Former Saints Assistant Will Kick-Off The New UFL Season As The Houston Roughnecks Head Coach

Former longtime assistant and Tulane head coach assumes the reins as the Houston Roughnecks head coach.

Houston Roughnecks

HOUSTON - On Sunday afternoon at Rice Stadium, Curtis "CJ" Johnson will assume the leadership of the UFL's Houston Roughnecks. Last season, their former New Orleans Saints assistant coach Johnson led the USFL's Houston Gamblers to a 5-5 record, giving them third place in the South Division.

"It's the first weekend of the of the new league, Johnson told the media Thursday. "I mean, the jitters are already a little bit. Because you just don't know what's going on and how it's going to be."
Houston will open the season with Jarrett Guarantano as the starting quarterback, with veterans Reid Sinnett and Nolan Henderson as his backups.

Houston Roughneck head coach CJ Johnson

Guarantano, 26, is a University of Tennessee product who went undrafted in the 2022 NFL Draft. After brief NFL stints with Arizona and Denver, the New Jersey native will make his debut with the Houston Roughnecks.

Coach Johnson is aware that he may utilize his quarterbacks based on the in-game situation. "If we want a runner that we've got that can run it and do some little different stuff, some read option and stuff, we'll go with Nolan. If we want to drop back quicker, throw getting a release off, getting the balls off, we'll go with Reid."

Houston Roughnecks fans are excited about the new league but mostly about a team that has been successful since the XFL days. In just two seasons, under the guidance of head coaches June Jones and Wade Phillips, the Roughnecks have won 12 out of 15 games. Jones brought home the XFL Championship claim before the COVID pandemic shut down the league in 2020. Phillips was a win away from the championship game in 2023.

To duplicate the early success of the franchise, Johnson understands the importance of a successful start to the season. "We got to get out the gate flying. We've got to. Like I told the team, they've got to win this game." He told ABC 13 in Houston, "Look for the Roughnecks to put on a show."

Sunday's game will have Houston hosting the Memphis Showboats for a 2:00 PM CT kick-off at Rice Stadium. ESPN will have the national broadcast.