Houston – Like most Texans, we’re looking forward to football after the Super Bowl. Come March 30th, the city will be buzzing as the Houston Roughnecks kicks off their season in the new United Football League. The UFL is the result of a 2024 merger between the XFL and the USFL.
Also new, is Roughnecks head couch C.J. Johnson. He was with the Houston Gamblers last season, but since the merge, all players and coaching staff were moved to the Roughnecks with the UFL. Coach Johnson is far from new to the game though. His career started in 1984 as a wide receiver coach for Lewiston High School in Idaho. After two years there, he spent the next 17 coaching at the collegiate level. Coach Johnson was part of the University of Miami’s 2001 National Championship win with former Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson.
In 2006, he entered the NFL with the New Orleans Saints and went on to win the Super Bowl with them in 2010 as part of the coaching staff.
13 years later, he found his way to Houston as the 2023 head coach for the Houston Gamblers under the USFL.
He lead them to finishing third in the South Division.
2024 is set to be an exciting one for the Houston Roughnecks. Training starts next month in Arlington. The Roughnecks will not play as TDECU Stadium at UH due to renovations happening later this year. Their home stadium is still up in the air.
Tickets are not available to the public but you can put a $50 deposit down for season passes.
GO ROUGHNECKS!