Anthony Becht, the coach of St. Louis’ new XFL franchise, is no stranger to the area. In 2008, he played as a tight end in 16 games with the NFL’s St. Louis Rams.
“I enjoyed my time there — I’m still friends with (players) Steven Jackson, Orlando Pace, Torry Holt, Marc Bulger, Kurt Warner, Trent Green — and those guys are excited for me," Becht said Monday, just a few hours after the XFL announced the eight franchises that’ll begin competing in the XFL on Feb. 18, 2023. “I can’t wait to get back to St. Louis and to see some old friends. I’m excited to be a part of all this. Ticket sales have been great, and I can’t wait to get started.”
The third version of the XFL will include games at The Dome at America’s Center and will feature three teams in Texas — Arlington, Houston and San Antonio — as well as in Orlando, Florida, Las Vegas, Seattle and Washington, D.C.
There was no mention of team nicknames on Sunday, when the team locations were announced, so it is not known whether the BattleHawks moniker will be revived. In a 2020 season cut short by the coronavirus pandemic, the St. Louis BattleHawks were 3-2 and tied with the Washington Defenders and New York Guardians atop the East Division when the inaugural season was halted.
The BattleHawks went 2-0 at home and finished with two of the XFL’s three best single-game attendance marks that season, drawing 29,994 against New York and 27,527 against Seattle.
The original version of the XFL, played in 2001, did not include a St. Louis club.
The XFL ownership group is led by Dany Garcia, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Gerry Cardinale of RedBird Capital Partners. The league has a five-year broadcasting agreement with the Disney Co., with all games to be shown on ABC, ESPN or FX.
The XFL will be based in Arlington, Texas, where players will train and practice. Late in the week, teams will fly to games.
“The plan is to be extremely engaged with our home fans," Becht stressed.
Becht, who will turn 45th next month, starred at West Virginia University and was a selected in the first round of the 2000 NFL draft with the 27th pick by the New York Jets. Over the next 12 NFL seasons, he played in 167 games and caught 188 passes for 1,537 yards and 21 touchdowns for several teams.
Becht broadcast more than 200 games as a football analyst and worked in 2019 as tight ends coach under former Rams coach Mike Martz with the San Diego Fleet of the now-defunct Alliance of American Football.
“As a former player, I’ve been grooming myself for this,” he said. “Working with Mike Martz, doing college all-star games with Marvin Lewis, this was always part of the plan. I’m excited about working with Dany and DJ, and I’m thrilled with the guys I’ve been able to bring on to our staff in St. Louis.”
The St. Louis staff includes director of player personnel Dave Boller, whose football resumé includes a three-year stint as regional scout with the Rams; offensive coordinator Bruce Gradkowski, who spent parts of nine seasons as an NFL quarterback and who was in camp with the Rams before the 2008 season; and defensive coordinator Donnie Abraham, a veteran of nine NFL seasons with the Buccaneers and Jets.
“I love this staff, and I’m expecting to add some more top guys," Becht said. “I know I’m not the smartest guy on the staff, which is great because by surrounding myself with outstanding people I know I can learn and I can keep getting better.”
Asked to name the coaches who had the biggest impact on his life, Becht named his coach at West Virginia, Don Nehlen, as well as longtime NFL coaches Ken Whisenhunt, Bill Parcells and Jon Gruden.
“I’ve learned, good and bad or indifferent, from all sorts of people during my career, and I’ve been able to blend all that information together to help me develop my coaching style,” he said. “Being around good people, I’m constantly learning and hopefully adapting along the way. As a player, I was always intrigued by the decisions made and how they impacted things.
“And now, I’m excited to try and put what I’ve learned into practice. I can’t wait to get this whole process started and do some coaching.”
Fans interested in season tickets can go to XFL.com/tickets.
XFL cities
St. Louis
Houston
Las Vegas
Seattle
Washington, D.C.
San Antonio
Arlington, Texas
Orlando, Fla.
