Former NFL first-round tight end Anthony Becht has thrived as a coach in the UFL. Capping his first year as head coach of the Orlando Storm, Becht has won the UFL’s coach of the year award.
Becht had coached the St. Louis Battlehawks from 2023 through 2025.
He led the Storm, a new addition to the UFL for 2026, to a record of 8-2. The Storm secured the top seed on the four-team UFL playoff tree.
“I’m honored and grateful to receive this award,” Becht said in the press release issued by the UFL. “Individual awards are always about the people around you. When you surround yourself with a great coaching staff and 50 players who fully buy into the process, you’re always rewarded tenfold on the backend. This award is a reflection of the commitment and work put in by everyone in our organization.”
Becht has a regular-season record of 30-10 as a coach in the XFL/UFL.
The UFL’s coach of the year award is named for the late Buddy Teevens, a long-time college coach who was the head coach at Dartmouth (twice), Maine, Tulane, and Stanford.
Becht, who played college football at West Virginia, was a first-round pick of the Jets in 2000. He also played for the Buccaneers, Rams, Cardinals, and Chiefs.