The United Football League (UFL) kicks off its inaugural season on March 30, and several coaches are returning from their respective XFL and USFL teams.
Former NFL tight end Anthony Becht will return for a second season as the St. Louis Battlehawks’ head coach. What is his background?
Anthony Becht Returns as Battlehawks’ Head CoachA former Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end, Becht served as a tight ends coach with the San Diego Fleet in 2018 and as a volunteer coach at Wiregrass Ranch High School.
Becht approached the XFL with aspirations of being a head coach when the league rebooted in 2022, knowing it was a long shot.
“I was not on their radar,” Becht said. “But, to anyone in life, be determined in what you want to do.”
The 12-year NFL veteran had never held a head coaching job but has plenty of experience in the professional football world.
“Twelve years in the league, five organizations, seven different head coaches with two firings in between,” Becht said. “I learned a lot of good and bad from the coaches I’ve been around.”
Becht was selected by the Jets with a traded draft pick from Tampa Bay. As a rookie in 2000, Becht played in 14 games, missing two due to an ankle sprain. He was a starter for 10 games and totaled 16 receptions for 144 yards and two touchdowns on the season.
He played five seasons with the Jets before joining the Buccaneers. He also spent time with the Rams, Cardinals, and Chiefs. From 2000-2010, he played in 152 straight games, trailing only Brett Favre and Peyton Manning in that span.
He was announced as the head coach of the Battlehawks on April 13, 2022.
In the 2023 XFL season, Becht posted a 7-3 record, which was the most wins amongst rookie head coaches and tied for the second-best overall record in the league.
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