June Jones has been named head coach and general manager of the XFL team in Houston.
Houston, TX., May 20, 2019 – The XFL today announced that June Jones, a former coach for the NFL’s Houston Oilers and USFL’s Houston Gamblers, and a former head coach in the NFL, CFL and at the major college level, has been named head coach and general manager of the XFL team in Houston.
The Houston team will play at TDECU Stadium when the league kicks off in February 2020. Brian Michael Cooper, who previously served as Senior Associate A.D. at Rice University and President of the NBA G-League Rio Grande Valley Vipers, was named President of the XFL football team in Houston last week.
“We’re extremely proud to add Coach Jones, a man with four decades in football, as an XFL head coach,” said XFL Commissioner & CEO, Oliver Luck. “June has coached the game in three different pro leagues, including the NFL, as well as major college and high school football. The experience he’s gained at every stop along the way will no doubt serve him well as he helps us reimagine the game and build our Houston team into something special.”
“I’ve spent a few years coaching in Houston, and having a chance to return to be a head coach in the XFL is an opportunity I couldn’t pass up,” said Jones. “I had a really great time coaching in the CFL, but this new fresh opportunity to build a team from the ground up is extremely rare in this game, and I’m looking forward to working with Brian Cooper and our coaches to give football fans in Houston a team that’s truly exciting to watch and worthy of their support.” “June Jones is one of the most accomplished and well-known football coaches, and it will be an honor to work side-by-side with him,” said Cooper. “I have no doubt that his love of the game and commitment to excellence on-field will dovetail perfectly with our effort to engage Houston sports fans in new and exciting ways.”
Jones joins Kevin Gilbride (New York), Pep Hamilton (Washington, D.C.), Jonathan Hayes (St. Louis), Winston Moss (Los Angeles), Bob Stoops (Dallas), Marc Trestman (Tampa Bay) and Jim Zorn (Seattle) as the XFL’s head coaches when the league kicks-off in February 2020.
Jones comes to the XFL after two seasons with the CFL’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Hired as the team’s assistant head coach in 2017, he was elevated to interim head coach after an 0-8 start that year. The Tiger-Cats went 6-4 under Jones, and he was appointed head coach for 2018, and took the team to the second round of the playoffs. In December, he stepped down to become associate head coach and offensive coordinator, clearing the way for the promotion of his successor.
Jones is entering his 35th season as a football coach at the high school, college and professional levels. In addition to the Tiger-Cats, he has held head coaching positions at Southern Methodist University (2008-14), the University of Hawaii (1999-2007), and with the NFL’s San Diego Chargers (Interim – 1998) and Falcons (1994-96). While leading SMU, Jones was named Conference USA Coach of the Year by The Sporting News in 2009, and Western Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 1999, 2006 and 2007 while the head coach at Hawaii. In his first season as head coach of the Rainbow Warriors, he led the team to a 9-4 record and a share of the WAC championship. Having finished the prior season 0-12, it was the most significant single-season turnaround in NCAA football history.
After three seasons as the Falcons’ offensive coordinator (1991-93), Jones was named head coach in 1994. Despite taking over one of the NFL’s worst teams, and having no first or second-round draft picks in his first two years, the Falcons made the playoffs.
In addition to his three seasons as an NFL assistant coach in Atlanta, Jones served as Detroit Lions’ quarterbacks and wide receivers coach (1989-90) and Houston Oilers’ quarterbacks coach (1987-88). During his 13 years as a coach at the professional level, he worked with Hall of Fame quarterbacks Brett Favre (1991), Warren Moon (1987-88) and Jim Kelly (1984).
Jones began his coaching career in 1983 as quarterbacks coach at Hawaii. After a season, he moved to the United States Football League as wide receivers coach of the Houston Gamblers (1984) and offensive coordinator of the Denver Gold (1985). In 1986, Jones was a co-offensive coordinator of the CFL’s Ottawa Rough Riders, joining the team after the USFL folded.
Before coaching, Jones played quarterback for the Falcons for five years (1977-81) and the Argonauts for one season (1982). A Portland, Oregon native, he signed with the Falcons as a free agent out of Portland State University after earning All-America honors, leading the nation in passing and total offense.
Last week the XFL revealed they would hold “Summer Showcase” tryout camps in XFL cities. We have now confirmed that these tryouts are by invitation only, and there will be approximately one-hundred players invited to each camp, where the coaches and league’s football operations staff will conduct an evaluation.
Potential players have been scouted by the league and are being invited through their agents. The invitation process began on May 13th, and agents are being instructed as to the details of the timing and documentation required.
The players invited are expected to be players who are currently Street Free Agents, players from the 2019 NFL Draft class, etc. Immediately following each showcase, the league will begin considering players to sign to XFL League Contracts.
The XFL will be gathering info on these players for signings and for the draft. The tryout camps will entail:
Height, weight and measurements for each player
Combine like testing; 40 Yard Dash, Shuttle drills etc
Individual positional workouts and 1 on 1 drills led by the XFL coaching staffs
Private additional workouts and meetings with XFL Coaching staffs
Player interviews and background info
It is reported that the XFL intends to make the Showcases open to the general public and media. More details will be released soon.
The official dates and locations:
6/7 Dallas- Maverick Stadium in Arlington, Texas
6/8 Houston- TDECU Stadium
6/14 New York- Sprague Field at Montclair State University
6/15 DC- St. James Complex in Northern Virginia
6/21 LA- Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Long Beach
6/22- Seattle- Memorial Stadium in Seattle
6/29- Tampa- Raymond James Stadium
7/13- St. Louis- LFA Training Center
Note: This information posted with contributions by Mike Mitchell.
Vince McMahon and the XFL are clearly swinging for the fences right out the gate.
Big time money is being invested into the XFL. Hundreds of millions of dollars. ABC, FOX, ESPN and FS1 will be airing the league’s games. Two big time networks that produce NCAA Football and the NFL on a grand scale, have signed multi-year deals to be the broadcast homes/partners of the XFL. The league will debut in eight of the top twenty-one TV markets in the country. New York, LA, Dallas, Houston, Seattle, DC, Tampa and St. Louis. Big time money in big time cities on big time networks.
It’s becoming quite clear what the vision and design of XFL2020 is at this point, despite being labeled as such by most detractors. The XFL has no intention of being a minor league. They want to be what the USFL could have been , and they want to be what MLS has become. They are trying to be a powerful standalone sports league in the spring. The league’s partnerships and big-league football hires are evidence of just that.
Back in January 2018, when Vince McMahon announced the relaunch of the XFL, his announcement was met with great ridicule and skepticism. Why bring back a league that failed in such a spectacular fashion? Was there even a market for it, and who would support or be a part of it?
The latter question is being answered on a daily basis. This past week alone, saw XFL Dallas Head Coach/General Manager Bob Stoops hire Daryl Johnston as his Director of Pro Player Personnel, as well as hiring, Air Raid Inventor Hal Mumme as his offensive coordinator. Big time moves in Big D. This coming Monday, June Jones will be announced as the HC/GM of the XFL’s franchise in Houston. A big name in those parts, Jones is a great part of Houston pro-football history, especially from his time with the Houston Oilers and Gamblers.
The current XFL’s eight teams will now have five coaches with Head Coaching experience. The original XFL only had one coach with NFL Head Coaching experience in the late Ron Meyer. The eight original XFL Head Coaches were all quality coaches with backgrounds in NFL Europe and the NCAA, but for the most part, it was what you would expect from a “secondary league.” No one expected the current version of the XFL to attract Bill Belichick and Nick Saban, but it’s fair to state that the current group of coaches, collectively, are a very solid group, one that consists of a college football champion, Super Bowl champions and a multiple time CFL champion. In an upstart pro football league, this is a strong positive… getting accomplished coaches to buy in. It’s not an easy task in today’s world to get these types of coaches to believe and commit to a new league. Especially after what just happened with the AAF, and what has happened to countless other non-NFL football leagues.
When it comes to the XFL’s TV deal, most people assumed that the XFL would have a hard time getting any networks to air their games. With the new age of streaming, the feeling was that if all else failed, Vince McMahon would just put his games on his successful WWE Network. Some thought that perhaps, one of his cable partners like NBC Universal, would perhaps, as a favor, allow the league to air some games on USA network.
The last time Vince McMahon attempted to bring a football league onto the sports landscape. He wasn’t a billionaire three times over. NBC backed him and bought fifty-percent of the league. NBC parted ways with the NFL, and saw the original XFL as a cheaper and potentially rewarding alternative. By now, everyone knows how that story ended. NBC took their contractually obligated fifty-million dollars away from the XFL and went home after one season. McMahon’s other fledgling broadcast partners (UPN/TNN), tried to leverage a second season of the XFL against McMahon’s other property, the WWE. McMahon begrudgingly was forced to choose, and ended up shutting down the XFL.
Upstart leagues have a very hard time getting any exposure or TV time. The defunct United Football League tried desperately to get any network to air their games. They landed/settled on HD Net as their main TV home. There was always talk of the UFL ending up with a cable deal or even on the NFL Network. The UFL hoped to expand to more than just 4 or 5 teams. The thought was that it would happen, once the league got their long-awaited TV deal. It never came, and the league eventually folded, ending in what was the sports version of “If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?”
Upstart leagues have to beg for TV time, or in the case of the AAF, pay for it. These types of leagues are desperate for any type of attention and exposure. Credit to the Alliance, they found a way onto television by hook or by crook (Reggie Fowler). As admitted on ESPN Radio by Bill Polian, the AAF rushed into the marketplace to get ahead of the XFL. When it came to exposure for their league, the AAF knew that they wouldn’t be able to hit a home run, so they settled for just getting on base. The problem was that they never drove those runners home. The entire league was left stranded on base, unable to finish their season. The AAF still owes CBS and the NFL Network millions of dollars. They paid to be on CBS, which ended up airing only one game all season. They also paid NFL Network to be on their network. It was a neat way of creating the appearance/perception that the NFL was backing them by airing their games. Sort of like paying Marshawn Lynch thousands in quarters, to pretend that he was a backer of the AAF on TV. The Alliance was not only paying for production costs and air time, they were paying the on-air talents like former NFL Head Coach Steve Mariucci. As reported by Sports Business Journal’s Daniel Kaplan, Mariucci was being paid 20k per game, plus air fare.
The XFL having their games on ABC and Fox every single week is a big deal. Just being associated with those networks, gives the league a great rub. Having all four weekly games on Fox, ABC, ESPN and FS1 is the kind of exposure/coverage that sports leagues crave. Particularly an upstart sports league, that doesn’t have an established fan base or track record. Despite it being a new remodeled version, the XFL comes to the game with some blemishes on its image and record. The league still has a lot to prove.
There are some drawbacks to the XFL’s television deal, and the positives and negatives go hand in hand. Being on big networks ups the stakes. One of the things that killed the original XFL, was their failing ratings by 2001 standards in Network Primetime. The league’s championship game was a low point and had just over 3 million viewers. Ironically, this was the same number of viewers the AAF had in their premiere game on CBS. Being on a big network like NBC was great for the original XFL, but the expectation level of producing weekly primetime ratings hurt the XFL greatly. The league was setting historic weekly primetime lows in the ratings back then. However, the TV ratings landscape was vastly different two decades ago than it is now.
The current XFL will still have pressure to produce good numbers on Fox and ABC. The lone positive, however, is that the league’s games will not be on in primetime. Save for two games late in the season in weeks 9 and 10, that will be on primetime on Fox, the XFL will be airing early afternoon games in most of their markets. The “late” games are scheduled for 5pm Eastern, which would be 2pm on the west coast and 4pm Central Time. The ratings will still be judged, but on a different scale than if the league was in primetime on ABC and Fox. Instead the XFL is going to be in the position of being a lead in for other network sports and programming. Instead of being those networks feature presentations. Having to work and schedule around ABC and Fox’s many sports leagues, may have benefitted the XFL in the short run. The truth is that prime time games might not have been available on a weekly basis, even if the league wanted it. If the XFL was a weekly primetime entity on network TV, they would be expected to produce big numbers.
The other drawback to the TV deal is that the XFL is not being paid a rights fee by the networks. TV money helps keep leagues afloat. The XFL doesn’t have that luxury in this case, nor should it have been expected coming off the heels of the AAF’s demise, and other leagues like it. Besides the exposure and potential weekly coverage, and endorsement of being partnered with Fox and ABC, what the XFL is getting is their production costs covered by the networks. This could amount to 400 thousand dollars or more per game. Production costs for season one can range anywhere from 17 to up to and over 20 million dollars. The XFL is not paying to be on the air and won’t have to pay for the on-air talent. The presentation and production will be top notch, with premiere production and on-air talent from Fox and ABC’s deep broadcasting talent pool. Talents who have great knowledge and experience calling college and NFL games like Tim Brando and Joel Klatt for example. The networks will treat the games and players like they are important. This is the type of respect that upstart football leagues have really struggled getting in the past. All of this outweighs the negative of not commanding a typical sports league rights fee.
Ultimately, the XFL could have attempted to play in smaller markets and venues, and avoid paying expensive leases, or high salaries to coaches, office/football personnel or players. The XFL also could have looked to secure a rights deal with a cable network or a streaming service. There are so many networks out there looking desperately to add live content. The league could have gone small, limited their risks and costs, and the goal could have been to survive until they can potentially grow over time. That’s clearly not the strategy here. Perhaps there is an argument for that type of approach.
The XFL is clearly swinging for the fences right out the gate. The league might strike out and is guaranteed to lose a significant amount of money in the early going, as all startups do when they are trying to get off the ground. From the sounds and looks of it, Vince McMahon is prepared to take those lumps early on. Lose big early and then win late. The game to them is 9-innings, and the plan is to keep swinging for the fences until they start scoring big.
Mike Mitchell is a freelance sports writer, analyst, and a general lover of all football. Mike was one of the original XFLBoard.com Team Reporters in 2001, reporting on the New York/New Jersey Hitmen. We have welcomed him back to the XFLBoard and love his ongoing insightful contributions.
June Jones will be the eight and final Head Coach hired by the XFL prior to their inaugural season kickoff in February 2020.The XFL has announced they would introduce the new Head Coach/GM of the Houston franchise on May 20th at 11:30 am CT, at TDECU Stadium Club at the University Of Houston. The candidate, former Falcons and Chargers head coach June Jones, has widely been made known prior to the official unveiling, as it was originally tweeted by John McClain of the Houston Chronicle.
June Jones has been hired as the first head coach of Houston’s new XFL team. He was OC of CFL’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats, where he was the head coach in 2018. Jones was an assistant with Oilers and Gamblers as well as HC of Falcons, Chargers, Hawaii and SMU.
In the past, the 66-year-old Jones has spent three years as head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, and acted as interim head coach of the San Diego Chargers. More recently, he served as Head Coach of the Canadian Football League’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats for the past two years.
Jones also has some local experience, since (as a young football coach) he was wide receivers coach of the USFL’s Houston Gamblers. Later he served as quarterbacks coach for the Houston Oilers. In these roles, he had a hand in the careers of future Hall of Fame quarterbacks Jim Kelly and Warren Moon.
Jones will be the eight and final Head Coach hired by the XFL prior to their inaugural season kickoff in February 2020.
The XFL will soon look to filling out it’s player rosters as it will be holding a series of “Summer Showcase” combine events in XFL cities during June and July.
In a recent tweet, the XFL announced the “Summer Showcase” as featuring innovative combine testing, football-specific drills and verified measurement opportunities.
Brian Michael Cooper named President of XFL team in Houston
Stamford, Conn., May 14, 2019 – The XFL today announced that Brian Michael Cooper, previously Senior Associate Athletic Director at Rice University and President of the NBA G-League Rio Grande Valley Vipers, has been named President of the XFL football team in Houston.
The Houston XFL team will take the field in February 2020 for its inaugural season and play its home games at TDECU Stadium.
Cooper, who most recently served as a partner in the Houston and Denver offices of Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP and as a member of the firm’s Entertainment, Media and Sports Practice, will be responsible for the team’s fan engagement and business operations, including ticket sales, corporate partnerships, marketing, content, communications, community relations, and the game day experience.
“Vince McMahon, Oliver Luck and I are all proud to announce Brian as President of our team in Houston,” said Jeffrey Pollack, XFL President and Chief Operating Officer. “He is a seasoned sports business leader who knows and loves Houston and will help us connect authentically.”
“It’s an honor to help launch the XFL’s team in Houston,” said Cooper. “One measure of our success will be how well we engage the community. Another measure will be how effectively we tap into Houston’s passion for football. In both instances, I look forward to planting firm roots for the XFL by building a passionate, loyal fanbase for our Houston team.”
Cooper has more than 20 years of experience as a sports attorney, agent, executive and advisor, guiding clients through all aspects of sports business transactions, and is a four-time Super Lawyers Texas Rising Star. Before returning to his law practice in 2017 at Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith, he served as Director of Sports Programming for DISH Network. Cooper served as Senior Associate Athletic Director at Rice University from 2010-2013, and as President of the Rio Grande Valley Vipers from 2008-2010. The Vipers are the NBA G-League affiliate of the Houston Rockets.
Before joining the Vipers, Cooper spent six years as an attorney at Haynes Boone LLP in Houston from 2002-2008, where he worked on matters for the Harris County Sports and Convention Corporation. For his work in Houston sports, he received the Outstanding Service Award from the Houston Bar Association’s Entertainment and Sports Law Section in 2009 and 2012, along with the HBA ESL Chairman’s Award in 2014. Cooper began his legal career at Proskauer LLP in New York, where his clients included the NBA, NHL, ATP, and MLS.
A graduate of Cornell University, the Harvard Kennedy School, and Columbia Law School, Cooper has served on the boards of Texas Accountants and Lawyers for the Arts and Interfaith Ministries of Greater Houston. An avid runner, he also has completed five New York City Marathons and two Houston Aramco Half Marathons.
Cooper lives in The Woodlands, Texas with his wife Jacqueline and their daughter Kendall.
Los Angeles, Calif., May 7, 2019 – The XFL today announced that Winston Moss, most recently the associate head coach for the Green Bay Packers, and former NFL linebacker for the Seattle Seahawks, Los Angeles Raiders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, has been named head coach and general manager of the XFL team in Los Angeles.
“We’re excited to welcome to our ranks a professional like Winston Moss, who has over 30 years of experience as an NFL player and coach,” said XFL Commissioner & CEO, Oliver Luck. “As a young athlete, Winston won a national championship with the University of Miami and, as an assistant coach, he helped the Green Bay Packers win Super Bowl XLV. These are two remarkable accomplishments, and we look forward to seeing what he has in store for the fans of Los Angeles.”
“Winston has an impressive resume as a player and coach in the NFL and is the perfect choice to lead our Los Angeles team on the field,” said Heather Brooks Karatz, the recently named president of the XFL team in Los Angeles. “His passion for football and commitment to providing unique access to our fans makes him the ideal partner for what we’re looking to accomplish. We’re going to work together to give the people of Los Angeles a great football team and exceptional fan experience.”
“I am so appreciative to have the opportunity to be a head coach and GM in the XFL, especially in a city where I spent four years as an NFL player,” said Moss. “Starting a team and a league from scratch is unique and exciting, and I’m looking forward to working with Heather and her team, to develop a new football franchise for Los Angeles.”
As an NFL linebacker for 11 seasons with the Buccaneers (1987-90), Raiders (1991-94) and Seahawks (1995-97), Moss played in 155 games (146 starts), recording 768 tackles and 20.5 sacks. In 1999, Moss began his coaching career as the defensive quality control coach for the Seahawks, the last team for which he played. In 2000, he assumed the same position with the New Orleans Saints, where he began working with Mike McCarthy. A year later Moss was promoted to linebackers coach, a position he held through the 2005 season.
He was hired in 2006 by incoming Packers head coach McCarthy, as linebackers coach and promoted to assistant head coach/linebackers in 2007. His shifted his focus in 2009 to inside linebackers in 2009 and then back to all linebackers in 2014. Moss was a member of the coaching staff in 2010 that led the Packers to victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV. Finally, he was named associate head coach, linebackers, in 2015, a position he held for the remainder of his time with the team.
During his 13 years with the Packers, Moss coached and mentored several defensive stalwarts including Pro Bowl linebackers A.J. Hawk, Clay Matthews, and Julius Peppers. Working closely with Moss, Matthews became the team’s all-time sack leader (83.5); Hawk established himself as the franchise’s all-time leader in career tackles (1,118); and Blake Martinez set the Packers’ single-season record for tackles in 2017 (144).
While playing for the L.A. Raiders, his teammates voted him the winner of the Ed Block Courage Award for his commitment to community service. He also received the NFL Players Association Unsung Hero Award for his leadership capabilities on and off the field. And, in 1997, the Seattle Seahawks players awarded Winston with the Steve Largent Award, recognizing the team contributor who best exemplified the spirit, dedication, and integrity of former Seahawk wide receiver Steve Largent.
Moss joins Kevin Gilbride (New York), Pep Hamilton (Washington, D.C.), Jonathan Hayes (St. Louis); Bob Stoops (Dallas), Marc Trestman (Tampa Bay) and Jim Zorn (Seattle) as the XFL head coaches named to date.
Moss was a four-year letterman at the University of Miami (Fla.) and helped the Hurricanes win the 1983 national championship. He was inducted into the school’s Sports Hall of Fame in 2015.
When the XFL kicks off in February 2020, the Los Angeles team will play its home games at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson.
STAMFORD, Conn – The XFL today announced multi-year agreements with ESPN and FOX Sports to televise XFL games starting with its inaugural 2020 season. XFL games will air weekly on broadcast TV (ABC and FOX) complemented by games on cable (ESPN, ESPN2, FS1 and FS2). The XFL TV schedule allows for consistent appointment viewing each week with back-to-back games starting Saturday afternoons at 2 pm ET as well as two additional games on Sunday afternoons.
“We look forward to showcasing the XFL on ESPN and ABC, including the kickoff game and championship during the league’s inaugural season,” said Burke Magnus, ESPN Executive Vice President, Programming and Scheduling. “Vince McMahon and Oliver Luck are two of the sports industry’s most creative and experienced leaders, and they have exciting plans for this league. We believe in their vision for the XFL, which will be a great addition to our year-round commitment to football.”
“We welcome the XFL to the FOX Sports Family and are pleased to expand our relationship with Vince McMahon,” said Eric Shanks, FOX Sports CEO & Executive Producer. “Football is in FOX Sports’ DNA and a key component of our programming strategy. Alongside Oliver Luck and his incredible team, we’re excited for the debut of the XFL on FOX Sports.”
“We are thrilled to partner with ESPN and FOX Sports, two innovative media companies with extensive experience in world-class football production that will undoubtedly help us reimagine football,” said Vince McMahon, XFL Founder & Chairman. “The XFL broadcast schedule provides us with incredible reach and makes it easy for fans to watch our games consistently every weekend.”
The agreements were negotiated by CAA Sports and Evolution Media Capital (EMC) on behalf of the XFL.
The XFL will kick off on Saturday, February 8, 2020 with teams in Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, St. Louis, Seattle, Tampa Bay and Washington D.C. Additional XFL-themed programming and on-air talent will be announced in the future.
About ESPN
ESPN, the world’s leading sports entertainment enterprise, features more than 50 assets – eight U.S. television networks, direct-to-consumer ESPN+, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, ESPN International, ESPN The Magazine and more. ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by Hearst.
About FOX Sports
FOX Sports is the umbrella entity representing FOX Corporation’s wide array of multi-platform US-based sports assets. Built with brands capable of reaching more than 100 million viewers in a single weekend, the business has ownership and interests in linear television networks, digital and mobile programming, broadband platforms, multiple web sites, joint-venture businesses and several licensing relationships. FOX Sports includes the sports television arm of the FOX Network; FS1, FS2, FOX Soccer Plus and FOX Deportes. FOX Sports’ digital properties include FOXSports.com and the FOX Sports App, which provides live streaming video of FOX Sports content, instant scores, stats and alerts to iOS and Android devices. Additionally, FOX Sports and social broadcasting platform, Caffeine jointly own Caffeine Studios which creates exclusive eSports, sports and live entertainment content. Also included in FOX Sports’ portfolio are FOX’s interests in joint-venture businesses Big Ten Network and BTN 2Go, as well as a licensing agreement that established the FOX Sports Radio Network.
About the XFL
The XFL will reimagine football for the 21st century when it kicks off the weekend of February 8-9, 2020, committed to delivering a brisk, fast-paced game, with a fan-centric, innovative, and affordable gameday experience. The inaugural season will launch with teams in Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, St. Louis, Seattle, Tampa Bay, and Washington D.C. Each team will compete with a 45-man active roster over a 10-week regular season with a postseason consisting of two semifinal playoff games and a championship game. Vince McMahon, XFL Founder and Chairman, is personally funding the new league, and building the XFL with the same commitment and resolve that he has demonstrated building WWE into a global media and sports entertainment powerhouse. For more information, visit XFL.com and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
The XFL will play in the recently renamed Dignity Health Sports Park (formerly Stub Hub Center).
According to a planned live stream on Youtube, it seems that the XFL is planning to announce their Los Angeles Head coach on Tuesday May 7th.
This date has been confirmed by Ryan Kartje of the Orange County Register, where he tweeted that the XFL will make the announcement on Tuesday, May 7th.
The XFL will announce the head coach and GM of its L.A. franchise next Tuesday.
So far, there is no indication as to who the candidate may be. There are only vague rumors that Jim Mora Jr. and Mike McCoy may be possible hires. Mora was Head Coach at UCLA between 2012 and 2017, and has coached in the NFL for different teams including the San Diego Chargers, New Orleans Saints, San Francisco 49ers, Atlanta Falcons and Seattle Seahawks. McCoy served four seasons as head coach of the San Diego Chargers. He also has coached in the NFL, most recently as the offensive coordinator of the Arizona Cardinals. Neither of these rumored names have been confirmed.
Noteworthy, is how strained the head coach hiring process seems to have become for the XFL. Of the eight XFL teams, the first six head coaches were announced as Bob Stoops (Dallas) on 7 February, Pep Hamilton (Washington) on 21 February, Jim Zorn (Seattle) on 25 February, Marc Trestman (Tampa Bay) on 5 March, Kevin Gilbride (New York) on 16 April, and Jonathan Hayes (St. Louis) on 18 April. It should be noted there was a long pause before Gilbride and Hayes were announced, and another relatively long pause before next Tuesday’s announcement. At one point in time, XFL representatives boasted they would have completed the hiring of head coaches for all franchises by March. Everything considered, they are two-months behind their originally planned schedule.
After Tuesday’s announcement, only the Houston franchise will be without a Head Coach/GM.
Stamford, Conn., May 1, 2019– The XFL has selected Elevate Sports Ventures to guide and support ticket sales for the league’s eight teams. The two-year agreement also sets Elevate as the league’s first Business Solutions Partner. Elevate – a joint venture of the San Francisco 49ers, Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment, Ticketmaster, Live Nation and the Oakview Group – will design, implement and manage database marketing and ticket sales strategies for the XFL’s teams in Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, St. Louis, Seattle, Tampa, and Washington D.C. The XFL launches the weekend of February 8-9, 2020.
The goal of the partnership is to bring the XFL to market efficiently and through the use of data-driven sales and digital marketing strategies and applications. Elevate will manage the day-to-day ticket sales effort in each of the XFL’s eight markets, working closely with each XFL team president and supplementing the skills of the team business operations group at the XFL league office in Stamford.
“We’re proud to welcome Elevate to the XFL family,” said Jeffrey Pollack, XFL President and COO. “With Al Guido, the rest of the Elevate team, and all of their partners equally committed to our cause and with important seats at our table, we’re even more confident in our ability to launch effectively.”
“Everyone at Elevate Sports Ventures, and each of our partners, is honored to receive this appointment from the XFL,” said Al Guido, CEO of Elevate Sports Ventures. “We are eager to use our well-honed experience in analytics-based sales and data-driven marketing on the league’s behalf, and for the benefit of what will be the XFL’s new and growing fanbase. We see incredible potential in this venture and are inspired to be working with Vince McMahon, Oliver Luck, Jeffrey Pollack, and the entire XFL team.”
ABOUT THE XFL The XFL will reimagine football for the 21st century when it kicks off the weekend of February 8-9, 2020, committed to delivering a brisk, fast-paced game, with a fan-centric, innovative, and affordable gameday experience. The inaugural season will launch with teams in Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, St. Louis, Seattle, Tampa Bay, and Washington D.C. Each team will compete with a 45-man active roster over a 10-week regular season with a postseason consisting of two semifinal playoff games and a championship game. Vince McMahon, XFL Founder and Chairman, is personally funding the new league, and building the XFL with the same commitment and resolve that he has demonstrated building WWE into a global media and sports entertainment powerhouse. For more information, visit XFL.com and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
ABOUT ELEVATE SPORTS VENTURES Elevate Sports Ventures is a best-in-class sports and entertainment consulting firm, providing proven, innovative solutions to organizations across the global sports and entertainment landscape. Elevate taps into the extensive resources, relationships, and expertise of its partners to innovate and execute comprehensive strategies and solutions in Venue Renovations, Sales and Marketing, Stadium Licenses, Premium Ticketing, Corporate Hospitality, Customer Research, Strategy and Analytics, Sales Training, and more. Formed in partnership between the San Francisco 49ers and Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE) in 2018, Elevate welcomed Oak View Group (OVG) and Ticketmaster and Live Nation as partners in June 2018. In September 2018, Elevate launched Elevate On Campus, with the goal of supporting ticket sales, strategy and service in intercollegiate athletics and university venues.
The XFL will soon look to filling out it’s player rosters as it will be holding a series of “Summer Showcase” combine events in XFL cities during June and July.
