Change At The Top For The Memphis Showboats

Memphis Showboats General Manager Dennis Polian announced on August 2nd that he is stepping down. The statement on @dennis_polian on X began, “Football Is A Blessing!” but it was time to step aside.

In the story originally broken by PFN’s James Larson, Polian stated how grateful and appreciative he was for the experience in Memphis. Acknowledging the sacrifices his family had made for his career, Polian looks forward to spending time with his wife Jenny, and children Finn and Miller Rose in their home community of Waco, Texas.

A Bit of History

Polian held extensive experience with several college football programs before joining the Showboats, and Head Coach John DeFilippo. His college football career began in 1999 as an events coordinator /facilities manager at Boston College where Polian was responsible for game operations.

In addition to his most recent position in Waco with the Baylor Bears as the Chief of Staff/Senior Associate AD for the football program, Polian held executive football positions at Arizona, Texas A&M, Tulane, and Columbia.

Polian also brought NFL experience to the Showboats. He served as a pro scout, football administrator, and special assistant to the coach for the Tennessee Titans. He was with the Indianapolis Colts as the team coordinator in 2007 during their Super Bowl XLI reign.

Polian also spent time with the Minnesota Vikings. Rejoining the college football world in 2018, he assumed the role of Associate AD and Director of Player Personnel at Texas A&M. That opportunity led to his position at Baylor in 2021.

Experience With Spring Football

But opportunity came knocking once again in August of 2023. Polian accepted the position of General Manager for the Pittsburgh Maulers. The role was short-lived due to the USFL/XFL merger that resulted in the creation of the UFL. Just months later, Polian joined DeFilippo in Memphis where the pair inherited a team of players from the dispersal draft.

After a rough 2024 season where they finished with a 2-8 record, the Showboats are excited to show what they can do with a team built on first-round draft picks. After securing the first selection in every round of the UFL College Draft, the Showboats are redesigning the foundation of their team. But they will be doing it without Polian who urges his followers on X to “stay tuned for big things ahead!”

Sue Levine

Sue Levine spent the past five years creating and producing a successful weekly health and wellness podcast starring a wonderful iconic woman as the program host. As part of Sue's responsibilities, she scripted every episode and discovered a genuine love of writing. When the podcast ended late last year, she shifted the focus of her writing to covering pro sports. A passionate fan of NFL and UFL football as well as fantasy, she is delighted to be able to share her articles with other football fans.

See Full Bio