2025, December 16th: Skip Holtz to Step Away From UFL After Historic Championship Run

The Mike Repole-led UFL has been rather...chaotic...to this point. The Stallions, led by Head Coach Skip Holtz, appeared to have become a stable spot in a league still finding its way, but unfortunately that has turned out to not be the case. 

BIRMINGHAM, AL – Skip Holtz, head coach of the Birmingham Stallions, announced today that he will be stepping away from his role in the United Football League (UFL) to evaluate other opportunities following an extraordinary four-year run highlighted by three consecutive championships (2022-23 USFL; 2024 UFL). He leaves the UFL with a 33–7 regular-season record and 6–1 postseason mark. 

Statement from Heat Coach Skip Holtz

Coaching the Stallions has been one of the great honors of my career. I’m grateful for the players, staff, the City of Birmingham, and our passionate fans who helped create such a special and winning culture. What we accomplished together is something I’ll always treasure. 

I am not retiring. This is simply the right moment to pause, reflect, and look ahead. I’m excited about the next steps in my journey and energized by new possibilities. I look forward to seeing where this path leads. 


Statement from UFL President & CEO Russ Brandon

Head Coach Skip Holtz can be summed up in one word – Champion. When they write the first chapter of the history of the United Football League, Skip and his three-time champion Birmingham Stallions will be the first names to jump off the page. He leaves the UFL with the respect and gratitude of our owners, executives, coaches, players, and, especially myself. We wish Skip, his wife Jennifer, and their entire family the best of luck.

Before his championship run in the UFL, Holtz built an accomplished résumé across major college football. A former Notre Dame player who later served as an assistant and offensive coordinator for the Fighting Irish, Holtz went on to lead programs at UConn, East Carolina, USF and Louisiana Tech – winning 152 games overall with 12 bowl appearances (and eight bowl wins) in 17 FBS seasons and eight conference or divisional titles.   

After Holtz’s initial season at ECU, Holtz put together a run of four-consecutive bowl games with back-to-back Conference USA championships and a Conference USA Coach of the Year award.  Likewise at Louisiana Tech, after the initial season, he took the program on a run of 7-consecutive bowl appearances (winning six straight bowl games) including three consecutive nine-win seasons along with the program’s first 10-win season in 35 years.