A few weeks after the “XFL 2.0” folded for good and filed for bankruptcy, a few players have made it onto NFL teams to continue their careers. So, too, has the former coach of the DC Defenders.
Pep Hamilton has been hired as the quarterbacks coach of the Los Angeles Chargers, The Athletic reported late Wednesday.
That means Hamilton will work closely with No. 6 overall draft pick Justin Herbert, the quarterback out of Oregon whom the Chargers drafted to be their signal-caller of the future after they didn’t re-sign Philip Rivers.
It’s Hamilton’s first NFL job since 2016, when he was the assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach for the Cleveland Browns. He spent three years before that as the Indianapolis Colts’ offensive coordinator.
Hamilton, who’s also coached offenses at Michigan and Stanford, accepted the dual role of head coach and general manager for the Defenders in the lead-up to the league’s 2020 debut. The move saw Hamilton return to the District, where he attended college at Howard.
But the XFL only managed to get five weeks of games in before the coronavirus pandemic forced all sports to suspend play. Soon the XFL canceled the remainder of its season, and owner and founder Vince McMahon decided to pull the plug.
Hamilton isn’t the only figure from the Defenders who’s bouncing back with an NFL job. Defenders tight end Khari Lee signed a deal with the Atlanta Falcons after a few years out of the NFL, and safety Tyree Kinnel joined the Pittsburgh Steelers.
• Adam Zielonka can be reached at azielonka@washingtontimes.com.
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