Rick Neuheisel was announced as the head coach of the Arizona Hotshots by the Alliance of American Football on May 18, 2018. The team was slated to play at
Sun Devil Stadium. By September 25, Scott Brubaker and
Phil Savage were named team president and general manager, respectively. Phoenix's name and logo were revealed on September 25, 2018, as the Arizona Hotshots along with the other three western teams. The name is a tribute to the region's firefighters, nicknamed
hotshots, while the color scheme of green, orange, and yellow are commonly worn by such fire crews. The team's logo is a pair of crossed
Pulaski tools, which are used by the wildland firefighters the team is named for. The branding was developed by the national office then handed off to the team staff. Reception of the name was mixed, with some arguing it "exploits the memory of the
Granite Mountain Hotshots." On October 11, 2018, the team named
Hugh Freeze as the offensive coordinator and the rest of the coaching staff. In the
2019 AAF QB Draft, the Hotshots did not protect the assigned (by geographical method) quarterback
Mike Bercovici in the first round and instead selected
Trevor Knight for his speed. The final 52-man roster was set on January 30. In January 2019, the Hotshots held their preseason camp in San Antonio. ==Personnel==