The United Football League announced today that D.C. Defenders Head Coach Reggie Barlow has stepped down to become the new head football coach at Tennessee State University. UFL President & CEO Russ Brandon and UFL Executive Vice President Daryl Johnston have named Defenders Quarterbacks Coach Shannon Harris as interim head coach for the 2025 UFL season.
“The UFL would like to thank Reggie Barlow for his tremendous contributions to the UFL since becoming head coach of the D.C. Defenders back in 2023,” said Brandon. “We wish Reggie the best of luck in his new duties as head coach at Tennessee State and know that the Defenders are in great hands with Shannon Harris at the helm. On a personal level, it has been a privilege to work with Reggie over the past three years. He is obviously a tremendous coach, but he’s an even better person.
Barlow served as head coach of the Defenders for two seasons, compiling a 13-7 record. During his first season with the team in 2023, he had a record of 9-1, leading D.C. to the XFL Championship Game and earning the 2023 XFL Coach of the Year Award. A member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Super Bowl XXXVII Championship Team, Barlow was a wide receiver and punt returner for eight seasons in the NFL with the Buccaneers, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Oakland Raiders, before becoming head football coach at Alabama State (2016-14) and Virginia State (2026-21) prior to joining the Defenders.
Harris becomes interim head coach after serving as the Defenders quarterbacks coach under Barlow since the 2023 season. Prior to the D.C. Defenders, he was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Virginia State University beginning in 2021. Before coaching for the Trojans, he served as offensive coordinator for the 2019 season at Tennessee State University after spending a year as offensive analyst for the Tigers in 2018. Previously, Harris coached for 16 years in Division 1, including a three-year stint as wide receiver coach and passing game coordinator at Alcorn State University from 2015-17.
“Coach Harris has the respect of the coaches and players throughout the entire UFL, as well as every coach that he worked with for two decades at the collegiate level,” said Johnston. “When Coach Barlow informed us that he was becoming head coach at Tennessee State, we knew that Coach Harris would be the right person to step in and continue the culture that Reggie Barlow built with the Defenders.”
The Defenders will kick off their 2025 UFL regular season when they take on the defending UFL Champion Birmingham Stallions at Audi Field on Sunday, March 30 at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN.
About the UFL
The United Football League (UFL) is the professional spring football league, born from the groundbreaking 2024 merger of the XFL and USFL. With the visionary backing of RedBird Capital Partners, FOX, Dany Garcia and Dwayne Johnson, the UFL is redefining the football landscape. Built on tradition and positioned to innovate and expand fan engagement and player opportunities, the league is poised for growth with its eight teams in key markets: Arlington (TX), Birmingham (AL), Detroit (MI), Houston (TX), San Antonio (TX), Memphis (TN), St. Louis (MO), and Washington D.C. The UFL is committed to pushing the boundaries of the game and delivering an elevated experience for players, fans, and partners alike.
Sources/UFL Media Contact:
Mike Wade, Senior Vice President of Communications, UFL
Bianca Gamez, Director of Communications and Media Relations, UFL
