On Tuesday, the Memphis Showboats held a Press Conference for new Head Coach, Ken Whisenhunt. It was announced on Monday that he would be the replacement for John DeFilippo, looking to bring a winning football team to the city of Memphis.
All aboard the new era of Showboats football🫡
Welcome to the Yacht Club, Coach!
📝 https://t.co/MPWLpdVKo1 pic.twitter.com/MYDBpnUWMu
— Memphis Showboats (@USFLShowboats) September 23, 2024
Excitement is certainly in the air for the Memphis Showboats and their fans. For Ken Whisenhunt, he’s excited to get the ball rolling with this organization, to put together something that fans of the team – and the league – can be proud of.
“I’m excited to be a part of this [the UFL]. Over the years, one of the things that I think has been missing from what I’ve done for so long, which is pro football, is the ability to develop young players and get them ready. It’s hard to do that. I’ve been so intrigued by how that’s being done, and I really respect the way they’ve done this with the UFL. I think we bring a lot to the table as far as giving players the knowledge of what they need to do to get to that level…I’m expecting to work hard and have a good team.”
Interestingly enough, it was Ken who reached out to the UFL when the opening arose in Memphis. Daryl Johnston, President of Football Ops for the league, was enthusiastic when Whisenhunt gave him the call inquiring about the position:
“When Ken called, I was very very excited. And, I was hopeful that he was calling in regards to the Memphis opening. When he let me know that it was something he would love the opportunity to compete for, and be a part of the UFL moving forward, I was excited. We always talk about trying to get the best coaches, who are the best teachers, who have the best contacts, on our staffs in the UFL. Those little details, they matter.”
It was a full process for the UFL in figuring out who would become the next head coach of the Memphis Showboats.
According to Daryl, there were about 12 candidates that they were looking at originally. This included those already inside the UFL, alongside some external candidates. Ultimately, they picked their top three external candidates, alongside their top three internal candidates – and brought them in for interviews.
While all interviewees did impress the UFL, it was Ken Whisenhunt who came out as the clear choice for Daryl, Russ, and the entire UFL organization. His resume – paired with his desire to be a part of the league – was something that the UFL did not want to take for granted.
As of right now, Ken still has a lot of recon to do when it comes to figuring out this Memphis team, and where it stands:
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“I haven’t even looked at the team, or the players we’re gonna have. A lot of that is going to go on in the next few weeks. It’s kind of hard for me to even address that at this point.”
That said, Ken is thrilled to kick off this process, and promises to bring an impressive brand of football to the city of Memphis.
“Whatever we’ve got as a team, we’re going to work hard to put their strengths first. You see a lot of coaches who’ll go in and say ‘this is my system, and we’re running this’. And sometimes, that’s hard for your players to do. So for us, we want to adjust our system and tweak it so we can do what we do best, and a lot of that will depend on what we do with the offensive line, when we know who our quarterback is, etc. – that’s one of the things we really want to focus on.”
In addition to putting together a roster, Whisenhunt will also be piecing a coaching staff together. He’s currently got Jim Monos as his General Manager, but no other positions are filled yet. It’s a process that Ken is looking forward to working through, and he’s already had plenty reach out in hopes of joining the Showboats.
“I’ve been besieged by people wanting opportunities to come here and do this. As with anything, you’re always going to go through the guys. We’ve had a lot of assistants who have worked with us in the past, so it’s exciting to be in that thing again where we can help some guys improve and move up. We’ve got some ideas, but it’s a process you don’t want to rush. You want to try and make sure that you get the guys who can give the most.”
Ken wants a balanced staff, and he also alluded to the fact that there are some position coaches/assistants who are currently in the NFL, that reached out in hopes of landing the job in the UFL in Memphis.
It’s going to be a fascinating few months for the Memphis Showboats as all of this unfolds. The team desperately needs to shake off the past of a 2-8 record, and there’s no better way to do that then with a complete rebrand, which is what we’re seeing happen right now.
What are your thoughts on Ken Whisenhunt taking over as Head Coach of the Memphis Showboats? Let us know down in the comments below, or join the conversation on Discord!
