On Wednesday, the United Football League (UFL) made a few major coaching announcements. Kevin Sumlin, who coached the Houston Gamblers in 2026, is on the move. He’s taking over as Head Coach of the Dallas Renegades, replacing Rick Neuheisel – who’s taking his Renegades to Colorado.
Sumlin returned to spring football last year, inheriting the Houston Gamblers from C.J. Johnson. In his first season in the UFL, Kevin’s Gamblers finished with a 4-6 overall record.
Now, Sumlin shifts to Dallas – remaining in Texas. It’s a state that he’s coached in for quite some time. From his days in Houston, to coaching Johnny Manziel at Texas A&M – there’s a lot of history here. Kevin is enthusiastic to remain in the state of Texas – a landing spot he wanted from the get go as he entered spring football.
“Personally for me, I couldn’t be more excited to be in Dallas in the Metroplex, an area where I’ve spent a lot of time. I think I was just talking this morning, between three different stops, including Norman, which is two hours away, right? So, I’ve spent the better part of 15 years in that region. And even in college recruiting, 20-some years in that region. So, I know a lot of people, I know a lot of the players. I know a lot of the players that were in different organizations, they’re from the state of Texas, and I’m happy to be a part of that.”
Building up the Dallas Renegades fanbase will be no easy task. In fact, Sumlin will face some new challenges. The entire Renegades coaching staff and roster is moving to Colorado.
For diehard Renegades fans, Kevin isn’t certain as to how they will respond. It’ll be an adjustment for DFW football fans, as the 2027 Renegade are, for all intents and purposes, the Gamblers.
That said, Sumlin knows that the potential for Dallas to have a rabid fanbase is massive. If the UFL is executing proper marketing strategies, Kevin has confidence that the fans will show up.
“We’ve got to just do it the way that it should be done. You know, there’s a lot of relationships that I already have in that area. I think what we’ve done in the past, and knowing a lot of different people here, will help. We’ve already had people at a lot of great high school venues on Friday nights from the UFL. People will identify with what they know. What we have to do is attack things the same way, right? To be around, be visible, be present, answer the phone, talk to different people, explain our product, right? And I think as people start to move on from the high school, college, professional season, you know, the state of Texas loves football. So, you know, I think there’s always going to be a niche in this state. And now that we represent the only franchise right now in the state, I think it’s going to be a big deal.”
It’s going to be a busy offseason for Kevin Sumlin as he attacks this roster rebuild. Houston underwent some adjustments midway through the 2026 season, which paid off in dividends. Sumlin believes that they’ll be able to carry that momentum over into 2027 in Dallas.
On top of that, Kevin will be traveling around to a variety of NFL games to scout for talent, alongside keeping his eyes on the college scene. The Renegades will feature plenty of former Gamblers players, but there will be new additions.
“Well, I’ve had a lot of contact with the roster. I know that at the end of the year, and a lot of you guys that watched us last year can attest to this, we were a very different team personnel-wise at the end of the year than we were when we got blown out in the first game, right? So, I think from a roster standpoint, how we built it is completely different than a lot of other teams. We were a little late to the party. We had some guys that didn’t show up in camp. I think that our guy who runs our scouting and does everything, Rick Mueller, is the best, and one of the best in the business. We’ve got a great relationship.”
As for coaches – Kevin expects to see a solid percentage of his guys back. He’s keen on looking towards younger talent, but wants to ensure that his staff is getting the most of their opportunity in the UFL.
Eric Price, the team’s offensive coordinator, is currently up north in Montana coaching the team’s wideouts. It remains unclear if he will be back in 2027. In the meantime, however, Sumlin is keeping his eyes open for potential openings on his staff.
“Well, I can tell you this, you know, we want some continuity. And to be honest with you, James, it’s just like the players, right? I want our coaches to have the best opportunities they can have, right? And so we’ve built this thing in a certain way. I tell everybody, ‘Hey, I want you to get what you want out of this,’ right? And we’re not looking to have a bunch of old guys on the staff that are just here, and it’s a retirement job. But to answer your question, the majority of our coaches will be back.”
The future of the United Football League is bright. With Mike Repole at the helm, and his leadership – the league is heading in a very clear, positive direction. For spring football, it hasn’t always been stable. But, with the right decisions being made by leadership, it sets Kevin Sumlin, the Renegades, and the league up for success in 2027 and beyond.
“There was a time with spring football where you didn’t even know what was going to happen, right? You didn’t know if it was going to make it through a season, which some of them didn’t. So, now you have a clear vision. And, you know, I think Mike Repole has a clear vision and an expectation of where he wants this league to be, not just to survive, but to grow. And, you know, that’s one of the biggest reasons I’m involved in it, because I think his vision is bigger than just, ‘All right, we just need these teams to play a little bit of football, see if we can get this thing done a little bit.’ I think he’s got a bigger vision. Change is hard. It just is, right? It’s uncomfortable when there are changes. But I think if you look at the landscape of football in general, NFL, college football, conference movement, things like that, that change has created more excitement.”
The Dallas Renegades will kick off their season in late March, date TBD.
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