Coaching alongside some of the legendary leaders in Tucson football, it’s no surprise that Offerpad Arizona Bowl chairman Ali Farhang knows how to assemble a balanced staff.
Hang around Jeff Scurran, Dennis Bene and Justin Argraves long enough, and you’re bound to learn a thing or two.
But in Ted Maxwell and Brent DeRaad — the Arizona Bowl’s current and former vice chair — Farhang has found far more than an offensive and defensive coordinator.
“The role of the vice chair is almost a consigliere to the chair,” Farhang said. “They’re both like Tom Hagen to me. Not that I’m the Godfather, but it’s that kind of role. I relied a lot on Brent and now on Ted, first as volunteers and then with the formalization of the role. I really need their input on decisions.”
In Maxwell and DeRaad, Farhang has not just found sounding boards but earth-movers.
Maxwell serves as the President and CEO of the Southern Arizona Leadership Council. His day-to-day routine involves connecting with a veritable Who’s Who of the Tucson community, including the more than 140 CEOs, business and community leaders who comprise the SALC.
A former Major General in the Air Force, Maxwell rose to the rank of Commander of the Arizona Air National Guard, and in that capacity, he stood on the Arizona Stadium turf in 2016 during the Arizona Bowl showdown between Air Force and South Alabama. He’s seen first-hand the impact the bowl has had on the local military and law enforcement community.
His steady hand has been invaluable to Farhang during this tumultuous time. When Arizona Bowl board members clamored for a season to be played in the midst of a pandemic, Maxwell cautioned patience and preached following protocols. When a rise in numbers in recent months cast doubt on whether a postseason would be played, he championed fortitude and pressing on, with carefulness front of mind.
Perhaps more than 4,000 flying hours in an F-16 cockpit helps?
“If you asked me back in June if I thought we’d be holding a game without fans, I’d have said it wouldn’t happen,” said Maxwell, who retired from the military in 2018 and assumed vice chair responsibilities at the beginning of this year.
“Because of the work of our community, we’ve gotten the advertising and fundraising, and we’re not putting ourselves in jeopardy going forward.”
Maxwell, a sports junkie — “football, basketball, probably tiddlywinks, too,” he said — was drawn to the role because of the community involvement, saying, “This was not just about two good football teams playing a game. It was more than that.”
It is, Farhang said, “A showcase for Tucson.”
For that, enter DeRaad.
The President and CEO of Visit Tucson, DeRaad’s job is to help extol all that the region has to offer. He knows every last taco joint, every tall cactus. If there’s a way to toot Tucson’s horn, DeRaad is standing there with a bugle.
He saw the Arizona Bowl for what it was: A way to get butts in the seats and feet on the streets.
DeRaad’s first job out of college was as assistant public relations director for — and ultimately PR director of — the Fiesta Bowl from 1989-93. When Farhang and fellow Arizona Bowl founders Mark Irvin and Fletcher and Fletcher McCusker shared their vision of the game with him in mid-2015 – for the inaugural edition to be played the same year, that is — DeRaad almost fell out of his seat.
“I laughed and said, ‘When it comes to fruition in a couple years, let me know,’” he said. “The fact they pulled it together so quickly was nothing short of miraculous.”
Pulling it off this year is no small feat, either.
But after packing downtown last New Year’s Eve after a thrilling game, they couldn’t afford to let the momentum die down.
“It’s about getting people engaged and taking pride and being able to convey that pride,” he said. “The Arizona Bowl, the Fiesta Bowl — I was even a staff member for the Super Bowl in Tempe in 1996 — it’s all just about trying to galvanize people. The Arizona Bowl really did create a belief in the community that Tucson can support more. AHL hockey and indoor football — that all sprung from the ability to bring the Arizona Bowl to life and to see the support behind it.”
DeRaad stepped down from the vice chair position after the 2019 edition, only to let others on the board partake in some of the experiences he had in the role. Like the one that stands out the most, when he stood in the New Mexico State locker room in 2018 after the final regular-season game and told the Aggies they’d be headed to Tucson. He still fills an invaluable role for Farhang, and he has helped ease Maxwell into the new gig.
Maxwell is just happy to be a part of the team Farhang has put together, one that is made up of some of the best Tucson has to offer.
“He knows an offensive line coach isn’t going to make the best DB coach,” Maxwell said of Farhang, who coaches on Argraves’ staff at Tucson High, even if the team only played two games in this abbreviated season.
“He’s built a team around him that has a good combination of business and community leaders. If I bring the business connections and the decision-making — and there are tactical and strategic decisions with this — I’m very happy. Ali just knew I was ready to jump in.”
And Farhang wasn’t shy to ask for the help.
“I’ve learned when you surround yourself with good people, you accomplish so much more,” he said.
