Former NFL Head Coaches Mike Riley & Todd Haley Back on Sidelines,
Joined by World Bowl Champion Bart Andrus & Collegiate Standout Kevin Sumlin
LOS ANGELES, JAN. 6, 2022 — The United States Football League (USFL), a new professional football league launching in 100 days on April 16, today named two former NFL head coaches, a World Bowl Champion, and a standout college head coach to guide teams during its inaugural season. The USFL’s first four head coaches are:
Bart Andrus – Philadelphia Stars
Mike Riley – New Jersey Generals
Todd Haley – Tampa Bay Bandits
Kevin Sumlin – Houston Gamblers
In addition to leading a team’s on-field strategy, USFL head coaches will also be responsible for player evaluation and selection. Each team will also have a Director of Football Operations who will have player personnel duties and assist the head coach with roster management.
“Today is a monumental day for the new USFL as we hit the 100 days to kickoff mark,” said Brian Woods, USFL President of Football Operations. “To attract Mike Riley and Todd Haley, two former NFL head coaches, Bart Andrus, a former head coach in NFL Europe and CFL, plus an experienced college head coach in Kevin Sumlin, to the USFL, speaks to the quality of the league we’re building. They all share our belief in high-quality spring football, and we’re honored to have them lead their respective teams this year. We can’t wait to hit the field!”
The USFL will hold a player selection meeting on Feb. 22-23, and training camps will open on Monday, March 21. Each USFL team will carry a 38-man active roster plus a seven-man practice squad, and players will receive base compensation plus be eligible for victory bonuses.
The USFL will launch with eight teams split into two divisions playing in one location. In addition to the Birmingham Stallions, New Orleans Breakers, Gamblers, and Bandits in the South Division, the North Division features the Michigan Panthers, Pittsburgh Maulers, the Generals, and Stars. Each team will play a 10-game schedule, semifinals between the top two teams in each division, and a championship game between division winners. The USFL has multi-year agreements with NBC Sports and FOX Sports, establishing both networks as official broadcast partners, with plans to nationally televise every game on either NBC, USA, Peacock, FOX, and FS1.
In addition to Woods, a USFL co-founder, serving as President of Football Operations, former Dallas Cowboys standout and longtime NFL on FOX game analyst Daryl Johnston is Executive Vice President, Football Operations. Additionally, former NFL Vice President of Officiating and FOX Sports’ NFL and college football rules analyst Mike Pereira is Head of Officiating, and FOX Sports’ Edward Hartman, serves as Executive Vice President, Business Operations.
The USFL is a new, independent football league controlled by FOX Sports through USFL HoldCo, LLC, a new business entity, and it is not associated or affiliated with the USFL of the 1980s or its owners. For more information, visit http://USFL2.com and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
See below for quotes from each head coach announced today and the attached for thumbnail biographies.
“I’m really looking forward to getting back on the sidelines and coaching a team that I have a hand at creating from scratch. There are terrific people who I have a lot of respect for working to develop the USFL, and I expect the quality of football we present to be first-rate. I can’t wait to get started.” Bart Andrus, 1/6/22
“I’m excited personally to coach people at this level because I find them to be very hungry. Almost all of them had really successful high school and college careers, and they get into a league like this because they love to play, and they want to get better. That combination right there is one idea in general that just makes it really fun to coach.” Mike Riley, 1/6/22
“This is a tremendous opportunity for me to get back into coaching at the professional level. It’s been a while since I led a team on field, and I’ve missed it. It’s also rare that a head coach, as it was once put, gets to pick all the groceries, and fix the meal. This is going to be a lot of fun, and I expect the fans to enjoy the competition.” Todd Haley, 1/6/22
“A new league like the USFL provides opportunities for coaches as well as players, and I’m very excited to have this opportunity to be a head coach at the professional level. I love coaching football players, it’s in my blood, and there are many, many athletes who are hungry to play high-quality football. I can’t wait to build my team and work with them this spring.” Kevin Sumlin, 1/6/22
