The XFL announces Washington D.C. franchise has agreed on Pep Hamilton to be the franchise’s first-ever head coach and general manager for the XFL’s start next year in February, 2020. He joins former University of Oklahoma HC Bob Stoops (XFL Dallas head coach & G.M.) as the two head coaches that the league has announced so far.
“I’m excited to join the XFL and lead the team in Washington, a city with which I have a lifelong attachment. I appreciate the confidence Vince McMahon and Oliver Luck have in me, providing an opportunity to be the head coach and placing the football operations of their Washington team in my hands. We plan to put together a terrific, hard-working staff, and a great football team for fans in and around our nation’s capital,” -XFL Washington D.C. GM & HC Pep Hamilton on opportunity.
Hamilton, is a 44 year-old coach who offers a ton of experience around the NFL and as well as the collegiate ranks. A former quarterback at Howard, he immediately transitioned after his senior season; into coaching the position serving as the QB coach and offensive coordinator from (1997-2001). Hamilton entered the NFL in 2003 with with the New York Jets, where he some time seven years bouncing around the league coaching the quarterbacks for the Jets, as well as the San Francisco 49ers and Chicago Bears.
Hamilton’s noteworthy career success was when he serves as the offensive coordinator & quarterbacks coach at Stanford University (2011-2012). At Stanford, he coached Indianapolis Colts QB Andrew Luck, whom after college was selected as the first overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. He received a ton of credit and recognition from his success developing Luck, which opened the door for another opportunity in the NFL.
In 2013, the Indianapolis Colts hired Hamilton to be their offensive coordinator, which offered him the unique chance to continue to develop Luck. The plan ultimately did not completely work-out in his favor, as he was later fired in 2015. Although, Andrew’s father Oliver Luck is the Commissioner of the XFL, which means that if Oliver Luck is endorsing him, that appears to be a very good sign that Andrew’s career development was positively effected by Hamilton.
His last shot at the NFL came in 2016, where he was the assistant coach for the Cleveland Browns. Most recently, he has spent the past two seasons under head coach Jim Harbaugh at the University of Michigan, serving as assistant head coach and passing game coordinator.
The hiring of Pep Hamilton as head coach and general manager by the XFL’s Washington D.C. franchise signifies their vision of making sure they have a pass-heavy offensive attack. Its quite possible the XFL maybe considering adjusting the rules and pace of the game in order towards potentially increasing the offensive production. We know one thing about the future of football for sure is that more offense especially with a great quarterback drives more fans. More fans drive more money, and unfortunately it has been the deciding factor in the past for what makes a league succeed long-term or not.
Hamilton has proven experience developing quarterbacks, and has the ability to run an offense on the highest of level in the NFL. I’m sure that played a huge factor in the decision, and it probably was a noticeable attraction for the D.C. franchise. What makes Hamilton valuable for the hire; is that he offers experience as an assistant head coach both professional and collegiately. This should benefit the franchise, his experience allow hims to evaluate talent on all levels. This is a great opportunity for Hamilton to step into the spotlight and be the man-in-charge. It appears to be a wise move for the future and vision of the XFL and the franchise of Washington D.C.
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