Maurice Allen has worn many different hats in life. He is a U.S. Army veteran, a husband, a father and a football coach. 

He is also a “soldier coach.” 

Allen, a retired Army communications specialist, is just one of the more than 1,800 “soldier coaches” certified through the veteran charity Soldiers to Sidelines that was able to find a renewed purpose after his military service. 

“I played high school football. I kind of always knew I wanted to be a coach. I was going to go to play college football out of high school and instead went active duty Army and was stationed at Fort Hood,” Allen told Fox News Digital in an interview. 

Allen put his dream of coaching on hold to serve his country and, eventually, to pursue his education. He enlisted in 2012 and served for four years, which included his deployment to Afghanistan in 2014-15. 

His story is like many others. However, after completing his service, Allen knew he wanted to return to coaching. With that in mind, he earned his Bachelor’s degree and a Masters of Education in Sports Administration at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor and later an Education Specialist degree from Valdosta State University. 

During that time, however, Allen was looking for something that was just for veterans. That was when he came across Soldiers to Sidelines. 

He reached out to Harrison Bernstein, the president and founder of Soldiers to Sidelines, a veteran service charity organization whose mission is to provide a renewed sense of purpose to members of the military community through coaching while also serving the youth community. 

They kept in contact and, eventually, Allen was able to attend one of the Soldiers to Sidelines seminars. 

“It’s just an amazing organization that really puts our veterans at the forefront. And it’s something that I strongly believe in, and it’s just been an amazing opportunity.”

The program is free and is available to veterans, service members, military spouses and gold-star families. (Soldiers to Sidelines)

SOLDIERS TO SIDELINES FOUNDER ON A MISSION TO HELP VETERANS AND GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY

Bernstein told Fox News Digital that the idea for a coaching program designed for service members came about in 2010 after his time with the Washington Commanders, where he served as an assistant strength and conditioning coach for three years. 

“I was coaching high school football and a colleague of mine was adamant about helping out service members in the area get involved in coaching football, because the news was just riddled with people coming back from the Middle East looking for purpose, looking for a way to reconnect and to find some renewed happiness and purpose,” Bernstein explained. 

“And so it was actually a colleague who suggested that we bring some of the local veterans out to high school football practice and make them part of the team and teach them how to coach football.” 

Bernstein admitted that he was not initially interested in the idea. He was working on perfecting his own coaching technique with the hopes of returning to the NFL.  But after much persistence, Bernstein obliged and held a seminar that just six people attended. To his surprise, Bernstein’s plans for his future had shifted in that moment and Soldiers to Sidelines was born. 

More than 1,800 soldier coaches have now been certified through the program across eight different sports. Veterans make up 38% of certified coaches, while retired and active duty make up another 25% and 27%. 

The program is free and available to veterans, service members, military spouses, and gold-star families. After completing the certification process, Soldiers to Sidelines offers continued learning with online coursework, webinars, workshops and more. 

Those who have completed the certification process have gone on to coach at all levels. For Bernstein, though, the most impact can be seen in those who coach at the youth level. 

Maurice Allen is the head football coach at South Paulding High School in Georgia. (Maurice Allen)

Allen currently serves as the head football coach at South Paulding High School in Georgia. He previously coached at different 5A-8A schools across Texas, Florida and Georgia. However, in the spring, Soldiers to Sidelines helped to introduce him to a new opportunity. 

Allen became the first soldier coach to land an internship with an NFL team, the New York Jets. He worked with the team during mandatory minicamp and OTAs. 

“It was just really, really intriguing just to see how they operate and how they practice, the coaching points and how intricate it is coming from high school up to the NFL,” Allen said. “But just to see the level of detail preparation and the ins and outs of the program and how they communicate with each other and the coaching staff communicate. And it was by far one of the best experiences that I’ve been a part of and made some really good connections and got to learn.” 

Maurice Allen was the first “soldier coach” to get an internship with an NFL team this past spring. (Maurice Allen)

Allen said the experience opened his eyes to the possibility of coaching at the highest level. For now, he is taking all that he learned and repurposing that knowledge within his own community. He is also looking to continue spreading the mission of Soldiers to Sidelines. 

“There’s a team outside of the military that you can join and be a part of, and that’s Soldiers to Sidelines,” Allen said of those service members transitioning out of the military. 

“It gives you a purpose, and you can touch so many lives, whether it be youth, middle school, high school, college or the NFL. There’s so many lives and so many people that you can come in contact with and impact. So my message for any veteran out there that is interested or looking to transition, or even if you’re still active duty and you’re coaching a youth or middle school team, Soldiers to Sidelines is for you.” 

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They have to do this again.

And again.

And again.

The Galaxy and LAFC have to play at the Rose Bowl every Fourth of July.

Otherwise, when will the 102-year-old stadium ever come to life? UCLA’s football team barely has any fans, and the ones they have are completely beaten down.

Almost by accident, the Galaxy and LAFC have created something that has the potential to be a real Los Angeles tradition, and they would be shortsighted to not stage this event a third time and fourth time and 50th time.

“I love the game,” Galaxy coach Greg Vanney said.

Consider this: Vanney’s team lost, 2-1.

Vanney was extremely critical of his players, calling their play in the first half “purposeless,” but that didn’t distort his view of the stands.

The 70,076 fans who packed the stadium. The choreographed drum beats and chants that started hours before the game. The boos that were directed at LAFC striker Denis Bouanga as he lined up to take his 44th-minute penalty kick and the cheers that erupted when he scored. The flare that was ignited behind the south goal in the closing minutes of the game and blanketed the field with smoke.

“I just think in MLS, there’s only so many opportunities you have in a season to create an environment like this where it feels like a playoff atmosphere,” Vanney said. “It feels like a bigger game than just another derby or another MLS game.”

Vanney’s opinion could be important in making the game a permanent fixture on the calendar.

In their two games against LAFC at the Rose Bowl, the Galaxy were the hosts both times. They essentially gave up a home game to play at a neutral site but didn’t mind doing so in part because they had two other dates against their crosstown rivals: once at their Dignity Health Sports Park and once at LAFC’s BMO Stadium.

MLS’s expansion next year could change that, as the league will be adding a 30th team, San Diego FC.

“The league hasn’t officially given us direction on what the schedule would be next year,” said Tom Braun, the Galaxy’s president of business operations and chief operating officer.

Braun continued, “You would think though, with 30 teams, is there a possibility that we play a team a third time? Maybe. But was that for sure? We don’t know if it’s for sure yet. If we’re playing a home-and-home we’d have to take a close look at it.”

In other words, assuming the Galaxy would remain the home team in any future Rose Bowl game — the stadium was their home in their first seven years of existence, from 1996 to 2002 — would they give up home-field advantage to build a new holiday tradition?

“The sporting side,” including Vanney, would be consulted, according to Braun.

“Our number one priority is giving our team the best opportunity to win,” Braun said.

Galaxy defender Jalen Neal touches LAFC striker Kei Kamara while they jostle for position on the pitch during Thursday’s match at the Rose Bowl.

For what it’s worth, it looked as if there were four or five times as many white Galaxy jerseys in the stands than black LAFC tops. If any team enjoyed home-field advantage, it was the Galaxy.

Vanney deferred to his team’s business operations, saying, “There’s a lot of people behind the scenes who have to make this happen and have to sell tickets and have to do a lot of things to help this stadium look as it did tonight. … But, again, from a competitive standpoint, I love the game because I think it has a bit of a special feeling when the guys come out and play.”

Vanney was right. There are non-soccer considerations.

Strong ticket sales are required for any future games at the Rose Bowl to make financial sense for the Galaxy, since they would be renters. They own Dignity Health Sports Park.

Corporate sponsorships could be affected. The fan experience could be too.

At the same time, Braun said appreciated the importance of playing a game like this at the Rose Bowl.

“Building our brand and building our sport in this country, it’s important,” he said. “You never know what you’re doing on Fourth of July until the last minute. I think this gives fans and Angelenos a really cool event to come to and mark on the calendar.”

And to think, the first Rose Bowl Trafico was originally intended to open the MLS season last year and only pushed back to July 4 because of severe winter weather. The game last year, a 2-1 win by the Galaxy, attracted an MLS-record 82,110 fans. Dignity Health Sports Park holds 27,000 fans.

“Building our brand and building our sport in this country, it’s important,” Braun said. “I think it takes a special match to be able to take it to the Rose Bowl “

El Tráfico is a special match.

In the seven years since LAFC joined the league, it has become MLS’s best rivalry. It has arguably become Los Angeles’ best rivalry in any sport.

The Dodgers hosted the Arizona Diamondbacks and Harry Connick Jr. performed at the Hollywood Bowl, but the Rose Bowl was the place to be on the Fourth of July. El Tráfico can be to the Fourth of July what boxing is to Cinco de Mayo, what the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions are to Thanksgiving or what the Rose Bowl Game is to New Year’s Day.

For teams that continue to fight for visibility in a congested market, this is worth protecting and building on, whatever the cost.

Boxer Ryan Garcia was expelled from one of the top organizations on Thursday after he made racist remarks about Black people and George Floyd as well as anti-Muslim comments.

Garcia made the remarks in an X Space and it quickly went viral.

World Boxing Council President Mauricio Sulaiman announced on X that Garcia had been expelled from the organization. 

“Exercising my authority as president of the WBC, I am hereby expelling Ryan Garcia from any activity with our organization,” Sulaiman wrote on X. “We reject any form of discrimination. I fear for Ryan well being as he has declined multiple attempts for our help with mental health and substance abuse.”

He went on another rant on X before the expulsion was handed down, trying to defend some of his remarks.

Fox News Digital reached out to Garcia’s representatives for comment.

Ryan Garcia speaks onstage at Palladium Times Square in New York City on Feb. 27, 2024. (Cris Esqueda/Golden Boy/Getty Images)

Garcia was suspended by the New York State Athletic Commission for one year last month after a positive test for a banned substance after his fight against Devin Haney in April.

He later wrote on X that he was “officially retired” and claimed to be headed to the UFC. He’s pushed back on any notion he had a banned substance in his system against Haney.

He tested positive for Ostarine, which is not a steroid but can stimulate muscle growth and thus is on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s list of banned substances.

Ryan Garcia arrives at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on June 15, 2024. (Cassy Athena/Getty Images)

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Garcia and his team said at the time he was a “victim of substance contamination, with levels measured in the billions and trillions of a gram, which provided no advantage whatsoever in the ring.”

Fox News’ Ryan Morik contributed to this report.

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