Anthony Becht couldn't hide his pride despite the playoff disappointment. The Orlando Storm head coach wrapped up his team's inaugural season with an 8-2 record that stands as one of the most impressive debuts in UFL history.
"From a grand scheme of things, highly, highly successful season," Becht said in his final media session of 2026. "8-2, brand new team, brand new market, brand new players, 4 new coaches, a new offensive coordinator a week before the season started."
Building Something Special From Scratch
The Storm's success came with a completely new organization, making their regular season performance even more remarkable. Only one other team achieved an 8-2 record last season, highlighting just how difficult that mark is to reach.
"Really, you know, from a standpoint of, you know, what we did top to bottom, pretty exciting. We have multiple players, obviously, that were all UFL. We're going to have multiple players with NFL workouts over the coming week or so."
Becht expects 8-10 players from his roster to receive NFL looks, a testament to the talent evaluation and development that took place in Orlando's first year.
Injury Setbacks Hit Key Contributors
The season ended with some unfortunate news for two standout performers. Michael Gonzalez will be out several weeks with a leg injury, while Kanahi Maga suffered a torn ACL.
"Two tragic injuries, two players that, man, just impressive from the standpoint of Michael, what he's done all season," Becht explained. "And Kanai, a guy that we found several weeks ago and was on my list and, you know, didn't pull the trigger till later in the week. But man, he is— was an explosive player for us the last couple of weeks of the season."
Pride in the Process, Not Just Results
When asked about his proudest moments, Becht pointed to adversity rather than victories. The team's ability to nearly comeback from a 25-0 deficit against St. Louis and bounce back from losing two straight games to win four in a row showed their character.
"I think some of our proudest moments are some of our failures, honestly," Becht said. "You know, being down 25-0 to St. Louis and coming back within a touchdown, you know, just kind of ran out of time."
The coach also highlighted late-season additions who stepped up when needed, including Daquan Jackson, Nate Brooks, and Jason Taylor, who was brought back after being cut from training camp.
Strong Confidence in UFL's Future
When pressed about the league's direction under new leadership, Becht expressed unwavering confidence in owner Mike Rapole's vision.
"Mike Rapole has been fantastic. I mean, this is a billionaire that jumps on weekly calls with all the head coaches and stat— like the executives every week. And we talk through the weeks, we talk about the ups and downs, what we can do better."
Becht praised Rapole's hands-on approach and commitment to long-term success, noting that while attendance remains a challenge, TV ratings are strong and the viewing experience continues to improve.
DTR Trade Added League-Wide Drama
The coach also reflected on his midseason trade sending quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson to Birmingham, which created one of the season's biggest storylines.
"DTR could have went to multiple places, you know. This was more about DTR than it was the Stallions," Becht explained. "The drama was great because, uh, it did help our league, and nobody asked me to do it."
The trade brought linebacker Amani Bledsoe to Orlando while potentially impacting Birmingham's playoff chase, showing how individual moves can create league-wide ripple effects.
Orlando's inaugural season success sets a high bar for year two, with Becht already focused on maintaining the winning culture he's established while developing the next wave of professional talent.