially, it boiled down to timing,” Hale writes.

When Reid withdrew, BYU turned to Crowton, who would lead BYU to a 12-1 season the following year, then be fired four years later.

Hale is a gifted writer and his book is entertaining, informative and enlightening. I enjoyed his storytelling and descriptions of relationships, key personalities, both superstars and behind-the-scenes personnel who rarely got credit, but were valuable cogs in making BYU what it is today.

Folks were impressed with the atmosphere in LaVell Edwards Stadium for the BYU-Kansas State game this fall. Making it that way took a lot of work.

History tells us that BYU can be territorial and there is plenty of kingdom protection going on, as would be in any large organization or corporation. Hale addresses some of those forces and the transformation that took place leading up to what people experienced on the night K-State received an official welcome to the Big 12 in Provo.

He details how restrictive things were down to even the tone used by stadium public address announcers. He breaks down work done to bring cheer, dance and band folks to work together for entertainment fashioned after what Dave Checketts brought to Utah Jazz home games. These are historic moves, iconic progression over time.

Hale’s book will be available on Amazon in both softcover and e-book, and will be distributed to local bookstores throughout the Wasatch Front. He is also planning an audio book. There is a book launch planned for Oct. 10 at the American Fork Macey’s grocery story in conjunction with their tailgate party, also from 4 to 7 p.m.

I’ve known Hale since the days we were reporters at The Provo Daily Herald. He is a great communicator, an honest and trusted man whose value has been noted by both university presidents and a governor. There are a lot of colleagues, peers and friends in the sports business who will always think of him as Mr. BYU.

He describes in detail the day he was let go as athletic director. It’s a poignant look at how sometimes business is just business.

It’s worth the read.

“Out of the Blue, An insider’s look at the rise of BYU athletics” 197 pages published by Val Hale.