A familiar name to Cincinnati fans is stepping into a new role - and a big one at that. Just two seasons removed from suiting up for the Bengals, A.J.
McCarron is officially making the leap from quarterback to head coach. On Thursday, McCarron was named the new head coach of the Birmingham Stallions in the United Football League (UFL), a spring football league set to kick off its 2026 season on March 27.
McCarron takes over for Skip Holtz, who resigned earlier this week after guiding the Stallions to a strong run during his tenure. For McCarron, this isn’t just a new chapter - it’s a full-circle moment. A native of Alabama and a college football legend in the state, he now returns home to lead a professional team that’s become a staple of the UFL’s early success.
“I am excited about this new opportunity with the UFL,” McCarron said in a statement. “This game has given me so much as a player, and now I am ready to give back as a coach. It’s even more special that I get to do that while representing my home state - a state that has supported me throughout my career."
McCarron also made a point to acknowledge the foundation Holtz built in Birmingham, saying, “Our team will build upon the amazing legacy of Skip Holtz. I have a tremendous amount of respect for Coach Holtz, what he has done for the league and for the Stallions. I am ready to put in the work that will continue producing championship wins for the city of Birmingham.”
McCarron’s journey to the sidelines is rooted in a playing career that spanned both the NFL and the UFL. Drafted by the Bengals in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL Draft, he came into the league with a winning pedigree, having led Alabama to back-to-back national championships in 2011 and 2012. While his time in Cincinnati was largely spent backing up Andy Dalton, McCarron made three regular-season starts in 2015 and was under center for the Bengals’ playoff game that same year - a wild-card loss that still stings for many in the Queen City.
After his stint in Cincinnati, McCarron bounced around the NFL, spending time with the Bills, Raiders, Texans, and Falcons. But it was in the UFL where he found a second wind.
He joined the St. Louis Battlehawks in 2023 and quickly became one of the league’s most recognizable faces.
His return to the Bengals late in the 2023 season saw him elevated from the practice squad to the active roster, where he completed 4 of 5 passes for 19 yards across two games. After being released in February 2024, he went back to St.
Louis for one more season with the Battlehawks.
Now, McCarron’s cleats are officially hung up, and the headset is on.
This move feels like a natural evolution for a player who’s always been known as a leader - steady, smart, and unshaken by the moment. As a quarterback, McCarron was never flashy, but he was always prepared. That same approach could serve him well on the sidelines, especially in a league like the UFL, where development and adaptability are key.
For the Birmingham Stallions, the hire signals a new era - one that still respects the past but is clearly focused on the future. And with McCarron at the helm, they’re putting their trust in a guy who knows what it takes to win, who’s battled through the highs and lows of professional football, and who now gets a shot to lead a team of his own.
The Stallions kick off their 2026 campaign on March 27. All eyes will be on Birmingham - not just to see how the team performs, but to see how McCarron handles the headset in his first season as a head coach. If his playing days were any indication, don’t be surprised if he settles in quickly.