Well, here we go again.
The third iteration of the XFL announced its eight franchise locations and head coaches on Sunday night.
Under new management this time, the league will have a different look, a different feel, and a different form when it re-re-launches in February. Eight teams will once again compete for the title, with seven new head coaches.
Bob Stoops returns to coach the Dallas team, the Dallas team will once again play in Arlington's Choctaw Stadium (the former home of MLB's Texas Rangers), but since that Dallas team was not announced as the Dallas Renegades, it's safe to assume it will assume a different identity this time around.
Houston, Seattle, St. Louis and Washington D.C. will once again have teams; Los Angeles, New York and Tampa Bay will not. Those cities were replaced by Las Vegas, San Antonio, and Orlando. San Antonio and Orlando also hosted Alliance of American Football teams, the XFL offshoot that lasted one season in 2019.
With only Stoops returning, here are the remaining seven head coaches:
Houston -- Wade Phillips
Las Vegas -- Rod Woodson
Orlando -- Terrell Buckley
San Antonio -- Hines Ward
Seattle -- Jim Haslett
St. Louis -- Anthony Becht
Washington, D.C. -- Reggie Barlow
“We’ve had a clear vision for the XFL – the values to instill, the diversity of our leaders, the innovation of the game and how we want to deeply engage with our communities so they can help bring this vision to life. Today, our league takes another step closer to 2023 kickoff as we officially announce where our teams will play,” said Dany Garcia, Chairwoman and Owner. “What brings a league to life is the passion of the fandom behind it. In each of these cities we will co-create with our fans and build these teams from the ground up so that they represent the unique fabric of our communities. We welcome all football fans to join us as we get ready for kickoff in February.”
Announcing the cities welcoming their own XFL teams and head coaches who will lead tomorrow’s game.
— United Football League (@TheUFL) July 25, 2022
Swipe through to see all the teams who will be crossing paths.
XFL Coming Soon. Spring 2023. #XFL2023
Unlike the re-launched USFL, the eight XFL teams will actually play in the cities they represent. The eight-team USFL played all its regular season games in Birmingham and its playoffs in Canton, Ohio.
Beyond head coaches, most teams have filled their major off-field and coordinator hires as well. Among the highlights there, former XFL Houston Roughnecks head coach June Jones will be the offensive coordinator in Seattle, and longtime NFL defensive coordinator Gregg Williams will run the defense in DC.