Former Georgia star Hines Ward joins fellow Steelers legend Rod Woodson as XFL head coaches

With the XFL expected to return in 2023, head coaches that will be participating in the league were announced on Wednesday. One of them is former Georgia Bulldogs and Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward, who will be a head coach for the first time in his career.

Ward is currently the wide receivers coach for the Florida Atlantic Owls and would be entering his second season with the program under head coach Willie Taggart. The only other coaching experience Ward has before joining the XFL is with the New York Jets, serving as an offensive assistant.

Another Pittsburgh Steelers legend will be a head coach as well, Rod Woodson. A 17-year NFL cornerback, Woodson has dipped into both the media world and coaching world, most recently with the formerly called Oakland Raiders in 2017. The six-time NFL All-Pro will be a head coach for the first time when the XFL restarts.

It’s been tried and tested but the XFL is attempting to make another comeback. After attempting to get the league restarted in 2020 and eventually getting shut down by the COVID-19 pandemic, the famous league will be returning in 2023 with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson being one of the leading figures.

Eight teams will be in the league, with the season scheduled to kick off the Saturday following the NFL’s Super Bowl Sunday. The exact locations of where the teams will be based have not been confirmed by the XFL but a majority are expected to be in the same cities as the 2020 version of the league.

The exact start date for the league will be on Feb. 18, with a couple of other checkpoints scheduled to happen before then. A player’s combine is going to take place over the summer of 2022, currently scheduled for Saturday, June 18. Players who are looking to get involved in the XFL will attend the event, hoping to earn their spot on a roster.

Training camp would begin on Jan. 8, 2023, giving coaches, players, and staff just over a full month to prepare before the first game of the season.

Going back to the 2020 version of the XFL, there were eight different teams involved from eight different cities. The DC Defenders, Dallas Renegades, Houston Roughnecks, Los Angeles Wildcats, New York Guardians, Seattle Dragons, St. Louis Battlehawks, and Tampa Bay Vipers made up the league. Nothing official has been announced as to which of the eight will be returning in 2023 or if the XFL will be moving to new locations.

Three different NFL stadiums were used throughout the season, with MetLife Stadium (New York), CenturyLink Field (Seattle), and Raymond James Stadium (Tampa Bay) hosting their respective teams. Additionally, a former MLB, two MLS, and one college football stadium were used.