The St. Louis Battlehawks are entering the third season of their re-birthed tenure, and are ready to run it back in the UFL with largely the same coaching staff.
our guys ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/wJ2HrDoYZ2
— St. Louis Battlehawks (@XFLBattlehawks) February 19, 2025
This organization got their first taste of the playoffs a season ago, but fell short at home against the Brahmas. It was a disappointing end to the year, one that was very fruitful with a roster that was one of the best in the UFL.
Let’s take a look at who will be leading the Battlehawks in their third season; as they look to finally get over the hump and into the Championship matchup.
Anthony Becht | Head Coach
Anthony Becht is one of the faces of the UFL. He’s very active not just in St. Louis, but as an ambassador for the league in general. Becht was brought in by Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia as one of the Head Coaches in the XFL in 2023, and saw success with St. Louis that season. They went 7-3; but failed to make the postseason due to the strength of DC and Seattle’s records.
Becht and Co. returned with a vengeance in 2024, retooling their roster in an effort to knock off DC. They were able to accomplish that, and actually beat the Defenders twice in the season. St. Louis also defeated the Brahmas twice – but couldn’t take them down in the playoffs.
🗣️ "Anybody that lives in the city of St. Louis needs to show up to the game next week."
Anthony Becht wants all of St. Louis to support the @XFLBattlehawks in the playoffs next weekend ⚔️
(brought to you by @Gatorade, the official hydration partner of the UFL) pic.twitter.com/5fo5RmPilh
— United Football League (@TheUFL) June 2, 2024
With Becht at the helm, St. Louis boasts a 14-7 record. However, they haven’t had any postseason glory yet – and at some point, they’re going to need to figure out how to win when it really matters. That pressure is on Anthony’s shoulders heading into his third year as a Head Coach – especially with the decision made to get rid of starting QB A.J. McCarron.
The XFL/UFL is Becht’s first pro experience as a Head Coach. Becht played in the NFL for several years as a tight end, primarily with the New York Jets. He bounced around with several different teams, and was last on a roster in 2011 with the Chiefs.
Phil McGeoghan | Offensive Coordinator/WR’s
With Bruce Gradkowski abruptly taking a job with the Detroit Lions, Phil McGeoghan takes over as Offensive Coordinator for 2025. McGeoghan was a new addition to Becht’s staff in 2024, replacing Ricky Proehl. Phil brings a lot of experience to this organization, and his impact was felt this past season.
Phil began his career as a wide receivers coach in Maine, after his professional playing career was over. He entered the NFL in 2012, as an assistant with the Miami Dolphins. He took over as the head Wide Receivers coach in 2015. McGeoghan was last in the NFL in 2020, spending three years with the Los Angeles Chargers as their WR’s coach. Most recently, Phil was with the Colorado coaching staff in 2022, coaching their wide receivers.
Phil’s wide receivers produced at a high level this past season in the UFL. Hakeem Butler, Darrius Shepherd, Marcell Ateman, Jahcour Pearson, and others were excellent. Most notably, Butler was named to the All-UFL list and was the OPOY. With Phil’s resume, expect St. Louis to see solid production offensively in 2025.
Donnie Abraham | Defensive Coordinator
The NFL connections also run deep for Defensive Coordinator Donnie Abraham, who was a member of both the New York Jets and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, just like Becht.
Abraham began his coaching career as a defensive backs coach at Tarpon Springs High School in Florida. Since then, he’s held a variety of DB coaching positions in high school, college, and also the Arena Football League (Tampa Bay Storm). Donnie was in the AAF as well, with the Orlando Apollos.
Donnie Abraham’s defense took a major step in the right direction this past UFL season. They weren’t the best unit in the XFL, but St. Louis boasted one of the top defenses in the UFL; largely due to the adjustments Donnie made, alongside the addition of key pieces. St. Louis allowed just 259.8 yards per game, third best in the league.
Kyle Caskey | Running Backs/Special Teams
Kyle Caskey is back for another season with Becht, having been brought in ahead of the 2024 UFL campaign. Kyle had quite a bit of success this year in the UFL, helping coach players such as Jacob Saylors to All-UFL status. The Battlehawks featured some of the top RB’s in the league; and continued to produce, despite some injuries (i.e. Mataeo Durant).
Kyle started as a Graduate Assistant at Louisiana-Monroe, before moving to Indiana State as a Recruiting Coordinator. He then transitioned to the NFL, serving as the Offensive quality control coach for the Cincinnati Bengals. Caskey was promoted to Running Backs coach for the Bengals, and remained with the organization through 2018. He’s also had roles with the Jaguars and Lions, prior to the UFL’s Battlehawks.
Seneca Wallace | Quarterbacks
"Thrilled to announce my new journey as the Quarterback Coach for the St. Louis Battlehawks in the UFL! Excited to elevate our game and lead the next generation of talent. Let’s make some magic happen! 🏈💪 #BattleHawks #USFL #NewBeginnings" pic.twitter.com/YKdsCjrHMa
— Seneca Wallace (@wallace_seneca) February 19, 2025
Bruce Gradkowski was also the quarterbacks coach for St. Louis, so not surprisingly, Anthony Becht has brought in someone to coach their QB’s. Seneca Wallace joins the fold for the upcoming season, as one of the younger prospects on his staff.
Seneca played in the NFL for quite a few years, being a draft pick of the Seattle Seahawks back in 2003. He played in the league until 2013, throwing for 4,947 yards and 31 touchdowns across that span.
As a coach, Wallace doesn’t have a ton of experience. He was an assistant for the Dallas Cowboys in 2020, and was also an Assistant Coach at Episcopal School of Dallas from 2017-2021.
Marc Colombo | Offensive Line
With Gino Gradkowski taking a full-time Offensive Coordinator role at Rowan University, he was no longer available to coach with St. Louis. This leads to Marc Colombo taking over as the Offensive Line coach in The Lou, as the third O-Line coach the team has had in three seasons.
Colombo is another excellent addition to Anthony Becht’s coaching staff. He played in the NFL for 10 seasons with the Bears, Cowboys, and Dolphins. Marc was actually a first round pick by the Bears in 2002. Colombo started in 95 of 111 games played in the NFL. After retiring in 2012, Marc returned to the league as a coach – starting out with the Cowboys as an offensive line coach. From there, he made his way to the Giants, in the same role. Marc hasn’t coached since 2020, and now returns to the scene, this time in the UFL.
La’Roi Glover | Defensive Line
La’Roi Glover returns to the St. Louis Battlehawks personnel group for a third season, coaching the defensive line. Glover played in the NFL for over a decade as a defensive tackle, and also played with the Barcelona Dragons for one season in 1997. Glover earned multiple Pro Bowl appearances during his time in the NFL, and also was the sacks leader in 2000.
Glover was an assistant defensive line coach with the New York Jets from 2017-2018, and held the same role with the Los Angeles Chargers from 2019-2020. Interestingly enough, La’Roi has previous experience in St. Louis, as he was the Director of Player Engagement for the Rams from 2010-2016.
The Battlehawks boasted an impressive defensive line unit in 2024, but they are poised to be even better this upcoming season with the talent that has been brought in.
Chris Claiborne | Linebackers
Chris Claiborne returns for a third year on Becht’s staff, which is great news for their linebacker room. St. Louis has boasted some tremendous talent at the positon, with Mike Rose and Willie Harvey Jr. producing outstanding numbers the last two years.
Chris is a former first round NFL pick, with the Detroit Lions in 1999. He played in the NFL for several years, ending his career with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2007. Claiborne began his coaching tenure at Calabasas High School as their Head Coach from 2018-2019. Across those two seasons, his team went 17-6. Chris then spent some time at USC and Arizona State, before taking the role with St. Louis as their Linebackers Coach for the 2023 XFL season.
Martin Bayless | Secondary
Martin Bayless is back in action in St. Louis, returning for a second year. Bayless joined the Battlehawks during the USFL-XFL merger process, as he lost his gig with the Philadelphia Stars who were dissolved.
Bayless was with the Philadelphia Stars from 2022-2023 as their Defensive Backs Coach and Special Teams Coordinator, working with some of the top defenders in the league. Martin has a plethora of experience as a coach across multiple leagues, spanning the NFL, NFL Europe, the original UFL, AAF, and XFL. His DB’s in St. Louis performed at a high level, and we should expect more of the same from his unit this upcoming season.
Dave Boller | General Manager
Dave Boller enters his third year as DPP/GM of the St. Louis Battlehawks. Once again, Boller has worked to construct an even stronger roster in St. Louis, as they chase a Championship. Dave works closely alongside Anthony Becht to recruit top tier talent, and that’s exactly what they did this entire offseason. They’ve brought in quite a bit of former NFL names, many of which should make a major impact this year.
Dave was a Recruiting Director at the University of Louisville from 2015-2017, before moving into a DPP role with Syracuse for the next five years. He’s also spent decades as a scout in college and the NFL, bringing that experience to the table for St. Louis.
What are your thoughts on this St. Louis Battlehawks coaching staff heading into 2025? Let us know down in the comments below, or join the conversation on Discord!
