The UFL’s purge continues. Mike Nolan, who took the Michigan Panthers to the playoffs in 3 straight years and the 2025 UFL Championship game, confirmed today he will not return in 2026.
It’s clear that this was a decision by the UFL from Nolan’s statement saying, “I have been informed that I will not be returning as head coach as the league moves forward in a new direction under new ownership. As it was put to me, they are ‘restructuring and starting fresh.’”
Disappointing, Not Surprising
Nolan is not being retained by the UFL despite having just brought the Michigan Panthers to the Championship game. From a distance, this move is incredibly surprising. The Michigan Panthers were an abysmal 2-8 in 2022. Then Nolan took over, and the Panthers became a playoff team in each of his 3 seasons coaching the team. He was also the league’s 2024 Coach of the Year.
However, this move was predictable when you consider that this offseason has been marred by losses. The UFL is not keeping the Michigan Panthers as a competing franchise moving forward, despite showing a 30.1% attendance increase and having tremendous hooks with the Detroit fanbase after Jake Bates became a fan favorite among Detroit Lions fans.
Nolan’s departure feels like a gut punch delivered to one of the most successful and likable leaders from the UFL front office, especially after he described coaching in the UFL as “one of the greatest joys of my 40-plus years in this game” and “the most fun I’ve had coaching football.”
In Repole’s vision, centralized scouting, no more GMs, territorial protections, and a philosophy that views players who spend 4-5 years in the UFL as failures and liabilities rather than veteran stabilizers and fan favorites, Nolan became collateral damage as the league looks to “restructure and start fresh.”
Nolan subtly nodded to the cost on his peers, saying, “During this transition, I’ve seen people I respect deeply, good people, dedicated people, also have their roles affected.” Echoing the purge of all 8 general managers and centralizing roster decisions, a move I called out as turning the UFL into an “NFL temp agency” that prioritizes churn over culture. It’s as if the league is allergic to the continuity that built its early buzz.
The Irony of “Starting Fresh” in a League Building on Nolan’s Revival
Nolan wasn’t a placeholder in a temp league, but an architect of the Panthers’ resurgence, bringing an NFL pedigree, professionalism, and a spirit of friendliness to everyone he impacted. We saw roster stability under Nolan as key players and the coaching staff wanted to come back year after year, contributing to a winning format. Yet here we are, mere months after a championship appearance, with Nolan shown the door for the crime of succeeding too steadily. Repole’s blueprint has already demonstrated a pursuit of instability involving ditching GMs to cut costs (despite claims it’s not about finances), limiting veteran longevity, and tying rosters to regional college drafts. Now the new blueprint has removed one of the most successful and loved head coaches.
Echoes of a League in Freefall
UFL fans have been through a lot in its short 2-year span. When the XFL and USFL merged, each league brough in only 4 of their current 8 teams, scrapping half of the teams. This offseason, we have seen the UFL move to relocate 3 of the 8 UFL teams just 2 seasons after the hectic merger offseason.
The separation of Mike Nolan from the UFL is a sequel to the announced relocation of franchises and the firing of all the GMs. The UFL doesn’t see any value in continuity, and it even celebrates the lack of it. Following the announced departure of Mike Nolan, Mike Repole went to Twitter saying, “Change isn’t a risk, staying the same is.”
Change isn’t always good. The UFL’s instability and failure to extend key players has led to players begging to sign in increasing numbers with the CFL, like UFL All-Star DT Joe Wallace (now with Toronto), leading receiver Saiosi Mariner (Saskatchewan), and defensive lineman Levi Bell and Bradlee Anae (BC Lions), who have already left for the CFL’s more stable pastures.
Recently, on Tuesday, reigning UFL MVP quarterback Bryce Perkins signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The Blue Bombers are committed to paying their quarterback top dollar this season, thus, Perkins is electing to be a CFL backup (at least for now) over being a UFL starter.
The league was already regarded as one that produced an impressive amount of NFL signings; now it is trending to one that has increasing numbers opting to play in the CFL rather than the UFL.
Repole is getting his wish in increased change, as he changes the league into one where MVPs would rather be a CFL backup than return to the UFL.
A Nod to Nolan
Mike Nolan was a class act, beginning every post-game interview by firstly thanking the fans for their support, and now recently showing grace in his departure after being cast off from an organization that he has greatly improved.
Mike Repole may understand horses that race for 1–5 years and are done. Football isn’t horse racing. Fans fall in love with players and coaches who stick around. If Repole keeps shooting the horses the fans love, eventually no one will show up to the track.
6 Comments
by 4th&long
Sorry to see Mike Nolan go. He was a good coach and it showed in the results. He added some credibility to the league IMO.
Not gonna pass judgement until the results are in, MR is not standing still.
Perhaps he makes his way back. We need more insight into the reasons behind the move. $alary? Age? Personality? Off season commitment? Already have coaches who better appeal to each market? Differences of opinion? Saving him for a return to Michigan in the future? Nothing concrete yet.
Need the “PFN” and “UFL Newshub” insiders to get the scoop.
The league is in transition – people wanted changes, well here they are.
You mention some stars heading to the CFL vs staying in the UFL. The CFL pays better, and if the NFL is not calling why not go to the CFL.
Also the UFLPA antics in 2025 really hurt the players. This a a 1 yr contract league yet they were pushing for long term changes and trying to get leverage over ownership. Than the message from MR was – don’t pull that negative PR sh#t again. Let’s make it clear – we don’t need you, you need us. That negative PR stunt hurt the league and he wanted to get out in front of it before 2026.
Also the league gets PR from placing players in the NFL, if players are in the UFL 4-6 years it means less UFL>NFL placements and free press.
He also wants CFB favs creating interest, and that roster rotates each year.
That’s what I think this MR non-long term players move is about.
At any rate… thanks to Mike Nolan for his great job in the USFL/UFL. Best wishes going forward!
by Frank Dux
Hey 4th&long, as a CFL fan & Canadian, if you factor in taxes, exchange rate and low entry level CFL contracts, the CFL may not pay better than the UFL initially. Like other former USFL/XFL players who have come north, they have to play well for 2 years and get to Free Agency before they can make decent cash. In the past 2-3 years, there are numerous former US Spring League players who have become great players in the CFL, which tells me there is talent in the UFL.
by 4th&long
Never said that UFLdidn’t have talent, in fact quite the opposite is true.
Yes C$ is about 70% of U$D. Yet even accounting for that CFL has a much higher ceiling, albeit they play a much longer season.
A quick goggle search shows a 3downnation shows that highest paid players make 2-3x UFL standard contract, with QB’s in th $400k+ range.
So if you were targeting the NFL and that page has turned, a CFL career can pay better that UFL.
UFL has other appeal to players. Its American style FB, it does not overlap NFL season and its not a shorter commitment for decent money. All that helps players that want to appeal to NFL teams.
by Frank Dux
4th&long, just to clarify, I never said that you said the UFL didn’t have talent. I was simply making a statement.
by Ken Granito
Certain names keep popping up. In all honesty if there was a new league starting in 2027 with these people at the helm and real team owners such as Eli Manning in New Jersey, former Lions offensive linemen in Michigan with some former Panthers players and Mike Nolan at the helm there would be excellent buy in from the fans. The problem with only 8 teams in a league wholly owned by a team of owners is that there are plenty of ways to go one better. I have the name for this league and plenty of good venues, plus as Mike Repole said 31 cities/regions reached out to the UFL hoping to get a team. I honestly felt the UFL would be good this year, unless it made exactly the types of changes they are making. I fully believe an upstart league would be a better brand in 2027 than the UFL.
by Gary Winter
I agree with Ken Granito about the UFL direction. MP says “Changing isn’t a risk. Staying the same is.” Well, that depends on the changes, doesn’t it? I haven’t seen any changes to the leagues marketing policies in the remaining 5 teams. If someone who had never heard of the league read a UFL news release, they’d come away thinking there were only 3 teams playing this year. Getting rid of excellent coaches like Mike Nolan isn’t a change that moves the league up the scale in anyone’s eyes.
I buy my season tickets to watch good competitive football, not see who the next up and coming player is to make it on an NFL practice squad. Why would we run quality players off after a few years because the NFL doesn’t want them. Play and decide for the pleasure of the fan bases in Columbus, St. Louis, DC, etc., not Miami, New England, Green Bay or the rest.
Mike Nolan seemed happy to be coaching in the UFL and was obviously doing a very good job with good success. Others, Anthony Becht for instance is going the other route and trying each off-season to go elsewhere. I get that but Nolan, in my opinion is a better option for the league. Change is good but sometimes, consistency is better.
I worry that while the UFL is promoting the new locations, which is necessary, they’re ignoring the original teams and aren’t trying to find new customers in those locations. I wonder what Season Ticket sales are like in St. Louis, DC, Dallas, Birmingham or Dallas. I hope I’m wrong but worry that I’m not.