Former NFL QB and UFL coach Bruce Gradkowski is the latest Lions coaching hire after a mass exodus of coaching staffers this offseason looking for new opportunities across the league.
Gradkowski is an outside-the-box hire for sure, given his lack of NFL coaching experience, however, Gradkowski had plenty of success as the offensive coordinator for the St. Louis Battlehawks of the XFL in 2023 and then the UFL in 2024.
For the past two seasons, Gradkowski has served as the offensive coordinator for the XFL’s/UFL’s St. Louis Battlehawks. In 2023, the Battlehawks finished second in the XFL in scoring, averaging 24.9 points per game. After moving to the UFL in 2024, the Battleahawks remained second-best in offensive scoring, averaging 26.0 points per game, just behind the eventual champion Birmingham Stallions (26.5 PPG).
Pride of Detroit
Gradkowsi’s role within the offense is still unclear at this point. However, there has uh been some healthy speculation that Gradkowski could fill the role of QB coach after JT Barrett followed Ben Johnson to Chicago.
