Brandon Staley has emerged as one of NFL's top young coaches – and his rise is about far more than X's and O's

Hutchinson Community College is not a dream destination. Few football players with aspirations of playing in college or beyond wouldn’t even list it as Plan B.

But poor grades or checkered pasts can alter plans, and the junior college in the middle of nowhere, Kansas, provides at least an opportunity for redemption. Coaches use that as one of their selling points and eventually talk down-on-their luck, would-be Division I prospects into accepting their offers, although getting them to stick around for the full two years can prove challenging. 

Coaching success with limited resources and in a near-constant state of rebuilding requires flexibility, creativity, strong leadership and unwavering positivity. 

That’s exactly why Los Angeles Chargers rookie head coach Brandon Staley calls a two-year stint as defensive coordinator at the school one of the most formative experiences of a coaching career that has featured a plethora of stops on every level and a steady yet rapid rise to the game’s highest ranks.

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