Looking At The St. Louis Battlehawks 2026 UFL Coaching Staff

The St. Louis Battlehawks are heading into the 2026 UFL season with a fresh look. Former Rams’ WR Ricky Proehl has taken over as Head Coach of the organization, with Anthony Becht being relocated to the Orlando Storm.

Not only has Becht made the move to Orlando – but he took most of his coaching staff with him.

With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at who will be coaching the Battlehawks in 2026.

Head Coach: Ricky Proehl

Ricky Proehl makes his homecoming to St. Louis football, after serving on Anthony Becht’s staff as Wide Receivers coach in 2023. Proehl, a St. Louis legend as part of “The Greatest Show on Turf”, as those local ties that Mike Repole & Co. were looking for in each individual market.

Proehl served as a Wide Receivers Coach/Assistant in the NFL for six seasons, with the Carolina Panthers (2011-2016). He returned to coaching in 2023 with the XFL, and then decided to step away for a couple of years to focus on his business – Proehlific Park – a sports performance complex and fitness center he built in North Carolina.

This is Ricky Proehl’s first opportunity as a Head Coach at any level.

Offensive Coordinator: A.J. Smith

Luckily for Proehl, he’s brought on one of the best in the business as Offensive Coordinator. A.J. Smith returns to the space, this time in St. Louis. He’s spent the last three seasons in the XFL/UFL as OC for the Houston Roughnecks and San Antonio Brahmas.

Smith helped lead the Houston Roughnecks to a 7-3 record in 2023, boasting one of the top offenses in the XFL that year. In 2024, Smith jumped over to the San Antonio Brahmas with Head Coach Wade Phillips. The Brahmas proceeded to make a Championship run, despite injuries to a multitude of starters on both sides of the ball.

A.J. will be re-uniting with QB Brandon Silvers in St. Louis, who Smith had a lot of success with in The Spring League (Conquerors), and XFL (Roughnecks). He typically runs a June Jones-style offense (run and shoot), so expect plenty of wide receiver movement for the Battlehawks this year.

Defensive Coordinator: Corey Chamblin

On the defensive side of the ball, Corey Chamblin is another spring veteran who will be a major asset to Proehl in St. Louis. Chamblin has been in this scene since 2022, serving with the Birmingham Stallions (USFL, 2022) and San Antonio Brahmas (XFL, 2023) as DB’s coach.

In 2024, Corey returned to Birmingham on Skip Holtz’ staff as Defensive Backs coach. When John Chavis had to step away midway through the year, Corey Chamblin was promoted to Defensive Coordinator, and never looked back. Ironically, it was Chamblin’s defense who shut out A.J. Smith’s Brahmas offense in the inaugural UFL Championship back in 2024.

Corey served as the Stallions DC in 2025 as well, but now relocates with Skip Holtz no longer in the picture. There aren’t many coaches in this scene who have more experience than Corey. He’s coached in Europe (Frankfurt Galaxy), the CFL (notably the Roughriders HC from 2012-2015), the USFL,. XFL, and UFL.

Running Backs: John Estes

Not surprisingly, John Estes returns to a staff that features A.J. Smith. The two have worked together three times, twice with the Houston Roughnecks – and once in The Spring League with the Conquerors. Estes is a versatile piece, having coached O-Line as well as running backs. John played in the NFL as a center for a couple of years, also with a stint in the CFL. He most recently was coaching the offensive line at San Jose State (2024-2025).

Wide Receivers: Austin Proehl

This is a fun hire – Austin Proehl is now the Wide Receivers Coach for the Battlehawks, serving on his father’s staff. It isn’t the first time they were both Battlehawks, as the two were a part of Becht’s team in 2023. That year, Austin was still playing football – and was responsible for St. Louis’ first win of the year, with a late touchdown catch vs. San Antonio. Austin just recently stepped into coaching, as Wide Receivers coach for the Wingate Bulldogs in 2025.

Offensive Line: Todd Washington

Todd Washington joins Proehl’s staff as Offensive Line coach, after a couple years away from coaching football. Todd was a fourth round NFL draft pick by the Buccaneers in 1998, with an eight year playing career across three teams.

Washington quickly transitioned into coaching. He took an OL gig at the University of San Diego, quickly moving up the ranks into the original UFL, and then spent six years on John Harbaugh’s staff with the Baltimore Ravens. Spring football isn’t anything new, either, as he coached with the AAF’s Orlando Apollos in 2019. Most recently, he was an assistant offensive line coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Defensive Line: Jeff Zgonina

Proehl brings Jeff Zgonina to his staff to coach the D-Line – a former Super Bowl Champion on the same Rams team. Jeff played in the NFL for a whopping 17 seasons, with 458 tackle and 26 sacks to his name. After wrapping up his NFL playing career in Houston, the Texans brought him back a few years later as an assistant D-Line coach. That began his coaching journey, which has now spanned over a decade. He has since been with the Giants, Commanders, 49ers – and most recently, the Cowboys.

Linebackers: Will Reed

Will Reed needs no introduction, having been in the UFL the last two seasons. He served as the San Antonio Brahmas Defensive Coordinator, under Wade Phillips. His defense led the UFL in most categories in 2024, as they made a Championship appearance. Multiple Brahmas’ linebackers were league leaders in tackles made, with Tavante Beckett earning All-UFL honors in 2025.

Will also has quite a bit of experience at the collegiate level. He served as the Assistant Head Coach & Defensive Coordinator at Trinity Valley Community College for several years, and also held the same title at Southern Arkansas University.

Special Teams: Frank Gansz Jr.

Finally, Frank Gansz Jr. will coach up the special teams unit in The Lou. Gansz is one of the biggest names the UFL has had coaching up special teams, given his extensive background. He’s known as the “architect” behind Dante Hall’s incredible streak with the Kansas City Chiefs – with a kickoff return touchdown in four straight games. Frank has coached quite a bit in the NFL, alongside stops at the collegiate level (UCLA, SMU). At UCLA, Kai Forbath earned the Lou Groza Award under Frank’s tutelage.

Final Thoughts

Ricky Proehl has to fill some big shoes in St. Louis. The Battlehawks have had a 22-8 regular season record over the last three years, accustomed to winning with Becht at the helm. That said, St. Louis is 0-2 in the playoffs – which is something that Ricky will look to improve upon. Fortunately for Proehl, he’s got a great staff of sound football minds around him.

What are your thoughts on the St. Louis Battlehawks coaching staff? Let us know down in the comments below, or join the conversation on Discord!