AJ McCarron is moving from Birmingham to Pawtucket, Rhode Island. The UFL announced on September 30 that it is naming McCarron head coach of its new Rhode Island team, with Rick Neuheisel taking Colorado and Kevin Sumlin taking the Dallas Renegades. Birmingham's 2026 roster moves with McCarron to Rhode Island.
The team's public launch is Sunday, October 18, at Centreville Bank Stadium in Pawtucket, where the league will unveil the team name, colors, logos and brand identity and open season-ticket seat selection.
"I learned a lot last year being in Birmingham, and I think Rhode Island and the passion that they have for football, especially New England area, fits me well. I'm just excited to be a part of this journey, take what I learned last year and apply it this year and get these guys playing hard," McCarron said.
Asked what he would tell a Rhode Island fan about himself, he said:
"I've been a winner my entire life. I will work my ass off to continue to win. I promise you that. There's nobody that wants to win more than me. I hate losing more than I like winning," McCarron said.
On Birmingham Going Away
McCarron coached the Birmingham Stallions in 2026 before the league replaced Birmingham and Houston with Rhode Island and Colorado for 2027, part of a shift toward smaller soccer stadiums.
"I wasn't surprised with the move. I felt like it was going to happen. It was not in Mike Repole's vision. And when you're the owner of a league, you get to make those decisions. ... So it's not up to me to question that move. He makes the changes and I just roll with it," McCarron said.
No Local Ties, No Excuses
McCarron said he is one of the coaches in the league without much connection to his new market, and that he does not think it will matter.
"I've played a lot of games in Alabama and I've played quite a few in New England. They're both pretty passionate. I've heard boos at both stadiums. I've heard cheers at both stadiums. ... The fire that Tom Brady had, Belichick, his whole staff, the organization as a whole. They want to win. They have a commitment to excellence to win. And I feel like that fits me pretty well. I've never gone into anything half-ass," McCarron said.
He pointed to Nick Saban as a comparison. "Winning builds relationships, right? Coach Saban didn't have a tie with Alabama," he said.
What Year One Taught Him
Birmingham finished 4-6 and missed the playoffs after opening with a 15-13 win at Louisville and then a 22-20 loss at Houston and a 34-30 loss at St. Louis.
"We start 1-0. We lose a close second game on some really, I thought, tough calls at the end. We held them, Houston, on fourth down three times. Then they kicked a last-second field goal. So you're seconds away from being 2-0. ... We got beat on double moves late in the game. Still had an opportunity to win there. So easily could be 3-0," he said.
After the Stallions acquired quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson from Orlando, Birmingham won three straight. "When I made the trade to DTR, we kind of hit our stride," McCarron said. He said his starting left tackle cracked his sternum in the first of those wins, and that he lost five starting linemen over three weeks.
"O-line is built on a relationship with each other. It's probably the biggest brotherhood on an entire football roster. And when you have five new guys trying to work together and communicate and understand what each other's pros and cons are, it's hard to do that," McCarron said.
Building the Roster and Staff
"We've already started going through the roster on guys we want to keep, changes we want to make. We've been doing that for probably the last month or so. And we've been talking to free agents for a while now," McCarron said. He said there will be changes to his coaching staff, and that coaches from other staffs in the league have contacted him about joining.
He had about two weeks to hire a staff before the 2026 draft. With more lead time now, he said camp will be harder: "It won't be so much trying to save everybody as much."
McCarron said he expects to make trips to Rhode Island for events once the roster is set after the draft. The team's inaugural home game at Centreville Bank Stadium is Friday, April 2.