“There are stages of a championship that you have to go through as a football team. You have to learn how to compete, then you learn how to win, then you have to learn how to handle winning, and that is probably one of the hardest steps to take. But the championship culture really takes off when you learn how to handle winning and your players take over the culture, and that is the buy-in factor in having leadership like the guys (quarterback Adrian Martinez and linebacker Kyahva Tezino) on this stage right here, so many guys on this team, that’s when for me I have the opportunity to be the duck that floats on top of the water and there’s a whole lot of people with their feet that are pedaling like hell underneath to make this thing go.”
The Stallions have a 32-4 record across their three seasons.
Birmingham went 9-1 in its first regular season, then won two playoff games, including a 33-30 victory over the Philadelphia Stars in the USFL Championship Game on July 3, 2022.
In their second season, the Stallions had an 8-2 regular-season mark and won two postseason contests again, this time capping the campaign with a 28-12 victory over the Pittsburgh Maulers in the USFL Championship Game on July 1, 2023.
Birmingham went 9-1 in the 2024 UFL regular season, then defeated the Michigan Panthers 31-28 in the USFL Conference Championship Game on June 8 before avenging its only loss of the campaign in the league title contest. The Brahmas had beaten the Stallions 18-9 on May 25.
Holtz has been the coach for every Birmingham game. But for all the winning, he said working with the players has been the best part about the championship streak.
“I’m blessed with some great players,” Holtz said. “We just really have to point them in the right direction, and then they have taken over the rest. It’s been a true blessing for me. It’s been a lot of fun. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve said it, but this is the best job I’ve ever had. I love these young men that we’re coaching.
“I think they’re here because they love ball. I think every one of them has a different why like Tez talks about, ‘I was at Amazon; now I’m here.’ If we brought up our whole team, they could all tell their own story of where they’re trying to go and what they’re trying to do. They’re hungry. They’re respectful. They take notes. They ask questions. They’re involved. They want to get better. And for me as a coach my favorite part of coaching is watching a player and a team develop.”
