The United Football League has announced the coaching staffs for its inaugural 2024 season, confirming the returns of several coaches who led their respective squads in the XFL and USFL last year before the two leagues merged this winter.
That group includes Bob Stoops, the legendary Oklahoma coach who led the Arlington Renegades to an XFL championship last year and returns to the Renegades under the new UFL. Skip Holtz also returns to the Birmingham Stallions after leading them to back-to-back USFL championships in 2022 and 2023. The Renegades and Stallions will open the UFL in a battle of title winners on March 30.
“We have assembled an excellent roster of head coaches, coaching staffs, and player personnel executives to lead our athletes,” said Russ Brandon, president and CEO of the UFL. “We want our players to continue to chase their dreams and provide them every opportunity to unlock their potential both on and off the field. By providing our athletes with high-level experienced professionals in every area of their football experience (coaching, athletic training, performance science, player development), we hope to assist these talented young men in achieving their goals.”
Other notable names among UFL head coaches include Wade Phillips, the longtime NFL coach and Super Bowl-winning defensive coordinator, taking over the San Antonio Brahmas after leading the XFL’s Houston Roughnecks in 2023. The Roughnecks, meanwhile, have been combined with the USFL’s Houston Gamblers franchise and Curtis “C.J.” Johnson, who served as Gamblers head coach last year, now leads the new-look Roughnecks.
Former NFL tight end Anthony Becht returns for a second season as St. Louis Battlehawks head coach after leading one of the XFL’s best-supported teams last year, while Mike Nolan and Reggie Barlow also return as Michigan Panthers and D.C. Defenders head coaches, respectively. John DeFillipo, who led the USFL’s New Orleans Breakers last year, is taking over as the Memphis Showboats’ head coach to round out the list.
“The depth of knowledge and experience these coaches bring to the table is incredible and speaks to the high caliber of talent the UFL set out to assemble for the 2024 season,” said UFL head of football operations Daryl Johnston. “The impact they will have on our players will go beyond X’s and O’s, and we look forward to watching them grow as young men as well as players as they continue to chase their football dream.”
Notable names among the UFL’s assistant coach ranks include Chuck Long, a former assistant under Stoops and the late Mike Leach at Oklahoma, as Renegades offensive coordinator; Scott Spurrier, son of legendary college football coach Steve Spurrier, as Renegades special teams coordinator, former longtime NFL defensive coordinator and Buffalo Bills head coach Gregg Williams as Defenders defensive coordinator.
Here are the coaching staffs for each UFL team. The UFL will announce additional coaches at a later date.
Arlington Renegades
- Bob Stoops, Head Coach
- Rick Mueller, General Manager
- Reggie Davis, Tight Ends/Running Backs
- Jay Hayes, Defensive Coordinator
- Jonathan Himebauch, Offensive Line
- Chuck Long, Offensive Coordinator/QBs/WRs
- Matt McMillen, Quality Control
- Marvin Sanders, Defensive Backs
- Bill Sheridan, Linebackers
- Scott Spurrier, Special Teams
Birmingham Stallions
- Skip Holtz, Head Coach
- Zach Potter, General Manager
- Chris Boniol, Special Teams
- Corey Chamblin, Secondary
- John Chavis, Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers
- David DeGuglielmo, Offensive Line
- Bill Johnson, Defensive Line
- Mike Jones, Wide Receivers
- Phillip Montgomery, Co-Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs/Tight Ends
- Daric Riley, Assistant Secondary
D.C. Defenders
- Reggie Barlow, Head Coach
- Von Hutchins, General Manager
- Vernon Dean, Defensive Backs
- Fred Kaiss, Offensive Coordinator
- Sean Anderson, Wide Receivers
- Russ Ehrenfeld, Offensive Line
- Deion Harris, Linebackers
- Shannon Harris, Quarterbacks
- Jeremy Watkins, Defensive Line
- Gregg Williams, Defensive Coordinator
Houston Roughnecks
- CJ Johnson, Head Coach
- Lionel Vital, General Manager
- Garret Chachere, Special Teams/Running Backs
- Bob Connelly, Offensive Line
- Kwahn Drake, Defensive Line
- Jordan Higgins, Tight Ends
- Brett Maxie, Defensive Backs
- Eric Price, Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
- Zach Shagi, Assistant Secondary
- Chris Wilson, Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers
Memphis Showboats
- John DeFilippo, Head Coach
- Dennis Polian, General Manager
- Kirk Doll, Special Teams/Running Backs
- Carnell Lake, Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Backs
- Doug Martin, Offensive Coordinator/Wide Receivers
- Paul Pasqualoni, Linebackers
- Steven Thompson, Assistant Linebackers
- Jim Turner, Run Game Coordinator/Offensive Line
- T.J. Vernieri, Tight Ends
Michigan Panthers
- Mike Nolan, Head Coach
- Steve Kozar, General Manager
- Collin Bauer, Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Line
- Marcel Bellefeuille, Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
- Jaron Fairman, Special Teams/Wide Receivers
- Tim Holt, Offensive Line
- Brock Marion, Defensive Backs
- Jordan Pavlisin, Running Backs
- Christian Runza, Linebackers
- Gary Watkins, Tight Ends
San Antonio Brahmas
- Wade Phillips, Head Coach
- Marc Lillibridge, General Manager
- Chris Achuff, Defensive Line
- Derrick Berry, Linebackers
- Andre Gurode, Offensive Line
- Payton Pardee, Wide Receivers/Special Teams
- Will Reed, Defensive Coordinator
- A.J. Smith, Offensive Coordinator
- Marvin Williams, Running Backs
St. Louis Battlehawks
- Anthony Becht, Head Coach
- Dave Boller, General Manager
- Donnie Abraham, Defensive Coordinator
- Martin Bayless, Secondary
- Kyle Caskey, Running Backs/Special Teams
- Chris Claiborne, Linebackers
- La’Roi Glover, Defensive Line
- Bruce Gradkowski, Offensive Coordinator
- Gino Gradkowski, Offensive Line
- Phil McGeoghan, Wide Receivers
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