With the start of the Memphis Showboats’ highly anticipated second season only days away, head coach Ken Whisenhunt is stepping away for personal reasons. The shock announcement couldn’t come at a worse time for the team with their first game scheduled for Sunday afternoon. The Showboats’ offensive line coach Jim Turner was named the Interim head coach.
However, Whisenhunt’s departure leaves the team at a distinct disadvantage since he was also their offensive coordinator.
In addition to being part of John DiFilippo’s staff last year, Turner brings previous NFL coaching experience as run game and offensive line coordinator with the Miami Dolphins and Cincinnati Bengals. Before joining DiFilippo in Memphis, Turner was his offensive line coordinator for the New Orleans Breakers.
With Turner assuming interim head coach repsonsiblities in Whisenhunts’ absence, it is unknown who will take over as offensive line coordinator. The Showboats coaching staff was already lean. The only other member of the offensive coaching staff is wide receiver and tight ends coach T.J. Vernieri.
Since this is a breaking story, expect more details on the anticipated time frame for Whisenhunt’s absence and the coaching staff’s interim plans in the next few days.
The Showboats season opener is scheduled for Sunday March 30th at 11:00 a.m CT at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. Tickets are still available. The game will be televised on ESPN.
Offical Press Release
United Football League President & CEO Russ Brandon and Executive Vice President of Football Operations Daryl Johnston announced today that Ken Whisenhunt, head coach of the Memphis Showboats, has informed them that he will be taking a leave of absence from the team for personal reasons. Brandon and Johnston have named Offensive Line Coach Jim Turner to serve as interim head coach for the 2025 UFL season.
Statement from UFL President & CEO Russ Brandon and UFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations Daryl Johnston
“The impact that Ken has made on the culture of the Memphis Showboats in his brief time as head coach has been very impressive and we were excited to see the team perform in Week 1. We take pride in the UFL being a Family First league and we respect Ken’s decision to take a leave of absence for personal reasons at this time. We are fortunate to have Jim Turner in place to fill in as interim head coach and we are excited for his opportunity to lead the Showboats into the Opening Week of Season 2. If and when Ken Whisenhunt is ready to return to the UFL Family, we will welcome him with open arms.”
Whisenhunt became head coach of the Showboats in September of 2024. Prior to that he served for nearly 30 years as a football coach at various levels in the NFL and NCAA, including a stint as head coach of the Arizona Cardinals (2007-12), where he won two NFC West Division Championships (2008, 2009) and a berth in Super Bowl XLII following the 2008 season. The head coach of the Tennessee Titans for two seasons (2014-15), he helped lead the Pittsburgh Steelers to victory in Super Bowl XL as their offensive coordinator.
Turner, who has coached for nearly 30 years at the professional and collegiate levels, has served as the offensive line coach for the Showboats for the past two seasons. He previously was the offensive line coach for the New Orleans Breakers of the USFL from 2022-23 after stints with the Cincinnati Bengals (2019-20) and the Miami Dolphins (2012-13) of the NFL. A four-year letterman at Boston College and an officer in the United States Marine Corp for four years (1990-94), Turner coached the offensive line at Texas A&M from 2008-11 and from 2016-17, as well as coaching stops at Boston College (2007), Delaware (2005-06), Delaware (2005-06), Temple (2003-04), Harvard (2000-02), Louisiana Tech (1999), and Northeastern (1994-99).
The Showboats will kick off their 2025 UFL regular season on Sunday, March 30 at 12 p.m. ET when they host the Michigan Panthers in a game, which will air on ESPN.
7 Comments
by 4th&long
This is now officially a disaster for the UFL. Days away from week one and Whisenhunt bails for no reason given? No, there’s a reason and its a league reason and its not good. If he took another job maybe, but leave of absence tells me its a bigger league reason.
Could be:
1) Fox and RBC cold feet
2) Ken W getting out before a Pendings strike
3) League in turmoil – Fox and RBC not on same page… or something along those lines
4) Or Hopefully he’s just an A-hole (screw him) but this smells
The Barlow timing was based on the Eagles hiring BG HC after Moore left for Saints after Superbowl in Feb. That was justifiable. This is BS.
It looks alot like Brad Childress bailing on AAF before the season started and we know what happened there.
Need insiders to get the story. This is scary bad.
by 4th&long
Looking at your Facebook page. Sounds like League is done:
https://www.facebook.com/UFLNewsHubcom/
” Hearing there might be more UFL coaches taking a ‘leave of absence’ or seeking other employment #UFL #UFLNews #UFLNewsHub. ”
Fun while it lasted – XFL Should NEVER have comeback after USFL was established. USFL lowcost model was the way.
by Ken Granito
Wow 4th & Long and I thought what I was going to say was negative! Something seems like it’s afoot. First, I just want to make it said that I hope there is nothing physically or spiritually wrong with anyone in Ken’s family. To be honest, so many negative things have gone wrong with the Showboats this off-season that the only hopes of making this a successful season was Whisenhunt leading the Showboats to a 5-5 or 4-6 record with the team rising as the season goes along. This would have been a successful season. A disaster would be 1-0 or 0-10 and I believe that is a possibility. Let’s think about Ken Whisenhunt. He has been a professional. He has been a professional at many levels. He has won with the Cardinals with a strong pro style quarterback in Kurt Warner and he has won with a strong pro quarterback in Ben Roethlisberger. When he was with the Titans with a average quarterback room with Zach Mettenberger, Jordan Palmer, Charlie Whitehurst, Marcus Mariota & Alex Tanney. Whisenhunt was 3-20 with that group. Though a strong and professional coach he counts heavily on strong quarterback play and he likes a strong pro-style quarterback. I have written many times how I like EJ Perry. He is confident…..a fighter a runner and can be accurate. He, however, is not a big quarterback and he is not necessarily a passer first. He is whatever is working today and sometimes he doesn’t find that until the 2nd quarter. The UFL holds a lot to the vest, but let’s re-visit what has happened since Whisenhunt and Jim Monos have taken over.
1. Even after Daryl Johnston or another league representative signed many of the players that added to the 2024 team, they were basically all released. They talk about how there are 14 that remain from last year, but many of them were also jettisoned. Players such as PJ Hall and Josiah Bronson were signed back with the squad only after the better players they thought would sign with the team, never did. As far as we know they never even offered contracts to incumbent RB Darius Victor and WR Vinny Papale instead signing many younger players at receiver with none of them making the team. As far as running back he brought in all players with only Jacob Kibodi having any professional football experience. Whisenhunt labeled DeWayne McBrider a veteran presence without a pro carry and later cut him. Just seems to me he is a proponent of change for change sake and not necessarily putting out a team that is best for Memphis. The troubles with Memphis in 2024 were the O-Line and defense. Correct those and you have a strong team and an opportunity to then see what you have at quarterback.
2. Ken Whisenhunt takes an interview where he talks about how much he loved taking over the Head Coach ranks so he could develop players for a chance at the NFL. Let me tell you. That is a by-product of these league. The NFL does not pay the UFL like the Mets pay for their minor league affiliates. I don’t watch the Syracuse Mets and if this league were a minor league affiliate of a NFL squad, I likely would not watch it. I watch it for the game play and to see who wins, not to see who is developing in hopes they will make it to 3rd string in the NFL. I am watching them play and fight to win.
3. AJ McCarron would have been the perfect quarterback to run the Whisenhunt offense and I will bet he was told he was not able to sign him. He traded for Quentin Dormady in hopes he could be his quarterback and he ended up releasing him too. Based on Dormady he feels it was because of his role in labor negotiations. I understand the UFL’s stance on this if there was. In both instances, at a time where it is most important to get fans onboard with a new league, both quarterbacks couldn’t see the big picture. Unfortunately, this did not work out for Whisenhunt. McCarron being an NFL quarterback would have been right in line with Whisenhunt’s vision and would likely have played his part. On top of both of those the team signs EJ Perry, who will likely be the quarterback who is the opposite of what Whisenhunt likes to roll with at QB.
4. Maulers nepotism: Ken Whisenhunt previously worked with Ray Horton as DC in the NFL. That being the case you could see good reason Ray Horton may come back as his DC and maybe bring Jarren Horton along for the ride. Instead Jarren Horton gets the gig. Is he the best man for the job, I don’t know, but I do feel he deserves a DC opportunity. I am just not sure if it is now. The nepotism goes beyond that however. There is a lot of talk about the Maulers going to the Championship game in 2023, but it needs to be reminded that that team was 5-7 on the season. The defense was excellent in 2023 often keeping the team in games, but the last two games of the season the defense got crushed. When I talk nepotism I am not necessarily talking about Ray and Jarren Horton. I am talking about the Showboats signing players that played some small part in 2023, which was pre-merger. I understand Horton wanting to sign some players that know his defense. I have seen it many times on the pro-level, but I find it interesting that Jarren Horton did not have a job in 24. Boogie Roberts did not have a job in 24. Mark Gilbert did, but was cut from the Stallions. Jarren Horton is counting on a lot of pieces that he had success with in 2023. He signed Boogie Roberts before he even scouted what else was out there. They signed Matt Mengal before another punter was even discussed. I just think maybe there is a little more talent in the world than just people that have played for Jarren Horton.
To me, I really wanted to see what Whisenhunt had. If this team thrives he should get quite a bit of kudos for helping this team get to the next level. I just wonder if this is what he signed on for. To be honest I would prefer the fear of going 4-29 for Tennessee teams is enough to have him quit and not the fact there is really something wrong. IF there is something wrong, I am glad he will be there for his family, but I would have preferred everything to go well and see him coach in Memphis.
On the plus side I can see some really good opportunities. Tim Spencer a former Showboats running back has been a VERY successful running backs coach and would help those young running backs make the next level.
Chris Miller: Great success as a high school coach, plus was the Houston Roughnecks OC in 2020 leading the Roughnecks to 5-0 and PJ Walker played very much like he had never played previously. This very well might be the best option for EJ Perry is much like this.
Robbie Mahfouz: Mahfouz has been a high school coach in Louisiana and former Jacksonville Bull in the USFL. He sees whatever strengths are in his football team and coaches to that something that might be needed right now for the Showboats.
Mike Munchak: In Wikipedia it says he is retired, but maybe the league can sell him on the make or break that the Showboats are at right now. There is no way he would not help this team in a myriad of ways and he might enjoy giving back at this stage of his career much the way Whisenhunt had planned.
Noel Mazzone: He is certainly someone who is experienced in playcalling on offense. He has also been an assistant at many positions where he can only help the situation.
Kevin Gilbride : Wiki says he is retired, however if healthy I couldn’t imagine Gilbride not being a boon to the Showboats franchise.
There are so many opportunities, please make the calls to make this count and yes the Robbie Mahfouz is real.
I feel happy for Jim Turner to be getting his shot. Keep him with the o-line, but please bring in an experienced play caller and yes I have not run with anything and I would bring in Chris Miller if he were willing to take the call.
Let’s hope that next year there are less politics in the UFL and we have a strong 2025. Let’s have fun!
Good luck!
by 4th&long
Well I’m seeing two departures in a week leading up to kickoff. And Per UFLNEWHUB’s facebook page…
“Hearing there might be more UFL coaches taking a ‘leave of absence’ or seeking other employment #UFL #UFLNews #UFLNewsHub”
So something is up, its not good. If there’s a feeling of an impending strike or ownership has issues moving forward for some reason, that’s a major concern. It’s 4 days to kick off. This kinda crap should not be happening with a league owned by heavyweights FOX, RBC and possibly Disney too.
by Ken Granito
I had written my comments after your first comment. Based on your last two comments I could understand why you commented negatively. I just knew what I was writing was not a positive comment, but hoped the league and its players could read it and if it makes sense make positive changes in the future. Hell it was stupid for the players and the league to come to camp without a set pay. In my mind the UFL had to be blindsided by the players union otherwise why accept a camp invite when you know what the league paid last year and they haven’t talked about a large increase. I mean really poorly done. I have read your comments and agree the union is more at fault than the league for the impasse, but I hope the league approaches it better next year.
by Ken Granito
In all honesty….anyone of these would be a feel good story and all have merit.
by Gary Winter
I’m hopeful Ken Whisenhunt and his family are all ok. Not being much of a conspiracy believer, I take the league at their word that the coach had a true personal problem either with himself or a member of his family or a close friend. None of which is our business. As for the union stuff? If they were going to strike, they would’ve done it by now and the league would be kaput. That didn’t and would never have happened. These players aren’t stupid, they simply want to make a wage that would support their families while justifying the sacrifice or risk they put their bodies through. The quarterback protest was simply a signal that they weren’t getting a league response on a contract and this was a simple way to protest and get that response with very little risk. Afterall, they all showed up to actual camp. Most unions will vote to “authorize” a strike before actually voting to strike simply to show their employer they mean business. It gives them a little leverage. That’s all this really was in my book. Nobody burned down the house nor did they try.