Five Takeaways From UFL 2025 Coaching Staff Announcements
Photo Credit: www.theufl.com
Late last week, the UFL released its eight team coaching staffs for the upcoming 2025 season. Here are a few of my takeaways based on the announcements.
Continuity is king
“Continuity” is not something we’ve often been able to say about spring football leagues or teams. In the second season of the UFL, however, many assistants return from 2024 and a few teams were able to retain the entirety of their 2024 coaching staffs. This is significant for a few reasons: First, it gives the impression of stability for these teams and leagues, something desperately needed in this space.
Second, it allows for returning players to feel a level of comfort with the staff and schemes. They won’t be starting from scratch and should allow for the playbooks, both offensively and defensively, to continue to open up. That will only help the quality of the on-field product.
2. Ken whisenhunt’s first staff features former maulers, memphis holdovers
The staff that featured the most tumult was that of the Memphis Showboats, who are breaking in a new head coach this year in Ken Whisenhunt. Perhaps surprisingly, Whisenhunt chose to keep two Showboats assistants in Jim Turner (offensive line) and T.J. Vernieri (tight ends/receivers). Turner’s offensive line was a major weak point of the Memphis squad last year, but he does bring over 30 years of major college and NFL experience to the table.
Elsewhere, the Memphis defense will have a Steel City flavor: Whisenhunt dipped into the legacy USFL to bring aboard defensive coordinator Jarren Horton. Despite winning the league’s Assistant Coach of the Year Award in 2023, Horton was left behind, along with the Maulers franchise, in the USFL/XFL merger. Two defensive assistants that worked under Horton in Pittsburgh were also added in Marc Hull (linebackers/special teams) and Steve Meyer (defensive quality control).
The strongest acquisition could be that of Brian Baker, who will coach the defensive line. Baker brings 21 years of experience at the NFL level, having spent the majority of his time coaching the front seven. A feel-good story for Memphis is that of Lee Morris, who will take on an offensive quality control position after spending last year as a Showboat player.
3. Roughnecks run it back…after 1-9?
As mentioned in the first point, continuity is generally a positive in these leagues. But usually, after a team finishes last in its league, coaching changes are inevitable and oftentimes needed. While UFL management decided against making a head coaching change in Houston, many expected Curtis Johnson to make alterations to his staff for 2025 given the team’s struggles last year.
Instead, only offensive line coach Bob Connelly departs, replaced by Tom Cable, a veteran of the NFL sidelines. Cable was installed as the team’s Run Game Coordinator, but with no named offensive line coach on staff, will likely work with that group as well give his years of experience coaching that position at the pro level.
In cases where head coaches were kept after a down season, ownership often dictates that staff changes be made. Obviously, the UFL did not push for Johnson to make those changes. Cable’s addition might be the most intriguing of the off-season; if the Roughnecks falter again out of the gate, could the UFL decide to move on from Johnson mid-season, knowing there is someone with “NFL head coach” on his resume who could slide into that role?
USFL and XFL management have been deferential in their treatment of head coaches over the years so it would take a significant philosophical shift to make an in-season change. If they do, Cable will be ready and waiting.
4. Here, gone, and back again
While teams return a healthy portion of their 2024 staffs, some reached into the past to reunite assistants with teams they were with before seeking greener pastures. In the 2023 relaunch of the XFL, Cody Crill acted as D.C.’s tight ends coach under Reggie Barlow. Crill left to join Marshall University as offensive line coach for Charles Huff. Despite winning the conference championship in 2024, Huff and the school failed to agree on a contract for 2025. A day after winning the Sun Belt Conference title, Huff bolted for Southern Mississippi. Crill was out of a job and rejoined Barlow’s staff with a promotion to Run Game Coordinator in addition to offensive line coaching duties.
In Arlington, the Renegades threw it back even further, reuniting with Chris Woods. Woods, who will coach linebackers this upcoming season, was Bob Stoops’s Defensive Coordinator with the then-Dallas Renegades in 2020. After stop-overs with the University of Kansas (as Senior Defensive Asssistant) and Temple (linebackers coach), Woods returns to the Renegades following a head coaching change at Temple.
5. Run, pass game coordinators > offensive, defensive coordinators
Though the pool of assistants for each team has not grown from last year to this year, we’re seeing teams adopt even more specialized coordinator positions on both sides of the ball, following the lead of NFL teams in that regard. The adoption of these monikers both give additional responsibilities to position coaches and also better prepare them for future advancement.
Last year’s Arlington defensive coordinator, Jay Hayes, is now the Run Game Coordinator and defensive line coach. Defensive backs coach Marvin Sanders added Pass Game Coordinator to his title. They will act as Co-Defensive Coordinators, though it’s likely Hayes will call plays. Similarly, Houston removed the Offensive Coordinator title from Eric Price as he is now the Pass Game Coordinator, with Tom Cable in charge of the run game.
With such a small number of assistants, this could be a way to split up coordinator duties, especially as some double as position coaches in addition to calling plays, studying tape and game-planning each week of the season. Only two teams have moved their staffs to this model, though it could be something others consider in the future.