Memphis Showboats (2022)
| Memphis Showboats | |
|---|---|
 Current season | |
| Established November 15, 2022 Play in Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium (Memphis, Tennessee) | |
 | |
| League/conference affiliations | |
United States Football League (2022–2023)
United Football League (2024–present)
| |
Current uniform | |
.svg) | |
| Team colors | Navy blue, yellow, white |
| Personnel | |
| Owner(s) | Fox Corporation (50%), Dany Garcia, Dwayne Johnson, RedBird Capital Partners (50%) |
| Head coach | Ken Whisenhunt |
| Team history | |
| |
| Championships | |
| League championships (0) | |
| Conference championships (0) | |
| Division championships (0) | |
| Home stadium(s) | |
| |
The Memphis Showboats are a professional American football team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Showboats compete in the United Football League (UFL) as a member of the USFL Conference. The team is owned and operated by Dwayne Johnson's Alpha Acquico and Fox Corporation. The Showboats play their home games at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium.[1]
History
[edit]The Showboats name and branding is based on the original Memphis Showboats of the original United States Football League. On November 15, 2022, it was announced that the Showboats were joining the United States Football League (USFL) to fill the Tampa Bay Bandits' spot after the team announced their hiatus for the 2023 USFL season.[2] On the same day, Todd Haley was announced as the Showboats' inaugural head coach. Players and coaches from the existing Bandits team were transferred to the Showboats.[3]
The Showboats finished the 2023 USFL season with a 5–5 record, placing third in the USFL South Division. The did not make the playoffs in 2023.
After the 2023 season, the showboats fired Head Coach Todd Haley.[4]
In September 2023, Axios reported that the XFL was in advanced talks with the USFL to merge the two leagues prior to the start of their 2024 seasons.[5] On September 28, 2023, the XFL and USFL announced their intent to merge,[6] pending regulatory approval.[7] The merger was made official on December 31, 2023, and the league intends to begin its combined season on March 30, 2024.[8]
On January 3, 2024, the Showboats hired former New Orleans Breakers Head Coach and NFL Offensive Coordinator John DeFilippo. [9]
The Showboats concluded the inaugural 2024 UFL season season with a 2–8 record, placing third in the USFL Conference and missing the playoffs. On June 2, 2024, the Showboats played the Houston Roughnecks, who were tied for last place with the showboats. It was announced that the winner of the game would receive the number one overall pick in the 2024 UFL draft. The Showboats would win 19-12, earning the number one pick, which would eventually be Jason Bean.[10]
On August 2, 2024, the Showboats General manager Dennis Polian stepped down from his position.[11]
On August 9, 2024, DeFilippo and the Showboats parted ways after a 2-8 season in 2024.[12]
On September 23, 2024, the Showboats hired Former Tennessee Titans Head Coach Ken Whisenhunt. This came after the departure of Head Coach John DeFilippo. The Showboats also hired Jim Monos as their new General Manager on the same day.[13]
Current roster
[edit]Players
[edit]Quarterbacks (QB)
Running backs (RB)
Wide receivers (WR)
Tight ends (TE)
|
Offensive linemen (OL)
Defensive linemen (DL)
|
Linebackers (LB)
Defensive backs (DB)
|
Reserve lists
Roster updated February 17, 2025 63 active |
Staff
[edit]|
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
|
Defensive coaches
|
Player history
[edit]Notable players
[edit]| Season | Pos | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | RB | Alex Collins | Former NFL running back, 2016 NFL draft, 5th-round pick |
| 2025–present | TE | Ryan Izzo | Former New England Patriots Tight End, 2018 7th Round Pick |
| 2025–present | S | Obi Melifonwu | Former New England Patriots Safety, 2017 2nd Round Pick |
| 2025–present | CB | Cameron Dantzler | Former Minnesota Vikings Cornerback, 2020 3rd Round Pick |
Coaches history
[edit]Head coaches
[edit]| No. | Name | Term | Regular season | Playoffs | Awards | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GC | W | L | Win % | GC | W | L | ||||
| Memphis Showboats | ||||||||||
| 1 | Todd Haley | 2023 | 10 | 5 | 5 | .500 | - | - | - | |
| 2 | John DeFilippo | 2024 | 10 | 2 | 8 | .200 | - | - | - | |
| 3 | Ken Whisenhunt | 2025–present | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Offensive coordinators
[edit]| No. | Name | Term | Regular season | Playoffs | Awards | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GC | W | L | Win % | GC | W | L | ||||
| Memphis Showboats | ||||||||||
| 1 | Bob Saunders | 2023 | 10 | 5 | 5 | .500 | - | - | - | |
| 2 | Doug Martin | 2024 | 10 | 2 | 8 | .200 | - | - | - | |
| 3 | Ken Whisenhunt | 2025–present | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
Defensive coordinators
[edit]| No. | Name | Term | Regular season | Playoffs | Awards | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GC | W | L | Win % | GC | W | L | ||||
| Memphis Showboats | ||||||||||
| 1 | Carnell Lake | 2023–2024 | 20 | 7 | 13 | .350 | - | - | - | |
| 2 | Jarren Horton | 2025–present | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
Records
[edit]| All-time Showboats leaders | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leader | Player | Record | Years with Showboats | |
| Passing yards | Cole Kelley | 1,534 passing yards | 2023 | |
| Passing touchdowns | Cole Kelley | 7 passing touchdowns | 2023
2024 | |
| Rushing yards | Darius Victor | 337 rushing yards | 2024 | |
| Rushing touchdowns | Cole Kelley | 2 rushing touchdowns | 2023
2024 | |
| Receiving yards | Vinny Papale | 649 receiving yards | 2023–2024 | |
| Receiving touchdowns | Vinny Papale | 8 receiving touchdowns | 2023–2024 | |
| Receptions | Vinny Papale | 69 receptions | 2023–2024 | |
| Tackles | Delrick Abrams | 76 tackles | 2023–2024 | |
| Sacks | Greg Reaves | 8.0 sacks | 2023–2024 | |
| Interceptions | Delrick Abrams | 2 interceptions | 2023–2024 | |
| Coaching wins | Todd Haley | 5 wins | 2023 | |
Statistics and records
[edit]Season by season records
[edit]| UFL champions† (2024–present) | USFL champions§ (2022–2023) | Conference champions* | Division champions^ | Wild Card berth# |
| Season | Team | League | Conference | Division | Regular season | Postseason results | Awards | Head coaches | Pct. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finish | W | L | |||||||||
| 2023 | 2023 | USFL | South | 4th | 5 | 5 | Derrick Dillon (STPOY) | Todd Haley | .500 | ||
| 2024 | 2024 | UFL | USFL | 3rd | 2 | 8 | Darius Victor (SMOY) | John DeFilippo | .200 | ||
| Total | 7 | 13 | All-time regular season record (2023–2024) | .350 | |||||||
| 0 | 0 | All-time postseason record (2023–2024) | – | ||||||||
| 7 | 13 | All-time regular season and postseason record (2022–2024) | .350 | ||||||||
Rivalries
[edit]Houston Gamblers/Roughnecks
[edit]The Memphis Showboats shared Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee with the Houston Gamblers (now called the Roughnecks) during the 2023 season. In 2024, the two teams played against each other in the season finale for the number one overall pick in the 2025 UFL draft. The winner would get the number one pick,[14] the Showboats won the game 19–12 and earned the 2025 number one pick.[15] Currently the Showboats have a 3–1 record against Houston.
Franchise matchup history
[edit]| Team | Record | Pct. |
|---|---|---|
| New Jersey Generals | 1–0 | 1.000 |
| Pittsburgh Maulers | 1–0 | 1.000 |
| Houston Gamblers/Roughnecks | 3–1 | .750 |
| New Orleans Breakers | 1–1 | .500 |
| Michigan Panthers | 1–2 | .333 |
| Arlington Renegades | 0–1 | .000 |
| DC Defenders | 0–1 | .000 |
| Philadelphia Stars | 0–1 | .000 |
| San Antonio Brahmas | 0–1 | .000 |
| St. Louis Battlehawks | 0–1 | .000 |
| Birmingham Stallions | 0–4 | .000 |
- Defunct teams in light gray
References
[edit]- ^ Daniels, Tylen (April 15, 2023). "Memphis Showboats gameday guide: Everything you need to know before you go". Action 5 News. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
- ^ Barnes, Evan (November 15, 2022). "Memphis Showboats return to USFL, will play at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in 2023". The Commercial Appeal.
- ^ Knight, Joey (November 15, 2022). "Tampa Bay Bandits won't play in United States Football League in 2023". TampaBay.com. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
- ^ "Todd Haley out as Showboats Head Coach". localmemphis.com. October 23, 2023. Retrieved February 18, 2025.
- ^ Baysinger, Tim; Primack, Dan; Fischer, Sara (September 19, 2023). "Scoop: Football leagues XFL and USFL in merger talks". Axios. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
- ^ TSN ca Staff (September 28, 2023). "XFL, United States Football League announce intention to merge". TSN. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
- ^ Schad, Tom (September 28, 2023). "XFL, USFL confirm intention to merge into single spring football league". USA Today. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
- ^ "USFL, XFL announce merger, formation of new spring football league: The UFL". Yahoo Sports. December 31, 2023. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
- ^ Larsen, James (January 1, 2024). "Memphis Showboats Hire John DeFilippo As New Head Coach". Pro Football Newsroom. Retrieved February 18, 2025.
- ^ "Roughnecks vs. Showboats highlights: Memphis gets No. 1 pick in 2025 UFL Draft with 19-12 win". FOX Sports. Retrieved February 18, 2025.
- ^ Larsen, James (August 2, 2024). "Memphis Showboats GM Dennis Polian Steps Down". Pro Football Newsroom. Retrieved February 18, 2025.
- ^ Larsen, James (August 9, 2024). "Memphis Showboats & John DeFilippo To Part Ways". Pro Football Newsroom. Retrieved February 18, 2025.
- ^ "UFL's Showboats hire Ken Whisenhunt as new head coach, Jim Monos as GM". FOX Sports. Retrieved February 18, 2025.
- ^ "UFL Combats Tanking with Winner-Take-All Game for Top Draft Pick". UFL. May 29, 2024. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
- ^ "Roughnecks vs. Showboats highlights: Memphis gets No. 1 pick in 2025 UFL Draft with 19-12 win". FOX Sports. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
External links
[edit]Sports teams based in Tennessee | ||
|---|---|---|
| Baseball |
|  |
| Basketball | ||
| Football | ||
| Hockey | ||
| Roller derby | ||
| Soccer | ||
| College athletics (NCAA Division I) | ||