'I can’t be more excited to be where we are right now': Maulers coach excited to play in Canton

Pro Football Hall of Famer Dick LeBeau once told Ray Horton that “the only thing that’s constant is change.” That’s when Horton was a longtime NFL defensive assistant.

Horton now looks to create changes as the new head coach of the USFL's Pittsburgh Maulers, who will be based in Canton this season along with the New Jersey Generals. Each team will play six games at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium this season, which begins in April.

Horton was hired in January, and he has a lot of ground to cover. Despite the late hire, he is filled with excitement as a first-time head coach. One thing Horton wants to accomplish is to establish a fanbase not only in the Western Pennsylvania area, but throughout Ohio as well, especially since he has strong ties to both regions.

“For me, it’s very important to have those triangle ties and just try to represent what that means,” Horton said. “It’s the birthplace of professional football and we want to put out an outstanding product for our fans.”

Horton's pro football career began in the NFL in 1983 as a defensive back. He was selected in the second round by the Cincinnati Bengals and played five seasons there before finishing his playing career with the Dallas Cowboys for four seasons. He made Super Bowl appearances with each team and won one with the Cowboys in Super Bowl XXVII.

In 1994, Horton started his coaching career, beginning with the Arizona Cardinals as an assistant defensive back coach. He came back to the Bengals in 1997 as a DB coach for four seasons. After one year with the Detroit Lions, he spent six seasons as a secondary coach with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He eventually found his way to Cleveland in two different seasons as a defensive coordinator for the Browns.

Horton considered his NFL journey as a player and coach a combination of lessons and blessings.

His blessings include playing for or working with Hall of Famers such as Paul Brown, Jimmy Johnson, Bill Cowher and LeBeau. His lessons come from the failures he encountered from different teams, as well.

“You take every morsel of greatness that they have and watch,” Horton said. “You soak it like a sponge and go, 'Wow, I like that. That’s impressive.' The lessons are the bad things you see. You grow from that so you don’t make that mistake. Everything I’ve done is a learning experience and soaking and trying to take the good from people.”

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Maulers' expectations for 2023 USFL season

The Maulers released their official schedule on Tuesday morning. They open the season on the road against the New Orleans Breakers on April 16 . The following week, they play the New Jersey Generals in Canton, the first of six games each team play next to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Horton compares playing in Canton next to the Hall to the 1989 baseball film “Field of Dreams,” where the game was played in the cornfield of Dyersfield, Iowa.

“For me, it’s a great backdrop for the fans to come and see - kind of a two-for-one,” Horton said. “You get to have great football and you get to go and look at the legends and potential future legends on the field. I think it’s a great model. I can’t be more excited to be where we are right now.”

2023 Pittsburgh Maulers schedule:USFL releases Pittsburgh Maulers 2023 regular-season schedule, including 6 games in Canton

The Maulers are coming off a one-win season. Horton, along with his son and defensive coordinator, Jarren, who was already on staff before Horton was hired, look forward to building a winning culture at the USFL level.

“We understand what hard-nosed football, and what the triangle of Western Pennsylvania and Ohio expects to see, a high-level brand of football, competitive and guys who are great for the community. “

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Hall of Famers helped mold Pittsburgh Maulers coach Ray Horton