UFL May Have Several Head Coach Vacancies to Fill in 2026

At minimum, the UFL will have to fill two head-coaching vacancies in the off-season as the league prepares for 2026: In D.C., where Reggie Barlow left just prior to the regular season to take the lead job at Tennessee State; and in Memphis, where for the second time, Ken Whisenhunt has stepped down, this time permanently, for personal reasons. After taking a leave of absence this week, it also seems unlikely San Antonio Brahmas head coach Wade Phillips will return.

All three interim coaches, Shannon Harris in D.C., Jim Turner in Memphis, and Payton Pardee in San Antonio, are strong candidates to become permanent head coaches. Harris, though, is likely to follow Barlow to Tennessee State, despite the early-season success he’s had leading D.C. through a tumultuous period. They sit alone atop the XFL Conference standings at 3-0.

Turner, a former military man with a long pro and college coaching history, would be a reasonable, though not sexy, choice for the Showboats next season. Much of it could depend on the team’s win-loss record the rest of the season, and how much he can improve on their current 0-3 situation.

Pardee has risen from wide receivers coach and special teams coordinator to offensive coordinator and now interim head coach in a short amount of time. He has youth and energy on his side and though it’s a small sample size, the team reacted positively to his leadership in week three, the closest San Antonio has come to winning so far this season.

However, that’s not likely to be the end of the coaching carousel. Though the league had to replace only one head coach last off-season, it’s possible they will have to fill vacancies in what could be more than half of the teams this summer.

Head coaches were reported to be upset about no longer being year-round employees of the league this past off-season, which means, like the players, their medical benefits are not offered year-round, either. That was one of the major sticking point for the players in the union’s contract negotiations with management, a situation that has not yet birthed a resolution.

Looking at the landscape, there are a variety of reasons current head coaches may not return in 2026. In San Antonio, Phillips will be 78 years old when the 2026 UFL season begins. His foray into spring football always felt like a short-term endeavor. Though he displays enthusiasm and energy beyond his years, he could decide it’s no longer worth it. His health is the most important thing for him to worry about right now after falling ill before last week’s game and having to take in the first game from the press box.

Likewise, Bob Stoops, now in his fourth year with the Arlington Renegades, is another candidate to retire. Stoops has repeatedly said he enjoys the UFL schedule and level of time commitment required. But if coaches like himself, Phillips, and others that come with a history of success feel slighted by the league’s contract set-up (not to mention the pay cut they took from their XFL days), that could be the impetus for their departures.

It always seemed like a matter of time before Reggie Barlow moved up the coaching ladder from the UFL. Similarly, St. Louis Battlehawks head coach Anthony Becht also has his eye on advancing in his profession. He interviewed at West Virginia for its head coaching vacancy, though he didn’t get the job.

Another stellar season at the helm of the Battlehawks and Becht could be in demand during the next coaching cycle. If he’s willing to take a coordinator or even a position coach job at the college or pro level, it’s more likely that he’ll depart.

Skip Holtz has resisted overtures to this point from a number of colleges that have been interested in the three-time spring league champion’s services. That number will increase if Holtz wins again or even comes close. If the Stallions’ championship streak is broken this year, perhaps Holtz will see that as a good time to explore other options.

Curtis Johnson was able to survive this off-season when many from the outside believed Houston would be better served with a new leader. Another season with similar results and it’ll be tougher for the argument to be made for him to stay. On the other hand, the more head coach seats need to be filled by the UFL due to voluntary departures, the more likely it is they may keep him on for stability’s sake.

The potential problem would be exacerbated if the UFL adds two new expansion franchises. Granted, it would be a good problem to have, because it means the league feels confident in its survival and will see a year three in 2026 and likely beyond. But filling unexpected openings among teams already established, then having to find two head coaches for the expansion teams would put a lot on the shoulders of Russ Brandon, Daryl Johnston, and others who are part of the hiring process.

Memphis and D.C. could be the tip of the iceberg for coaching changes the UFL will have to manage in the off-season. If the UFL makes it to a third season, this off-season could have the potential to be busier – and more important – than even last year’s.

Greg Parks

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