Vienna Vikings HC Chris Calaycay is hopeful about his team as playoffs approach and excited about the ELF

Vienna Vikings head coach Chris Calaycay is taking his team into the home stretch of the 2024 European League of Football season and as in 2022 and 2023, they are unbeaten with four games to go.

In other words, this is not unfamiliar territory for Calaycay.

No one has coached the same team in Europe with the same level as success as the 48 year old Calaycay. The  Willamette University grad took over as head coach of the Vikings in 2007 after first leading Vienna to three straight Austrian Bowl titles as a quarterback and serving as defensive coordinator for three years.

Since 2007, Vienna has remained his home as he orchestrated eight Austrian Bowls including a three-peat from 2012-2014, and five Eurobowl titles for the powerhouse Vikings. In total, Calaycay has reached the Austrian Bowl 18 times as a player and coach, taking home the title 11 times.

History has repeated itself in the ELF as Calaycay led his team to the title in their very first year in the league in 2022. They reached the semifinals in 2023 and look to be serious contenders for the crown again in 2024.

In his third season coaching in the ELF, Calaycay is definitely positive about the development of his team and excited about the future of the league.

AFI: You are by far the longest tenured head coach in Europe and also the most successful. You have opened your third season in the ELF with eight straight wins. What kinds of adjustments do you feel you have to make over the final four games?

Calaycay: Obviously with the final four games ahead, we focus on the big one coming up this weekend against Berlin. A win would secure the conference championship and secure a place in the playoffs so that’s number one. It would be our third conference championship in a row which would be awesome. For the last three games, unfortunately, the bye weeks become a factor. We’ve played eight straight games now going into our ninth and we won’t have a bye until after our 11th so the adjustments are ongoing as far as dealing with injuries and making sure we are heading into the end of the season getting guys healthy. We want to be peaking more towards the end of the season and the playoff run so that’s what we’re really looking at right now. Over the final four games, we want to be playing at a high level, getting guys back and being healthy for the playoffs.

AFI: Since arriving in the ELF in 2022 you have a record including playoffs of 32-3. It is impossible to point to one single factor but can you explain how this has been possible?

Calaycay: When I look at the record of 32-3, it even surprises me somewhat. They were not easy wins we have had over the years. We’ve battled through a lot of injuries like every other team. It’s possible because we approach in the way as it’s just one game and we’re really made a focus of that, in our practices and in our team mottos. We really just focus on that game ahead of us and we take it one week at a time. I know it’s a cliche but it has helped our guys focus on what’s important and that’s just what’s ahead of us. We can’t control all the other aspects of what’s going on in the league. But the guys believe it’s possible because of the culture we have built here, the veteran leadership that we have here. It’s never about one guy, or a couple of guys. It’s always been about the team and the guys embrace that and that comes through the veteran leadership that we have.

AFI: Since you arrived in the league, do you feel that the ELF has improved and if so how?

Calaycay: Yes, it’s making great steps forward. I think the ELF is very attractive for fans. It’s very interesting. You’ve seen the the TV and the Game Pass for the first couple of years taking steps forwards to spread the game. There’s more social interaction as far as fantasy goes. I think they do a really good job on social media of building up the league. and promoting players and I think that’s a recognition that players really deserve. We’ve been playing football in Europe for over 40 years and now people get to see that there are very talented football players and very talented football coaches over here and I think that we need to continue to promote that. And you see also the big venues that the teams get to play at and these massive crowds.  Even our first two home games of the season having 10,000 fans at the Generali Arena in Vienna when we were able to play there was incredible. The possibilities are there for us. And a lot of this has to do with the growth of the game from the NFL and then the growth of the game in the league. We still need to fix up some things in the ELF but it has been a ton of fun for us and the players. We hope to continue to grow this game and grow the league so the future generations of Austrian and European football players have a place to go to to showcase their skills.

AFI: There a few rule differences including the kickoff rule, which the NFL is now adopting. How do you feel about the rules in the league and what changes would you like to see?

Calaycay: Rules come and go. They adapt over the years. The NFL changes rules yearly as well. I do like our kickoff rule. I think it helps safeguard the players, especially when it comes to concussions. It cuts down on that long run and crushing impact. It’s still exciting and we still have kickoff return touchdowns and possibilities to score. I do like that rule but we’ll see changes coming as the game changes all the time. We’ll see it in the future and hopefully with the growth of the game and the players. We will get growth everywhere in the ELF and that goes from the organizations to the franchises to referees and to TV coverage. I think there’s a lot of possibilities for this league and a lot of possibilities for the players in this league. I would like to see it continue to grow and take steps forward but it’s not an easy process. Yes, we are into Year 4, but we’re still a baby league in that sense and we still have to go through some growing pains. But those are expected and as long as we continue to stay together as a franchise and league, we can take those steps forward to continue to grow it.