A.J. McCarron: From College Football Legend to UFL Head Coach
In a remarkable transition from player to coach, former Alabama football star A.J. McCarron has been named the Birmingham Stallions’ head coach for the 2026 United Football League season. McCarron, who led the Crimson Tide to three Bowl Championship Series titles during his collegiate career, will take over for Skip Holtz, who stepped down this week after a successful four-year run with the team. This appointment marks a significant new chapter in McCarron’s football journey, which has included stints as an NFL backup quarterback and more recently as a player in the UFL with the St. Louis Battlehawks.
McCarron’s path to this coaching opportunity has been anything but straightforward. After his celebrated college career at Alabama, he was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL Draft. His professional playing career has been characterized by resilience, as he moved between several NFL teams in backup roles before finding a home with the St. Louis Battlehawks in the UFL. His career faced a significant challenge when he tore his ACL during a 2021 preseason game with the Atlanta Falcons, though he briefly returned to the Bengals in 2023 before rejoining the Battlehawks for the 2024 season.
The timing of McCarron’s coaching appointment coincides with a period of transition for the Birmingham Stallions. Skip Holtz, who has led the team since its inception in 2022, built an impressive legacy with a 33-7 record and playoff appearances in all four seasons of his tenure, including a UFL championship and a runner-up finish. Holtz made it clear that his departure isn’t a retirement but rather a moment to “pause, reflect, and look ahead,” suggesting he may return to coaching in some capacity in the future. His successful leadership has established a high standard for the franchise that McCarron will now be tasked with maintaining.
For McCarron, this opportunity represents a natural evolution in his football career. His experience as a championship-winning quarterback at the collegiate level gives him valuable insight into what it takes to succeed at the highest levels of the sport. Though he never achieved the same prominence as a professional player that he enjoyed at Alabama, his journey through various teams and leagues has likely provided him with diverse perspectives on different coaching styles, offensive systems, and team cultures—all of which can inform his approach as he steps into this leadership role with the Stallions.
The UFL, formed through the merger of the XFL and USFL, has positioned itself as both a developmental league for players with NFL aspirations and a second chance for former NFL players looking to revitalize their careers. McCarron’s transition from playing in this league to coaching within it reinforces the UFL’s role as a pathway for football talent—not just on the field but on the sidelines as well. His appointment may also signal the league’s interest in building star power among its coaching ranks by bringing in figures who have name recognition from their playing days.
With the 2026 UFL season set to kick off on March 27, McCarron has time to prepare for his new role while completing his playing commitments with the Battlehawks. The football community will watch with interest to see if McCarron can translate his success as a player into effectiveness as a head coach. His journey from throwing touchdown passes at Alabama to calling plays for the Birmingham Stallions represents not just a personal career evolution but also an interesting case study in how playing experience at various levels can prepare someone for coaching responsibilities. For fans of Alabama football, the NFL, and now the UFL, McCarron’s story continues to add compelling new chapters.
