8 Teams Set to Open Training Camps Next Week to Begin Inaugural Season
BIRMINGHAM, Ala., March 17, 2022 – As the new United States Football League (USFL) gets set to open training camps next week in advance of its April 16 regular-season kickoff, the League today announced its eight team coaching staffs. In addition to the Head Coach, each team will have six official coaching positions and two team assistants, many of whom handle multiple responsibilities for each 45-player roster.
USFL team staffs have strong backgrounds coaching football in the fall and spring. From the NFL to NCAA, CFL to NFL Europe, or UFL to AAF, there are a wide array of coaching experiences to help the USFL’s 360 total players prepare for the upcoming inaugural season.
“Just as the USFL provides opportunities for hundreds of players to continue playing the game they love, our League is also providing opportunities for dozens of coaches,” said Daryl Johnston, USFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations. “No matter where their football journey has taken them, all of our coaches have a passion for the game and the desire to share that passion with their players.”
USFL coaches will take the field with their players starting April 16 to compete in 40 regular-season games, all in Birmingham. All tickets will be “single day,” which allows entry to all USFL games played on any one date. Adult general admission tickets for regular-season games are $10, and each adult can receive up to three free single-day tickets for children under 15. General admission, premium, and reserved tickets are now available for purchase at theUSFL.com.
Please see the current USFL coaching staff rosters in the attached document. USFL social media channels will announce future changes and additions.
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About the USFL
The United States Football League (USFL) is a new, independent football league that is not affiliated with the defunct 1980s league or its owners. The inaugural USFL season will kick off April 16 with eight teams split into two divisions: the Birmingham Stallions, Houston Gamblers, New Orleans Breakers, and Tampa Bay Bandits in the South Division; and the Michigan Panthers, Pittsburgh Maulers, New Jersey Generals, and Philadelphia Stars in the North Division. Each team will play a 10-game regular-season, followed by semifinals on June 25 between the top two teams in each division and a championship game on July 3 between division winners. The USFL completed its inaugural Draft on March 10 and players will report to training camps on March 22. At the conclusion of training camps, each USFL team will carry a 38-man active roster plus a seven-man practice squad. Players will receive base compensation and are eligible for victory bonuses. NBC Sports and FOX Sports are the League’s official media partners and will broadcast all 43 regular- and postseason games on FOX, FS1, NBC, USA, or Peacock networks. Brian Woods is President of Football Operations, and former Dallas Cowboys standout and long-time NFL on FOX game analyst Daryl Johnston is Executive Vice President of Football Operations. 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 is Executive Vice President of Business Operations. For more information, visit theUSFL.com and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS
NAME POSITION CAREER COACHING STOPS
Skip Holtz HC/OC/QB College – UConn, South Carolina, East Carolina, South Florida, La. Tech, Colorado State, Notre Dame, Florida State
Corey Chamblin DB CFL – Toronto, Saskatchewan, Hamilton, Calgary, Winnipeg NFL Europe – Frankfurt; College – Arkansas
John Chavis DC/LB College – Arkansas, Tennessee, LSU, Texas A&M, Alabama, A&M, Alabama St.
Jonathan Himebauch OL CFL – Calgary, Montreal, Edmonton, Toronto
College – San Diego State, UNLV, Wake Forest, Air Force, Nevada
AAF – San Antonio; XFL – Tampa Bay
Bill Johnson DL NFL – LA Rams, New Orleans, Denver, Atlanta
College – LSU, Arkansas, Texas A&M, La. Tech, Miami, McNeese St., Northwestern State
Mike Jones WR College – Tennessee State; NFL Europe – Frankfurt; CFL – Toronto
Larry Kirksey RB NFL – San Francisco, Detroit, Jacksonville, Denver, Houston College – Miami (OH), Kentucky, Kansas, Kentucky State, Pittsburgh, Alabama, Middle Tennessee, Texas A&M
XFL – Seattle; TSL – Sea Lions
HOUSTON GAMBLERS
NAME POSITION CAREER COACHING STOPS
Kevin Sumlin HC/QB College – Arizona, Texas A&M, Houston, Oklahoma, Purdue, Minnesota, Wyoming
David Beaty WR College – Rice, Kansas, Texas A&M, Texas
Tim Lewis DC/DB NFL – Pittsburgh, NYG, Carolina, Seattle, Atlanta, San Francisco
College – Texas A&M, SMU, Pittsburgh
AAF – Birmingham; XFL – St. Louis
Greg McMahon ST/TE NFL – New Orleans
College – Eastern Illinois, Minnesota, Illinois, North Alabama, Southern Illinois, Valdosta State, UNLV, East Carolina, LSU
Gordon Shaw OL College – Colorado St.-Pueblo, Houston, Texas St., Idaho, Hawaii, So. Dakota, Minnesota, Wyoming, No. Colorado, No. Arizona, Cal Poly, Cal State Northridge
Mark Snyder LB College – Marshall, UCF, Youngstown State, Minnesota, Ohio State, South Florida, Texas A&M, Michigan State, Florida State
Ty Warren DL NFL – Detroit
Team Assistants:
Brendan Donovan DQC
James Runnels RB
NEW ORLEANS BREAKERS
NAME POSITION CAREER COACHING STOPS
Larry Fedora HC College – Austin, Baylor, Air Force, Middle Tennessee, Florida, Oklahoma State, Southern Mississippi, North Carolina, Texas
Nathan Burton SEC College – Georgia Tech, Oklahoma State, Tennessee-Martin, Shorter,
West Alabama, NC State, Temple
Noel Mazzone OC/QB NFL – NYJ
College – New Mexico, Colorado State, TCU, Minnesota, Ole Miss, Auburn, Oregon State, NC State, Arizona State, UCLA, Texas A&M, Arizona, UConn
Paul Spicer DL NFL – Jacksonville, Tampa Bay
Jonathan Tenuta DC/LB College – Virginia, Maryland, Vanderbilt, Marshall, K-State, SMU, Oklahoma, Ohio State, North Carolina, Georgia Tech, Notre Dame, NC State, Cincinnati, Virginia Tech
Jim Turner OL NFL – Miami, Cincinnati
College – Northeastern, Louisiana Tech, Harvard, Temple, Delaware, Boston College, Texas A&M
Patrick Washington WR College – Auburn, Louisiana, TCU, Baylor, Tennessee, K-State, Mississippi State, Southern Miss, Kentucky, Missouri, South Carolina, Appalachian State
Team Assistants
Matt Butterfield ST/TE
Greg Patrick DL
TAMPA BAY BANDITS
NAME POSITION CAREER COACHING STOPS
Todd Haley HC NFL – Kansas City, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Arizona, Dallas, Chicago, NYJ
Frank Gansz, Jr. TE/ST NFL – Baltimore, Kansas City, Oakland; CFL – Hamilton
College – SMU, UCLA, Houston; U.S. Military Academy
World League – NY/NJ
Trey Jackson LB College – East Central, Central Missouri
Carnell Lake DB NFL – Pittsburgh, Philadelphia
“Pepper” Johnson DC/DL NFL – New England, NYJ, Buffalo; XFL – LA; AAF – Memphis
Pat Perles OL NFL – LA Rams, Kansas City; College – Michigan State, Michigan;
CFL – Saskatchewan, Winnipeg, Hamilton, Toronto
Bob Saunders OC/WR/RB NFL – Kansas City, Washington, St. Louis, Cleveland
UFL – Virginia; XFL – DC
Team Assistants:
Steven Thompson LB/DB
Yale Van Dyne WR/RB
MICHIGAN PANTHERS
NAME POSITION CAREER COACHING STOPS
Jeff Fisher HC NFL – Philadelphia, San Francisco, Houston/Tennessee, St. Louis/LA
Neil Callaway OL College – Wyoming, Auburn, Houston, Alabama, Georgia, UAB, Western Kentucky, USC, Purdue
Daniel Carrel DC College – West Liberty, Ohio State, Kentucky, Houston, New Mexico, UMass
Jeff Imamura DB/ST NFL – Carolina, St. Louis/LA, Minnesota
College – Vanderbilt, Saginaw Valley State, Northern Arizona, TCU
Eric Marty OC College – Grambling State, Reedley, East Los Angeles Moorpark,
Oklahoma Panhandle State
Kwahn Drake DL College – Colorado, Eastern Illinois, Tulane, Memphis, Kansas
Team Assistants:
Tony Brown DL
Mark Stewart RB
NEW JERSEY GENERALS
NAME POSITION CAREER COACHING STOPS
Mike Riley HC NFL – San Diego, New Orleans
College – Oregon State, Nebraska, USC, Cal, Whitworth, Linfield, No. Colorado
AAF – San Antonio; CFL – Winnipeg; WLAF – San Antonio; XFL – Seattle
Robert Diaco DL College – UConn, Western Illinois, Eastern Michigan, Central Michigan,
Virginia, Cincinnati, Notre Dame, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Purdue, La. Tech
Cris Dishman DC/DB NFL – Oakland, Miami, San Diego, Arizona
College – Menlo, Baylor, McNeese State
CFL – Montreal; NFL Europe – Berlin; XFL – New York
Jay Locey TE/RB College – Linfield, Oregon State, Lewis and Clark
James Rodgers, Jr. WR College – Nebraska, Oregon State; AAF – San Antonio
Steve Smith OC/OL NFL – Kansas City, New Orleans
College – Virginia State, Albany State, Lincoln
NFL Europe – Frankfurt and Rhein; XFL – Seattle; AFL – Detroit
Ken Watson LB College – Miles; AAF – San Antonio
Team Assistants:
Zerick Rollins QC/QB
Dominique Franks QC/DB
PHILADELPHIA STARS
NAME POSITION CAREER COACHING STOPS
Bart Andrus HC NFL – Tennessee; St. Louis Rams; College – Ottawa, Feather River,
Rocky Mountain, BYU, Humboldt State, Montana State, Southern Utah
NFL Europe – Amsterdam; CFL – Toronto; UFL – Omaha; XFL – Team 9
Martin Bayless CB/ST NFL – Buffalo, Carolina, Oakland, Houston, Minnesota, Denver,
Arizona, Indianapolis; College – North Carolina, California Redwoods
NFL Europe – Barcelona, Amsterdam; YCF; AAF – Birmingham
XFL – LA
Marcel Bellefeuille WR CFL – Saskatchewan, Montreal, Hamilton, Winnipeg, BC
College – Ottawa and Queen’s; UFL – Omaha
Jeff Jagodzinski OL NFL – Green Bay, Atlanta, Tampa Bay
College – Wisconsin-Whitewater, No. Illinois, LSU, East Carolina, BC, Ave Maria, Georgia St.; UFL – Omaha; XFL – Dallas; ELF – Panthers Wroclaw(Poland)
Brandon Maguire DL College – Holy Cross, Northern Colorado, Montana Tech, Langston, Montana
Brad Miller DC NFL – Green Bay; CFL – Edmonton, Montreal, Hamilton, Saskatchewan
College – Ottawa.
Glenn Smith TE NFL – Dallas
Team Assistants:
Brock Olivo OQC/RB
George Jackson DQC
PITTSBURGH MAULERS
NAME POSITION CAREER COACHING STOPS
Kirby Wilson HC NFL – New England, Washington, Tampa Bay, Arizona, Pittsburgh, Minnesota, Cleveland, Las Vegas; College – Pasadena City, Los Angeles Southwest,
Southern Illinois, Wyoming, USC, Iowa State
Rick Courtright DL NFL – Arizona, NYJ; College – USC; UFL – Sacramento
Jarren Horton DC/DB College – UConn; AAF – Atlanta
Marc Hull ST/LB College – Slippery Rock, Shippensburg, Kentucky Christian, West Los Angeles
Bill Khayat TE NFL – Arizona, Washington; College – Tennessee St., Brevard, Scottsdale CC, UFL – Sacramento
Steven Loney OL/TE NFL – Phoenix (Arizona), Minnesota, St. Louis, Tampa Bay, Dallas
College – Iowa State, Missouri Western, Morehead State, The Citadel,
Colorado State, UConn, Iowa State, Minnesota, Drake
John Tomlinson OC/QB NFL – L.V., Cleveland, Indianapolis; College – Juniata, No. Carolina Central
Team Assistants:
Will Johnson RB
Jack Nudo DB
About the USFL
The United States Football League (USFL) is a new, independent football league that is not affiliated with the defunct 1980s league or its owners. The inaugural USFL season will kick off April 16 with eight teams split into two divisions: the Birmingham Stallions, Houston Gamblers, New Orleans Breakers, and Tampa Bay Bandits in the South Division; and the Michigan Panthers, Pittsburgh Maulers, New Jersey Generals, and Philadelphia Stars in the North Division. Each team will play a 10-game regular-season, followed by semifinals on June 25 between the top two teams in each division and a championship game on July 3 between division winners. The USFL completed its inaugural Draft on March 10 and players will report to training camps on March 22. At the conclusion of training camps, each USFL team will carry a 38-man active roster plus a seven-man practice squad. Players will receive base compensation and are eligible for victory bonuses. NBC Sports and FOX Sports are the League’s official media partners and will broadcast all 43 regular- and postseason games on FOX, FS1, NBC, USA, or Peacock networks. Brian Woods is President of Football Operations, and former Dallas Cowboys standout and long-time NFL on FOX game analyst Daryl Johnston is Executive Vice President of Football Operations. 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 is Executive Vice President of Business Operations. For more information, visit theUSFL.com and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
