Birmingham Stallions 2026: The Dawn of a New Era

When the Birmingham Stallions open the season on Friday, March 27 on the road versus the Louisville Kings, they will be doing so without the “King of Spring” as their head coach. Skip Holtz, who guided the Stallions to two USFL titles and the inaugural UFL championship as well, announced back in December that he was stepping down to pursue other opportunities. The move, which surprised more than a few, came shortly after new league co-owner Mike Repole took over day to day operations. Some have speculated that Holtz was encouraged to step down, while others opined that the parting of ways was mutual in nature. Just one day before, Renegades head coach Bob Stoops announced his retirement, which fueled speculation that both Holtz and Stoops were not necessarily on the same page with Repole relative to the newly rebranded league’s long term vision. Whatever the case may have been, Holtz and Birmingham were a dominant force. The Stallions stampeded their way under Holtz’s leadership to a staggering 33-7 regular season record during his four year tenure, and were an astonishing 6-1 in postseason play. Two days after Holtz stepped down, former two time national champion quarterback A.J. McCarron was named the new Stallions head coach, a move that was arguably more surprising than Holtz’s decision to step down. The move was met with some skepticism in Birmingham, despite the fact that McCarron won his two championships as a player while playing at the University of Alabama, a mere hop, skip, and a jump down the road in nearby Tuscaloosa. The skepticism has some merit. McCarron has never coached a down of football on any level, and the Stallion faithful, spoiled by the teams success under Holtz’s leadership, are a bit nervous as the season edges closer. One thing is certain, McCarron’s name is revered across the state of Alabama, and his appointment as head coach might go a long way toward driving up ticket sales in the Birmingham market, and it just might work, with one small caveat, he’s got to win games.