Identity, Discipline, and Year Three for the Washington Wolfpack

For the Washington Wolfpack, the 2026 season feels less like a restart and more like a turning point. Entering his third year at the helm, head coach JR Wells speaks with the urgency of someone who understands what growth costs. As well as what happens if it doesn’t show up on the field. He’s determined not just to turn this program into a team with a winning record, but a team with a winning culture. The culture that he’s building is one that players can buy into, build on, learn and grow from, and one they’ll never want to leave.

GROWTH AND LEARNING FROM THE PAST

Coach Wells knows that the culture isn’t going to build itself. It’s going to come from growth on every level, including his own. When I asked him where he grew most last season, he related it all to the culture and to patience.

“There’s a million, million different roots that I feel I have lengthened,” Coach Wells said, speaking to the growth he continues to have and instill in the team. “Number one is patience. How patient will you continue being with a cancerous guy? Last year, I was extremely patient with guys who were really good, but culturally poor for the program. And it took everything in me to continue finding excuses or ways we need these players. You don’t need those players. Indiana proved it (winning the National Championship in the NCAA). So, one thing is being less patient, per se, with guys that don’t fit our culture.”

Coach Wells knows that guys not fitting the culture he’s building become a cancer to the locker room and infect the program. He’s no longer being patient when he sees the signs and will do what’s best for the team culture.

That’s not the only thing that has changed over the past two years. Another way he has grown is by building his connections and extending his reach.

“I’ve been able to connect with a lot of agents, scouts, and recruiters. My reach is so much bigger than when I first got into the game. You look at these coaches that have been in this game for a long time, they know a lot of players and a lot of agents. It can turn into a milking station, and I didn’t have that with being the new kid on the block. That was the number one thing I wanted to change.”

If you look at the number of new players Coach Wells has been able to bring in, you’ll see he’s done just that. Not just the amount of players, but the caliber of players and the names you have seen in Arena Football for a while now. He’s brought in a great mix of young guys and veterans to mold together, all while still focusing on making sure they fit the culture.

THE FOUR-QUARTER PHILOSOPHY

The Arena Football One league is a fast-paced brand of football where points can be scored in bunches. A couple of stalled drives, a few mistakes, and you can be down by multiple touchdowns in the blink of an eye. Teams need to stay composed throughout the game, no matter the circumstances. That composure starts with an example from their coach.

Coach Wells has developed a philosophy to manage the game of arena football that he shared with me. While some could copy it as part of a secret sauce, especially after the Wolfpack succeed this year, he was confident in sharing it.

“You can take this, borrow this, use this. It doesn’t matter. This is our philosophy,” Coach Wells said. “This is what we’re going to be doing.” This is how you’re going to be able to identify us with all four quarters.”

The game of football is made up of four quarters, and Coach Wells breaks his philosophy down into four quarters. “TDEC” is a shortened version of his four-quarter philosophy. What does TDEC stand for? Class is in session, pay attention.

“First quarter, you’re going to watch, and we’ll put one finger up, and we’re going to say toughness. What is it? Toughness! We’re going to be tough in the very first quarter, right away. Hit them in the mouth.” Toughness is needed in a fast-paced game. Your offense has to be tough and move the ball down the field quickly, and your defense has to be ready to hold their ground.

“Second quarter then comes in, and we’re going to be disciplined. We’re going to be disciplined because most teams that fall apart, they fall apart in the second quarter. They’re a little more lax, they’re complacent. They got the jitterbugs out. That first hit has already taken place. So the first two quarters, we’re going to continue to be tough, but we’re going to make sure that we stay disciplined.”

On a 50-yard turf, discipline is very important. One missed assignment, one wrong route, or one penalty can put you in a hole quickly. Maintaining your toughness and aggressive style while staying disciplined is an approach that is crucial and will often lead to success.

Now we come to the “E” in the shortened “TDEC”. The “E” can be interpreted a couple of different ways, especially knowing that teams evaluate at half-time and make their adjustments. However, it doesn’t strictly just stand for evaluation. In fact, when the third quarter comes around, Coach Wells wants his guys to keep their energy and effort high.

“We’re going to come out with effort and energy. Effort and energy that’s still tough and disciplined. Then you start to feel this new buzz, and you’re like oh damn? How’d you come back out here with all this gas in the tank? That’s effort and energy. That’s our third quarter.”

Finally, with toughness, discipline, and effort and energy all playing in their favor, the fourth quarter rolls around. Headed into the fourth quarter, you may be behind and feel like a long shot. You might be ahead and feel like the win is in the bag. Or it could be a close game, neck-and-neck. However, the philosophy doesn’t change, no matter how the game is going.

“Fourth quarter roles around you’re going to see us come together and put fours up, and we’re going to say commitment. Fourth quarter commitment. We have to stay committed to this formula. Being tough, being disciplined, having effort and energy, and being committed to finishing this game no matter what, because anything can happen.”

Coach Wells compared their formula success to Grandma’s pie. It’s amazing when you put it all together, but it isn’t the same if you miss one ingredient. It’s the recipe for success you’ll see played out on the turf in 2026.

SEATTLE SUCCESS

It’s not lost on Coach Wells that this has been a year of success for Seattle. The Seattle Mariners had a great 2025 season, finishing 90-72 and were right in the mix to win it all. The Seattle Seahawks are coming off a Super Bowl victory. He knows they could be the next professional team in the Seattle area, and in Washington, to win.

However, it speaks volumes to the culture he’s building when I asked him about it. He hasn’t had to bring it up to the guys because they’re already saying it themselves.

“The guys have said it themselves, Seattle’s on fire. It feels like our duty to win these games and bring a championship to the city. It’s them saying that. I mean, I feel it. I want to throw it out there. But I don’t have to. We’re looking to bring a title home. Of course, everybody says that, so our focus right now is to go 1-0 every week.”

A player like Sam Darnold could serve as an inspiring figure to the Arena players. Not all these guys are veterans. However, some of the veterans have been through the wringer. Think of how Darnold went from being labeled a bust to fighting just to be a backup, to winning a Super Bowl. Some of these veterans, like Aakiel Greer, have also had tough roads in their careers. From college football coaching changes to teams folding, the road isn’t always easy. However, just as Darnold proved, the road can still lead to success when you find the right circumstances.

THE 2026 SEASON IS HERE

The Wolfpack and Coach Wells have built the culture. Coach Wells retained the right players to continue to develop and find their success in Washington. He has also brought in a plethora of talented players to join that success. A lot of guys have the talent to play football. Putting the right guys together with the right coaching and the right philosophy is exactly what Coach Wells has done. When it unfolds on the turf, it’s going to be a thing of beauty.

The fans who have stood by through the tough years are going to be thankful they did. They open up their season on April 12th at home against Washington. One of Coach’s main goals is to go undefeated at home. Walking away 1-0, they’ll then hit the road to Nashville. That’s a big game for the Wolfpack. While Coach Wells will make sure the players aren’t looking ahead, if they beat Nashville, they’ll be 2-0 and headed back home.

The Wolfpack won’t just be 2-0 and headed back home, but they’ll be headed back home to take on Albany. Remember the goal I just spoke of? Going undefeated at home. When the Wolfpack start the season 3-0, everybody will start talking.

Get ready to talk.