Former Pittsburgh Steelers Carnell Lake and Bruce Gradkowski are among the coaching staffs that make up the new United Football League (UFL), the byproduct of the USFL and XFL merger that’s set to debut next month. According to a press release issued by the UFL, Lake will serve as defensive coordinator/defensive backs coach for the Memphis Showboats while Gradkowski will be the St. Louis Battlehawks’ offensive coordinator.
Lake, the Steelers’ second-round pick in 1989, starred in Pittsburgh’s secondary throughout the 1990s. A five-time Pro Bowler and one-time All-Pro, he started 154 games for the Steelers. A versatile defender, he recorded 21.5 sacks and 16 sacks during his time with the team before finishing his career with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Baltimore Ravens.
After his playing days, Lake broke into coaching with the Steelers in 2011, hired as the team’s defensive backs coach. He served in that role through the 2017 season and was out of coaching until being hired as the USFL’s Tampa Bay Bandits defensive backs coach in 2022. He was named the Showboats’ defensive coordinator in 2023 and will retain that role in 2024 under new head coach John DeFilippo.
Gradkowski served as a Steelers’ backup quarterback for several years, though he officially only ever appeared in one game for the team, never throwing a pass. He’s best remembered for upsetting the Steelers in 2009, throwing three touchdowns and zero interceptions in a 27-24 win, a game in which Pittsburgh was favored by 15 points.
After coaching high school for several seasons, Gradkowski was hired by Toldeo, his alma mater, as an offensive analyst in 2022. He became the Battlehawks’ offensive coordinator ahead of the 2023 season, a role he’ll keep in 2024 after the league merger. They appear to be the only two ex-Steelers named in the UFL staff release.
Notably, Hines Ward is no longer the head coach of the San Antonio Brahmas. Despite the team surviving the merger, Wade Phillips has replaced Ward in that role. That news was reported earlier this year but confirmed by the UFL’s official coaching release today. Other notable head coaches in the league include Mike Nolan of the Michigan Panthers and Bob Stoops of the Arizona Renegades.
The UFL will kick off its debut season March 30.
