Former WWE Star Andre Chase Was Brought In To Be A Coach Before He Was Put On TV

Andre Chase University was one of the more unique gimmicks in "WWE NXT," which came from the mind of Chase himself, with a little help from "NXT" head booker Shawn Michaels. Chase, however, was released during a slew of cuts following WrestleMania 42.

He recently sat down with Chase U "student" and fellow releasee, Duke Hudson, on Hudson's YouTube channel. Chase discussed how he was never meant for "NXT" television, as officials only wanted him to be a coach at the WWE Performance Center. He spoke about a phone call, though didn't specifically say who he was speaking to, or if it was Paul "Triple H" Levesque.

"I was told on the phone, when I was like, 'I'm going to be a wrestler. I'm not going to take the coaching role,'" Chase explained. "If he said it once on this phone call, he said it 100 times. He said, 'I just need you to know, you're not going to be a TV star. You're not going to be on TV at all, actually. You're just here to train and work with this next group of guys.'"

He explained he was meant to train the likes of Bron Breaker, Trick Williams, The Creed Brothers, and more. Chase said he knew he needed to get his foot in the door, so he accepted the wrestling position for less money, despite continuously being told he wouldn't be on television and he was only there to teach the other guys. One day, Michaels saw Chase working a match at the PC with Julius Creed, and questioned just why he wasn't on TV.

"He goes, 'We got to get you on TV,'" Chase said. "The next week, I was on '205 Live.' It only takes that one, literally, your life can change in one match."

Chase said that every day at the PC was like an "audition" and he never knew when the day could be that he could change somebody's mind about him. He said he believed Levesque saw him as one thing and appreciated his work, but Michaels saw something more in him and in Chase U.

Both Chase and Hudson were in "NXT" during a transition time between eras, during what became known as "NXT 2.0." Chase said that the change involved everybody needing a colorful character, something he didn't have just yet.

"Everybody had to be very well-defined," he said. "I was like, 'What can I be? They wanted me as a coach. I enjoy teaching people anyway. How can I make this more of a wrestling character?' That was the first time in promo class I did this Andre Chase University thing, but it was as a bad guy character."

Chase told the story of being a heel taking a feedback box to the ring, then getting upset at the feedback he received from other wrestlers. That's when he started the gimmick of getting angry and throwing stuff around, which he said Road Dogg and Michaels loved. Michaels in particular thought it was inspired by eccentric and outspoken college basketball coach Bobby Knight.

"When he saw me flip out like that, he said it reminded him of Bobby Knight," he said. "He was like, 'He can be a coach and he can be like Bobby Knight. But, we gotta put him in the red sweater.' I was like, 'Great.' Road Dogg loved it. Shawn loved it. We're off to the races."

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit Duke Hudson on YouTube and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.