Former Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron is the new head coach of the UFL’s Birmingham Stallions.

The two-time NCAA champion and NFL journeyman was announced Thursday as the replacement for Skip Holtz, who stepped down this week after four seasons.

“AJ McCarron is a part of the fabric of winning football that is woven throughout the state of Alabama,” said UFL president and CEO Russ Brandon. “It is only appropriate that a winner like AJ takes over the reins of the three-time champion Birmingham Stallions as they embark upon a new era.”

It is the first coaching position for McCarron, 35.

“I am excited about this new opportunity with the UFL,” he said. “This game has given me so much as a player, and now I am ready to give back as a coach. It’s even more special that I get to do that while representing my home state — a state that has supported me throughout my career.”

McCarron was the Crimson Tide’s starting quarterback during the 2011 and 2012 seasons, which ended with BCS national championships, as well as in 2013.

The Mobile, Ala., native was selected by Cincinnati in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL Draft and went on to appear in 19 games (four starts) for the Bengals, then-Oakland Raiders and Houston Texans through the 2023 season. He also played for the UFL’s St. Louis Battlehawks in 2024.

The 2026 UFL season begins in March.

The announcement of his new job came a day after he dropped out of the Alabama lieutenant government race, which he entered two months ago.

In a news release, he said, “football is calling my name once again” but didn’t reveal his new job.

“My football position will require the same 100% focus, commitment, and attention that I was prepared to give to the office of lieutenant governor, so it is time to end my campaign,” McCarron said.

–Field Level Media