Former HBCU player and coach Reggie Barlow has been given his XFL head coaching assignment and it is a significant one.
Barlow announced on Sunday that he will be the head coach of the new Washington, D.C. franchise when the league kicks off its third iteration next year.
“What’s up, DC! I’m excited to announce I will be the head coach of your XFL team,” Barlow wrote on his Facebook page. “We’re going to add a brand new exciting chapter to the city’s rich football tradition. We can’t do it without your support. See you there, let’s go! #Imhumbled #ðŸ‘â¤ï¸DC #ðŸ‘â¤ï¸ðŸˆ”
Barlow coached five seasons at Virginia State, leading it to the 2017 CIAA title, before leaving for the XFL this spring. His record at VSU was 34-16 including a 5-5 season in 2021.
Reggie Barlow previously coached at his alma mater, Alabama State, from 2007 through 2014 going 49-42. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 1996 and went on to play eight seasons in the NFL as a wide receiver while returning kicks. After five seasons in Jacksonville, he spent two years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and one with the Oakland Raiders.
Ironically, the XFL’s previous Washington, DC squad was coached by an HBCU alumnus as well. Howard University’s Pep Hamilton – now the offensive coordinator for the Houston Texans – guided the DC Defenders before the league was shut down due to the pandemic.