A Remote Coach in Italy
Max Campbell, a 24‑year‑old from Eugene, Oregon, has become the first fully remote football coach in history, steering the Daemons of Monza in Italy from his modest office. The team sits atop its division with a perfect 7‑0 record and averages 29 points per game.
From a conference room at his day‑job site, Campbell calls offensive plays using a Hudl play‑book app and relays adjustments to his Italian players via WhatsApp. He also shares video cut‑ups and notes through a shared Google Drive folder, taking advantage of a calm, quiet atmosphere to make calculated calls.
American football has been played in Italy for over 40 years, with several divisions and a promotion‑relegation system that mirrors the country’s soccer structure. Campbell’s success challenges the traditional notion that coaching must be on‑field and in person.
NFL and NCAA rules indirectly ban remote coaching, but Campbell’s experiment has sparked discussion about whether those regulations should evolve to accommodate digital strategies. His case could influence future policy changes across the sport.
Campbell’s path to this role was unconventional. After being fired as an assistant quarterbacks coach at the University of Nevada, Reno, he found space to test the boundaries of remote coaching, even calling plays from a table at the Puerta Vallarta airport’s Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.
Redefining the Game
Beyond the wins, the remote setup offers Campbell a work‑life balance that many traditional coaches envy. By keeping football in his life without letting it become oppressive, he demonstrates how technology can expand the sport’s reach while preserving personal well‑being.