Quite a few players who’ve struggled in the NFL have gone on to become very successful in spring football. Some of these players subsequently return to the NFL. A few have risen to the top of the league as Pro Bowl talents, and this wouldn’t happen without the available coaching in developmental leagues like the UFL.
How UFL Coaching Can Benefit NFL’s Player Development
Why is it that players who’ve struggled in the NFL suddenly emerge as superstars in spring football? UFL President Daryl Moose Johnston addressed the issue in a recent interview. He explained that a player’s success in the UFL is often the result of the league’s excellent coaching and player development.
ULF- Skip Holtz
Johnston named a few of the highly regarded coaches in the UFL including Birmingham Stallions Skip Holtz and Michigan Panthers Coach Mike Nolan.
Holtz, the son of legendary College Hall of Fame coach Lou Holtz is back for the 2025 season to continue the family tradition of collecting championship titles. The winningest coach in spring football history, Holtz has a 32-4 record that includes three league championship titles with the Birmingham Stallions.
After winning back-to-back USFL League Championships with Birmingham in 2022 and 2023, Holtz and the Stallions locked up the UFL’s inaugural championship title with a decisive 25-0 shutout over the San Antonio Brahmas. Before coaching the Stallions, Holtz won 152 games over 22 seasons of college football. He knows how to motivate and instruct young athletes to reach their full potential.
ULF- Mike Nolan
Named the UFL Coach Of The Year in 2024, Nolan also comes from a distinguished football family. The son of legendary San Francisco 49ers coach Dick Nolan, the Michigan Panthers coach also served as the 49ers head coach from 2005-2008. In addition, Nolan spent time with several other NFL teams as their defensive coordinator before joining the USFL Panthers in February of 2023.
Before he took over the team, the 2-8 Panthers had the worst record in the league. In Nolan’s first season, the USFL Panthers reached the playoffs but lost to the Pittsburgh Maulers. Continuing to show improvement in the UFL Panthers, the team finished second in their conference. Although Michigan made the playoffs, the team lost to the defending championship Stallions. Nonetheless, what Nolan accomplished with a former last-place team.
How UFL Coaching Approach Differs
With an NFL training camp roster consisting of 90 hopefuls, there simply isn’t adequate time for every individual player to get the time and attention they deserve. While the coaches are working with highly coveted young draftees, undrafted free agents are fighting for reps with other third and fourth-string players. NFL coaches don’t have the time to address the fine points of how a UDFA’s performance could improve their athletic performance. They barely get enough reps to catch a coach’s attention.
However, in the UFL, smaller rosters mean the coaches have more time to devote to individual players. Athletes who were previously passed over by NFL teams can work with coaches who know how to mentor players at an elite level. A UFL coach can analyze a performance in detail and determine how to improve it.
Johnston pointed out that one of the best things the UFL does is offer players the opportunity for intensive coaching on the position they play. He stated the coaches do a great job focusing on the details of the individual positions. The receivers’ coach can spot a potential weakness and suggest what might work better on a given play. Sometimes it’s just a matter of tweaking or correcting one element of a player’s style that can make all the difference in his success. For example, how a quarterback plants his foot or a receiver pivots to break coverage.
How The UFL Could Work With The NFL To Develop Talent
One way the NFL could benefit from the UFL’s enhanced coaching capability is by partnering with the UFL to create an “NFL Player Development Portal.” While not every UFL athlete is an NFL-caliber talent, there will undoubtedly be certain individuals who have that distinction. The UFL could work directly with NFL scouts to recommend worthy talents. The NFL would then have the ability to determine which players they wanted to develop.
Furthermore, the NFL has the budget to compensate the UFL for the directed player development. The designated players would be “sponsored” by the league and the UFL would receive monetary compensation in return. A portion of that money could be paid directly to the players who are being “sponsored” by a particular NFL team.
One of the biggest discrepancies between the NFL and UFL is the issue of player compensation. There is an enormous difference between a rookie NFL salary and what veteran players make in the UFL. Consequently, a UFL player would be grateful for the opportunity to earn additional money. The added financial reward would be an incentive to attract more athletes to the UFL.
The one-on-one UFL coaching might result in a player leading his team to a UFL playoff berth and a chance at the league title. Or, as superior talents like KaVontae Turpin, Jake Bates, and Brandon Aubrey have proven, it could launch the career of a future NFL superstar.
Main Photo: Joe Miron – Imagn Images
