Former WVU tight end Anthony Becht named XFL head coach

Head coaches for the resurrected XFL were announced on Wednesday, with former West Virginia Mountaineers tight end Anthony Becht being named one of the head coaches. Becht has had one coaching job throughout his career, working as a tight ends coach with the San Diego Fleet of the AAF.

Most recently, Becht worked in the media, serving as an analyst on Westwood One for Sunday Night Football matchups. Now, he will have the opportunity to be a head coach for the first time, although which team he will be running is not yet known.

Becht was a two-time All-Big East player with West Virginia before getting drafted in the first round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He played for five different teams, with his longest tenure being with the New York Jets.

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.