Former Louisville QB Chris Redman named head coach of city's United Football League team

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Former Louisville quarterback Chris Redman will be the head coach for the Louisville Kings, the United Football League announced Tuesday.

Redman — a former Louisville Cardinal and Super Bowl champion — will lead the team in its inaugural year. A Louisville native, Redman was a starting quarterback at Louisville for three years. He then moved on to the NFL, where he played for the Baltimore Ravens, New England Patriots, Tennessee Titans and Atlanta Falcons.

UFL co-owner Mike Repole and UFL President & CEO Russ Brandon named Redman as head coach in a written news release Tuesday morning.

"Chris Redman is the perfect choice to be the head coach of the Louisville Kings," Repole said in the statement. "A native son of Louisville, Chris represents the heart and soul of the city. He will pair that passion with elite leadership at every level to build a championship culture for the Kings."

Repole joined UFL ownership in July 2025 alongside FOX, RedBird Capital Partners, ESPN, Dany Garcia and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and has championed a strategy of right-sizing into modern soccer venues to improve atmosphere and optics.

"I am incredibly grateful and excited for the opportunity to represent the new Louisville Kings," Redman said in a news release. "Louisville is home. I've been fortunate to have so many people support me throughout my career, and I know they'll be behind me and the Kings as we work to bring a championship to this city. I am ready to get started building a team and coaching staff with championship-level experience. We're going to make Louisville proud."

After being taken in the third round of the 2000 NFL Draft by the Ravens, Redman won Super Bowl XXXV as a rookie, though he only appeared in two games that season.

"Chris Redman represents the greatness of Louisville football," Brandon said in the release. "As the head coach of the Kings, he will combine his knowledge and expertise acquired at the University and in the NFL with his deep roots and pride in his hometown as he builds a new winning tradition in the Bluegrass State."

The Louisville Kings are one of three new franchises introduced for the 2026 UFL season, alongside the Columbus Aviators and Orlando Storm. The Kings will play their home games at Lynn Family Stadium in Louisville and become the city's first professional football team in decades.

The UFL's 2026 season kicks off on Friday, March 27. Each team will play five home games and five road games over a 10-week regular season. There are no conferences. Instead, all eight teams compete in a single league table, and the top four teams will qualify for the playoffs in late May. The full schedule is expected to be announced soon.

Season ticket packages start at just $60 and include all five home games. To get yours, click here.

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