Last Week around the Leagues

Last Week around the Leagues

by Fran Stuchbury
Published on January 13, 2026 under United Football League (UFL)


This past week the United Football League revealed selections for its Quarterbacks Draft and Regional Allocations, Major League Soccer teams filled two head coaching vacancies, and the Orlando Solar Bears won their 500th ECHL game.

Highlights from this week come from the United Football League, Canadian Football League, The Arena League, Major League Soccer, National Women's Soccer League, Major Arena Soccer League, American Hockey League, Professional Women's Hockey League, Western Hockey League, United States Hockey League, North American Hockey League, National Lacrosse League, Women's National Basketball Association, NBA G League, Unrivaled Basketball League, League One Volleyball, Ultimate Frisbee Association, and Major League Table Tennis.

FOOTBALL

United Football League

The United Football League (UFL) announced its selections for its 2026 UFL Quarterback Draft and its Regional College Allocation. The remainder of the UFL Draft will take place at the UFL HQ in Arlington, Texas on January 13-14. The Quarterback Draft is the first phase of the UFL's player selection process. Head Coaches evaluated all available quarterbacks in collaboration with the UFL centralized scouting department. The Quarterback Draft was conducted on Friday, January 9, with all selections being announced.

The United Football League finalized its coaching lineup for the 2026 season last week, and only one head coach will be back on the same team as last year. Head Coach Shannon Harris returns to the DC Defenders after leading his team to a championship while serving in an interim capacity in 2025.

Are the UFL's new head coaches the right hires for the league's future? With multiple coaching changes heading into the 2026 UFL season, I break down and rank the new UFL head coaches with professional football experience-from the safest bets to the biggest risks. In this video, I give my preseason UFL coaching power rankings, analyzing experience, past results, spring football success, and what each hire means for their franchise. Some moves look smart. Others raise real questions. And one coach clearly sits at the top heading into 2026.

Canadian Football League

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats have announced Bob Dyce as the club's Special Teams Coordinator and Assistant Head Coach, as part of the team's full coaching staff for the 2026 Canadian Football League season. Led by Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator Scott Milanovich, the Tiger-Cats coaching staff will feature strong continuity, with ten members returning from the 2025 season alongside Dyce as the lone new addition.

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats announced that the club has extended All-CFL national offensive lineman Brandon Revenberg to a 1-year contract. Revenberg, 33, has been a cornerstone of the Tiger-Cats' offensive line since joining the club in 2016, appearing in 156 career games over nine seasons (2016-25). The 6-4, 300-pound native of Essex, Ontario started all 18 games at left guard during the 2025 season, earning All-CFL and East Division All-CFL honours for the fifth and sixth time in his career, respectively. He was also named the East Division's Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman for the fourth time (2018, 2021, 2022, 2025). "Hamilton has been home for a long time, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to come back for another season," Revenberg said. "This organization, this locker room, and this city mean a lot to me. I still feel a strong responsibility to lead, to set the standard up front, and to do everything I can to help this team win. I'm excited to get back to work and continue building something special here."

Top 10 Canadian Plays of 2025

The Arena League

Nebraska Siege, of The Arena League newly appointed general manager Matthew Caward discusses what his plans are moving forward.

SOCCER

Major League Soccer

Minnesota United announced that Cameron Knowles has been promoted to head coach, effective immediately, as the Loons prepare for their milestone 10th season in Major League Soccer. "Cameron is the right leader for this moment in our club's journey," said Khaled El-Ahmad, Minnesota United's Chief Soccer Officer and Sporting Director. "He has grown with this organization, understands our players, our culture, and our standards, and has consistently demonstrated the ability to develop people, build strong teams, and compete at a high level. We believe in Cameron, we believe in this squad, and we are excited about the future we are building together." "I would like to thank Dr. McGuire, Shari Ballard and Khaled El-Ahmad for the incredible opportunity to lead this team. Minnesota United is a fantastic organization with a strong group of players and a loyal following. I hope to build on the success the club has achieved over the years," said Head Coach Cameron Knowles.

Sporting Kansas City announced that Raphael Wicky has been appointed as the club's head coach, pending receipt of his P1 visa. Wicky has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with the club through the 2027-28 season with a club option for the 2028-29 season. Wicky, who becomes the fifth permanent head coach in club history, will oversee the Sporting KC first team and report directly to President of Soccer Operations & General Manager David Lee. "I am very proud to be the new head coach of Sporting Kansas City," Wicky said. "I am really excited to get started and get to know the team, the staff and the players. In my talks with David, we instantly had a good connection and felt very aligned in terms of culture and style of play. Sporting KC has always been a team that competed to win trophies and I feel that the club has all the ingredients to get back to where it belongs - great ownership, amazing facilities, a talented academy and a beautiful stadium with fantastic fans."

Sporting Kansas City announced Raphael Wicky as the team's fifth permanent head coach.

National Women's Soccer League

The Kansas City Current has appointed Chris Armas as the club's head coach. Armas, who was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2025, has over three decades of playing and coaching experience at the highest level of the sport. "We are beyond excited to welcome Chris to the Kansas City Current family," said co-owners Angie and Chris Long. "He brings an abundance of experience at the highest levels both as a coach and a player and shares in our long-term vision of the Kansas City Current being the best women's football club in the world. A natural leader, Chris demands excellence, and we are confident he will further cultivate and enhance our competitive environment as we continue to pursue championships and expand our global footprint."

Boston Legacy Football Club announced the signing of Nicki Hernandez to a two-year contract. Hernandez will join the club as a free agent in January when the rest of the roster reports for preseason. Hernandez has been a stalwart of top Liga MX Femenil side Club América, making 117 appearances and scoring 11 goals as a defender. At América, she helped the club reach league finals six times, including a championship in the Clausura 2023 season. She signed with Club América after four years as a standout at Michigan, where she amassed 29 goals in 93 appearances. 26-year-old Hernandez comes from Naperville, Illinois, and through her grandparents had the option to represent Mexico as a national team player. As a member of the Mexican women's national team, she holds 27 caps and won a gold medal with the team at the 2023 Pan American Games, and was in the starting XI for Mexico's historic 2-0 defeat of the United States at the 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup.

Chicago Stars FC will soon make history, as the team plans to open its first ever privately owned and operated training facility in suburban Bannockburn in 2027.

Northern Super League

AFC Toronto announced that midfielder Victoria Pickett has signed a permanent contract with the club, following the conclusion of her loan from National Women's Soccer League side North Carolina Courage. Pickett was a steady presence throughout AFC Toronto's historic inaugural Northern Super League campaign, making her debut in the club's first-ever match and going on to play 1,834 minutes across the regular season and playoffs. A Barrie, Ont. native, Pickett brought invaluable experience and leadership to a young AFC Toronto squad, offering consistency across multiple roles while helping set the standards on and off the pitch. Her ability to influence play in possession, break lines with the ball, and provide defensive bite made her a key piece as the club topped the Northern Super League by 12 points.

MLS NEXT Pro

FC Cincinnati 2 announced the appointment of Sammy Castellanos as the club's head coach ahead of the 2026 MLS NEXT Pro season. Castellanos becomes the club's second head coach since FCC 2's inaugural MLS NEXT Pro season in 2022. Castellanos brings over a decade of youth development and professional coaching experience to Cincinnati. Castellanos most recently served as the U18 Head Coach for the Chicago Fire FC Academy (2023-2025). "We'd like to welcome Sammy to FC Cincinnati," said General Manager Chris Albright. "He has a deep background in player development and will continue to build our foundation at that level. Sammy is an experienced leader who has the ability to evolve the strong work that was done before him."

Major Arena Soccer League

MASL Plays of the Week 2025-26 - Week 6

HOCKEY

ECHL

The Orlando Solar Bears won their 500th ECHL game when they defeated the Jacksonville Iceman 5-4 Friday evening.

The ECHL announced the players named as ECHL All-Stars for the 2026 Warrior/ECHL All-Star Classic presented by Visit Allen, Texas and Allen CDC, to be hosted by the Allen Americans on Monday, Jan. 19 at 6:00 p.m. CT at Credit Union of Texas Event Center. There have been 75 players from the ECHL All-Star Game have gone on to play in the National Hockey League, including 59 since 2002.

American Hockey League

The American Hockey League and the Professional Hockey Players' Association have reached a tentative agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement. The tentative agreement is subject to ratification by the AHL Board of Governors and by the PHPA's AHL membership.

Kids ice hockey brawl video at Hershey Bears game goes viral A wild night at the Hershey Bears hockey game Saturday night, as a team of mostly 8-year-old hockey players ended up fighting each other on the ice during a break in the game.

Professional Women's Hockey League

The New York Sirens of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) will host a home game at The World's Most Famous Arena, Madison Square Garden, on Saturday, Apr. 4 at 8 p.m. ET against the Seattle Torrent. "Madison Square Garden has a storied women's sports history, and on April 4, the New York Sirens will add their own chapter at The World's Most Famous Arena, as fans get the chance to attend professional women's hockey at the Garden for the first time," said General Manager Pascal Daoust. "Playing at the Garden is an honor and sharing it with our dedicated fans will make it even more special. New York doesn't just watch moments; it lives with them. This is one of those nights meant to be experienced together, in the building, as part of the history of our team, our league, and everyone who helps bring it to life."

2025-26 PWHL Takeover Tour Recap! Hamilton

2025-26 PWHL Takeover Tour Recap! Detroit

Western Hockey League

WHL Player of the Week - Bryce Pickford. Pickford, a 19-year-old product of Chauvin, Alta., registered seven points (4G-3A) and a plus-5 rating in two outings, helping the Medicine Hat Tigers extend their season long win streak to 17 games while stretching his personal point-scoring string to 15 games (20G-16A).

Barrie Colts Ben Hrebik submits a save of the year candidate

United States Hockey League

Breakaways, Backhands And Pretty Passing In The USHL Plays Of The Week

North American Hockey League

NAHL Top 5 Plays of the Week

LACROSSE

National Lacrosse League

The Buffalo Bandits announced the team has acquired transition player Mike McCannell from the Philadelphia Wings in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2028 NLL Entry Draft. McCannell (6'1", 190 lbs., 7/19/1999) was drafted by the San Diego Seals in the first round (5th overall) of the 2021 NLL Draft and has played in parts of three seasons for the Seals and Wings. In 35 career games, the Orangeville, Ontario native has compiled 16 points (5+11) and 116 loose-ball recoveries.

TOP 10 Plays of December

BASKETBALL

Women's National Basketball Association

The Golden State Valkyries have named Denise Romero as Vice President, Basketball Administration. Romero, who has over 20 years of basketball administration experience across both the NBA and WNBA, will report to Valkyries General Manager Ohemaa Nyanin. "Denise brings over two decades of experience building systems and relationships that allow basketball operations to run seamlessly," said Nyanin. "Her expertise in logistics, team coordination, and organizational culture will strengthen our operations and support our staff as we continue building this franchise. We're thrilled to have someone with her depth of experience join the Valkyries."

Top 10 Plays of the 2025 WNBA Season

NBA G League

NO STOPPIN' NANCE! Pete Nance with a Career-High 42 PTS Leads Herd to a Win on the Road.

Unrivaled Basketball League

All-Access with Breeze BC - Ft. Paige Bueckers, Rickea Jackson, & More

BASEBALL

Southern League

The Rocket City Trash Pandas, in conjunction with the Los Angeles Angels, announced that Joe Kruzel will serve as the club's manager beginning in 2026, becoming the third manager in franchise history. Kruzel brings more than 30 years of coaching experience at the professional and collegiate levels, including nine seasons as a manager - eight in affiliated baseball and one in independent baseball - compiling a 473-472 career managerial record. The 2026 season will mark his fifth year in the Angels organization, following four seasons (2022-25) as Field Coordinator, where he oversaw player development, instruction, and on-field standards throughout the minor league system.

Carolina League

The Charleston RiverDogs will have a new manager for the first time since 2023, as the Tampa Bay Rays have announced Danny Mendick as the club's skipper for 2026. Mendick, 32, joined the Rays organization as a minor league coach in 2025 following a playing career that included six seasons in the big leagues. "We're excited to watch our players in Charleston compete and develop with Danny at the helm," Rays director of minor league operations George Pappas said. "We appreciate the relationships he's already formed with many of these players following the draft, as well as the perspective he brings to the dugout having played in the big leagues little more than a year ago. Those qualities make for a solid dynamic for what projects to be a very talented group heading into the 2026 season."

OTHER SPORTS

League One Volleyball

LOVB's Haleigh Washington & Amber Igiede React to Volleyball's Growth

Ultimate Frisbee Association

The DC Breeze and Minnesota Wind Chill put on a show at US Bank Stadium in front of the Minnesota Vikings home crowd on December 7, 2025.

Major League Table Tennis

Top Points of Day 3: MLTT Week 9 (Portland, OR)

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United Football League Stories from January 13, 2026


The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer(s), and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.


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