UFL Lands Big Name Coaches in Fassel, Green, Haslett and Cottrell

The fledgling United Football League takes a significant step in its quest for credibility with a skeptical public today when it announces who will coach its four franchises. One of the new coaches will be Jim Fassel, who will guide the Las Vegas-Los Angeles franchise. Fassel, 59, spent seven years as coach of the New York Giants, leading them to Super Bowl XXXV. He has been out of coaching since 2006, when he was fired as the Baltimore Ravens’ offensive coordinator. The UFL’s first season begins in October, and games will be played on Thursdays and Fridays. The league announced Monday that its games will be televised on Versus. After today’s announcement, the UFL’s next big event will be its player draft in mid-April. Commissioner Michael Huyghue said Tuesday that the plan is to bring in players who have NFL-level talent but might not have been good enough to get on the field. – Las Vegas Journal-Review

Dennis Green is (presumably) finally over the Chicago Bears and ready to take on the United Football League. Green, formerly with the Minnesota Vikings and the Arizona Cardinals, has been in radio since his termination with Arizona following the 2006 NFL season. A strong personality, Green is perhaps best known for his rant concerning surrendering a lead to the Chicago Bears (see video below). If nothing else, this brings immediate name recognition to the UFL. If true, Green could be joining Jim Fassel, Jim Haslett, and Ted Cottrell as the UFL’s year one coaching posse. – UFL Access