Reggie Barlow earned XFL Coach of the Year honors Tuesday after leading the D.C. Defenders to a league-best 9-1 record and a trip to the XFL Championship Game, which is set to be played on May 13.
Barlow, 51, was picked by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fourth round of the 1996 NFL draft and starred as a return specialist for the team. In five seasons in Jacksonville, he returned two punts for touchdowns and one kickoff for a touchdown.
He also contributed sparingly on offense, catching 33 passes for 472 yards during his time with the Jaguars. Barlow later played two seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, earning a Super Bowl ring with the team during the 2002 season.
Barlow entered the coaching ranks in 2005 as an assistant at Alabama State and was the school’s head coach by 2007. He later coached Virginia State for five seasons before resigning to take the job coaching in the XFL.
The Defenders led the league in scoring with 29.6 points per game during the regular season.
