Reggie Barlow's XFL Coaching Success 'Is No Surprise' to Senior Bowl's Jim Nagy

Reese's Senior Bowl director Jim Nagy is not surprised by the success of DC Defenders head coach and HBCU alumnus Reggie Barlow.

When Danny Garcia and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson led the revival of the XFL, they intentionally created opportunities for HBCU football players and coaches. The new league's initiative benefited Reggie Barlow, a former NFL player (Jacksonville), Alabama State alumnus and coach. Barlow began his collegiate coaching career as the Hornets' quarterbacks coach and eventually became their head coach but was let go in 2014. After a few years, he landed a head coaching job at Virginia State. In March, he left the Trojans and was hired as the head coach for the San Antonio Brahmas but later transitioned to become the new leader of the DC Defenders.

Feb 19, 2023; Washington, DC, USA; D.C. Defenders Head Coach Reggie Barlow (R) yells from the sidelines against the Seattle Sea Dragons at Audi Field. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

According to Reese's Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy, it's not a mistake that Reggie Barlow has been a success as a head coach.

"I've known Coach Barlow a long time, going back to when he was head coach at Alabama State, so he was an easy choice to be part of the inaugural year of our Reese's Senior Bowl Minority Coaching Fellowship," Nagy shared with HBCU Legends. "What made it especially cool was that he played in our game coming out of college. First off, the guy is a leader. He has the playing resume and presence to command respect from his players. Second, he's been in charge before, so he knows the detail and responsibility that comes with it. It's no surprise he's doing great things with the XFL's Commanders. He was ready for that opportunity to coach at the pro level. If the Senior Bowl stage played even a small role in that happening, the HBCU program has already been worthwhile."

The Reese's Senior Bowl Minority Coaching Fellowship program was designed with the "primary goal of this new initiative is to connect HBCU coaches with NFL decision-makers in hope that it leads to future career opportunities, while also giving the rest of the league’s teams four individuals to contact for information about Senior Bowl participants." 

Barlow, along with TC Taylor (Jackson State), Tyrone Wheatley, and Jonathan Saxon (South Carolina State), were the first four participants of the program.  Taylor is the current head football coach of the Jackson State Tigers.  He was promoted after Deion Sanders left to accept the head position at the University of Colorado.  Wheatley is the head coach of Wayne State while Saxon is the co-defensive coordinator at Wofford College.   One of Saxon's disciples from South Carolina State, defensive back Zafir Kelly, will be playing in the XFL North Division Championship game against Barlow and the DC Defenders.

The DC Defenders hold the top position in the XFL rankings with a 9-1 record. They will play against the Seattle Sea Dragons in the XFL North Division Championship at Audi Field. The kickoff will be at 3:00 PM ET on Sunday, April 30.