WHISENHUNT STEPS DOWN AS SHOWBOATS HEAD COACH
Memphis Showboats head coach Ken Whisenhunt has decided to leave the role on a permanent basis, just weeks after taking a leave of absence from the team.
Whisenhunt’s decision, which again sounds like it was taken for personal reasons, means that offensive line coach Jim Turner will once more be thrust into serving as interim head coach for the remainder of the 2025 season. Despite being competitive in each of their three games to date, the Showboats sit at the bottom of the USFL Conference with an 0-3 record.
Whisenhunt became the Memphis head coach last September, bringing nearly 30 years experience to the Showboats, having been a football coach at various levels in the NFL and NCAA — including a stint as head coach of the Arizona Cardinals between 2007-12 where he won two NFC West Division Championships and a berth in Super Bowl XLII — but, at the age of 63, says that he’s ready to hand the reins to someone else.
“The time has come for me to step away from the game and take a break from football,” Whisenhunt said in a statement. “I am so grateful for my time with the players and wish them the best.”
UFL president and CEO Russ Brandon and EVP of football operations Daryl Johnston thanked the veteran head coach for his commitment to the league, however brief.
“We are grateful for Ken’s contributions to the UFL as head coach of the Memphis Showboats,” a joint statement confirmed. “His passion for the game resonates not only with his players, but the entire league. Ken has been a true professional and our league is better because of the time he spent with the UFL. We are fortunate to have Jim Turner available to immediately take up the head coaching duties for the rest of this season.”
The new head coach is no stranger to high-level football, having also coached for nearly 30 years at the professional and collegiate levels, including stints in the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals and Miami Dolphins.
The Showboats are next in action this weekend, with their return game against the Michigan Panthers scheduled for Friday 18th April,