Every offseason in the United Football League (UFL), there are a handful of coaches/coordinators who find gigs in the fall. Houston Gamblers OC Eric Price is one of those candidates this year, having been hired as the Wide Receivers Coach at the University of Montana.
All coordinators and assistant coaches are on part-time contracts in the UFL. This allows them to pursue other coaching opportunities in the fall, barring that they don’t overlap or get in the way of their UFL jobs. Typically, they do not.
Eric Price has purely been in spring football the last few seasons, but will now be headed to Montana in the fall. Price has plenty of collegiate experience, at Tulane and Alabama. He also was in the NFL as an assistant, with stints in Jacksonville, Kansas City, and the New York Jets to name a few.
Price just completed his fourth season in Houston. He’s primarily served as the Offensive Coordinator/Pass Game Coordinator for both the Roughnecks and Gamblers since 2023. It’s been a rather unique journey for him. In 2023, he originally was slated to join Kevin Sumlin’s staff – but then Sumlin up and left the USFL for Maryland.
C.J. Johnson was named as his replacement, and hired Price as his Pass Game Coordinator. Eric would take on the role of offensive coordinator in 2024, when Houston was rebranded to the Roughnecks during the UFL’s merger.
This is what happens when you let a confident Nolan Henderson in the game. When he's using his legs and finding a rhythm by escaping the pocket, he's got serious upside.
Beautiful rollout before zipping a dart to Emmanuel Butler for the TD. #UFL pic.twitter.com/y2GOMwvWLG
— James Larsen (@JamesLarsenPFN) April 12, 2025
When the league brought Kevin Sumlin back to Houston in 2026, to coach the Gamblers, it was an easy decision to keep Price on staff. The Gamblers dealt with a plethora of offensive injuries this year, especially to their quarterbacks. Without those, there’s a strong chance Houston ends up in the playoffs.
Regardless, the Gamblers did see some legitimate production. WR Jalen Moreno-Cropper was a stud, having already been signed to the New Orleans Saints. RB Marcus Yarns led the UFL in yards per carry.
As of right now, it remains unclear if Price will return to Houston in 2027. He would certainly be able to, as neither job at Montana, or the UFL, requires year-round service.
What are your thoughts on what Houston’s offense has looked like with Eric Price at the helm? Let us know down in the comments below, or join the conversation on Discord!
