The first season of the United Football League (UFL) is wrapping up.
Gone are the days when the USFL and XFL would compete for dominance in the spring. Following last year’s merger, the two leagues are looking to build the most successful spring football league of all time.
Attracting notable coaches is part of that equation. Let’s examine the current head coaches who are leading UFL teams.
Who Are the Current UFL Head Coaches?
Arlington Renegades – Bob Stoops
The former head coach of the Oklahoma Sooners is back with the Arlington Renegades for another season. Bob Stoops helped Arlington win the XFL Championship in 2023. At the collegiate level, Stoops won a national title in 2000 and was one of the more successful head coaches in Sooners history.
D.C. Defenders – Reggie Barlow
Reggie Barlow returned to the D.C. Defenders after a championship game loss to Stoops and the Renegades in 2023. A former wide receiver in the NFL and a head coach at Alabama State and Virginia State, Barlow has already found success with the Defenders before. During the XFL’s final season, his team had the best regular-season record (9-1).
San Antonio Brahmas – Wade Phillips
Easily the most recognizable name on this list of coaches, Wade Phillips joins the San Antonio Brahmas after a stint in the XFL in 2023 with the Houston Roughnecks. After an illustrious NFL coaching career where he was the architect of multiple top defenses, Phillips took over as San Antonio’s head coach — replacing Hines Ward.
MORE: Who is Wade Phillips? A Closer Look at the Brahmas Head Coach
St. Louis Battlehawks – Anthony Becht
The former first-round pick by the New York Jets returned for his second season as the St. Louis Battlehawks’ head coach. Anthony Becht finished the 2023 XFL season with a 7-3 record but failed to reach the postseason due to the division breakdown of the XFL playoffs. Also, Becht was previously the tight ends coach for the San Diego Fleet of the now-defunct Alliance of American Football League.
Birmingham Stallions – Skip Holtz
Skip Holtz is back as head coach of the Birmingham Stallions, and no team has gone through the level of success in spring leagues that Holtz’s unit has. The Stallions won the USFL in back-to-back seasons and now he’s hoping to win a title in the UFL as well. Previously, Holtz had NCAA head-coaching stints Louisiana Tech, South Florida, East Carolina and Connecticut.
Houston Roughnecks – Curtis Johnson
This was Curtis Johnson’s second season as the head coach of the Houston franchise, but it presented new challenges since the XFL and USFL’s Houston teams merged. Previously, Jackson was the head coach of Tulane for four seasons in the 2010s and was a member of Miami’s coaching staff in 2001 — a national champion team considered one of the greatest college teams ever assembled.
Memphis Showboats – John DeFilippo
Once considered one of the brightest minds in the NFL, John DeFilippo joined the Memphis Showboats after leading the New Orleans Breaks to a playoff berth in the last season of the USFL. DeFilippo was the quarterback coach in Philadelphia when the Eagles won Super Bowl 52 but left and struggled to find a home after numerous offensive coordinator stints with the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears.
MORE: How Much Are UFL Players, Coaches Paid? How Does it Compare to NFL?
Michigan Panthers – Mike Nolan
The former head coach of the San Francisco 49ers is back as head coach of the Michigan Panthers. Nolan has defensive coordinating experience with teams like the New York Jets, Dallas Cowboys, Atlanta Falcons, and Denver Broncos. He is among the more experienced coaches in the UFL.