UFL Exec at Home in Any Jersey

Rick Mueller, vice president and general manager of all four UFL franchises, brings years of NFL experience to the table as the UFL opens its inaugural season on Oct. 8. He spent eight years with the New Orleans Saints, with whom he was the vice president of player personnel.

He also spent six years with the Jacksonville Jaguars, serving as a college scout before being promoted to Director of College Scouting. Mueller also evaluated talent in the CFL and World League.

On Thursday, he spoke with FanHouse about a myriad of subjects, including the UFL's growth potential, outlook and mission. Mueller also spoke of his role as the league's lone general manager and, yes, his wardrobe.

Mueller is in a unique situation, overseeing the operations of four teams at once. But he praised his staff and the league's four coaches (Dennis Green, Jim Fassel, Jim Haslett and Ted Cottrell), who have NFL experience and understand the "set-up" required to run a football franchise. In fact, he claimed that the streamlined executive branch is a positive because "it keeps costs down," a must-have for any fledgling league.

To follow are the fundamental questions that were answered by Mueller, whose full bio -- along with the league's other owners, executives and founders -- can be accessed here.

What mentality is fostered within the league when a GM runs more than one team?

"It's more cohesive, actually," Mueller said.

Interesting, considering competition -- not cohesion -- between general managers normally is the foundation a league is built upon. Mueller, however, admits that everything is kept separately.

"When I'm talking to Jim Fassel, it's all about the (Las Vegas) Locomotives," he said. "When I'm talking to Jim Haslett, I change into a (Florida) Tuskers jacket and it's all about them. I wear four different hats."

By my count, that's four teams and two clothing references.

What is the UFL's mission? Does it aim to compete with the NFL and, if so, has it taken the failures of other such leagues into consideration?

"We've kinda studied those other leagues," Mueller said, referring to the USFL, Arena League and XFL. "We are not trying to compete with the NFL but, instead, trying to be a complement."

He also went on to praise the NFL's mass appeal but insisted that the UFL's smaller operation will be a welcomed departure from the 32-team "bureaucracy" that is the NFL. But separating itself from the NFL is not the league's focus, according to Mueller. Instead, it hopes to do better than the aforementioned alternative leagues.

"We would like to put the best product on the field, and that will separate us (from those leagues)," he said.

Will the league succeed because it aims to connect with football fans in non-NFL cities?

"Absolutely," said Mueller, who pointed out that, while the league is in New York, the UFL also has started with teams in pro football-starved areas like Orlando and Las Vegas. Even San Francisco, he said, can have its own fan base with the team playing on the other side of town (AT&T Park) from where the 49ers call home.

"We are looking into markets that are underserved and will look to branch to similar places for possible expansion," he said. "We want to capitalize on that."

Can the UFL graduate and become a true minor league system or feeder league for the NFL?

"That's not our intent," Mueller said.

Still, he said that the NFL will benefit from the UFL, which will conclude its season on Thanksgiving weekend, allowing players the opportunity to then join NFL teams. As a former personnel man in the league, Mueller emphasized what an advantage it will be to NFL teams.

"A few of these players wouldn't be playing (if it weren't for the UFL)," he said. "Now, you get into Week 4, 5 and 6 in the NFL and players that were injured early are ready to come back but they haven't played.

"(UFL players) will be in shape and ready to go, possibly giving them a leg up and some exposure. We are a league of opportunity."

Can the league be a sanctuary for players who have had problems on and off the field?

Mueller again said that it is a league of opportunity, where players have the ability to come and show what they can do.

"We have some college kids that didn't get drafted and we have two- or three-year NFL players who are trying to fight for jobs again," he said. "Guys like J.P. Losman could have been a backup anywhere (in the NFL), but he wanted to play in the UFL."

Are gimmicks -- such as the ones used by other alternative leagues -- necessary for the UFL to succed?

"That's not our focus," Mueller said. "We can offer a few things different than the NFL, like more access from a fan and media standpoint, just because we can. We are hoping our product, and the fact that we will be exploring new markets, is all we need."

Finally, what goal(s) can be realistically accomplished from a league standpoint in the UFL's first season?

"Hey, if we have a great product and some exposure for the players, I'll be happy with that," he said.