HOUSTON — Don't call it a comeback!
The Houston Roughnecks are back with a new coach and a slightly different look as the XFL relaunches its league ahead of the 2023 season.
All eight teams were revealed Monday morning including future rivals the Arlington Renegades and the San Antonio Brahmas.
In July, it was announced that former NFL coach Wade Phillips would be the head coach of Houston's new team for the XFL relaunch.
The 75-year-old Son of Bum last coached in 2019 for the Los Angeles Rams as their defensive coordinator.
The newest iteration of the XFL comes with a new co-owner as well. Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson bought the league in August 2020 after the COVID-19 pandemic ended the season after five weeks.
"Playing in the NFL was my goal and that didn't happen," Johnson said during the relaunch announcement. "The moment Dany (Garcia) said let's buy the XFL, I thought, wow...what an incredible opportunity for us to create opportunities for players out there to live their dreams, live their passions and take care of their families."
If you remember the 2020 season, the Roughnecks started the season 5-0 before the season was canceled.
Led by former SMU head coach June Jones, Houston was the only team to be undefeated during the brief relaunch of the league.
With the revival, the new Houston XFL team will still play games at the University of Houston's TDECU Stadium.
While games will be played in Houston, all XFL teams will live and practice in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Houston will practice at Choctaw Stadium, the former home of the Texas Rangers.
The XFL kicks off one week after the Super Bowl on February 18 and will be broadcasted exclusively on ESPN.
Here's the full staff for the Roughnecks:
