The United Football League (UFL) announced on Tuesday that St. Louis Battlehawks defensive coordinator Corey Chamblin was named the 2026 UFL Assistant Coach of the Year.
The award was selected by a panel of media members, broadcast partners, and coaches and team football personnel from all eight teams. Selections were based on performances throughout the recently concluded 10-game regular season.
Corey Chamblin is 49 years old and is from Birmingham, Alabama. This season, St. Louis’s defense allowed 19.6 points per game, allowing an average of 263.8 yards per game, 181 passing yards per game, 3.8 rushing yards per game, 22 touchdowns, and 31 sacks. The 31 sacks were the second-highest single-season record in UFL history.
The Battlehawks led the league in both total defense and rushing defense. They also allowed the fewest total yards, rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, opponent rushing average, and first downs during the regular season.
Before St. Louis, Chamblin went to college at Tennessee Tech. In his playing career, he spent time with the Baltimore Ravens, Jacksonville Jaguars, Green Bay Packers, Denver Broncos, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Indianapolis Colts. In 1999 with Jacksonville, Camblin made one tackle (1 solo) and one kick return for six yards in 11 games. He also played for the Rhein Fire of NFL Europe in 2004, playing eight games.
After his playing career ended, Chamblin went right into coaching, becoming the Assistant defensive backs coach of the Frankfurt Galaxy in 2006 when they won the World Bowl title. He also coached in the Canadian Football League (CFL) with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (2007), Calgary Stampeders (2008-10), Hamilton Tiger-Cats (2011), Saskatchewan Roughriders (2012-15), in which he was named the CFL Coach of the Year in 2013, and the Toronto Argonauts in 2017. He won three Grey Cup titles as a coach.
In 2018, he became the defensive backs coach and quality control coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks. He returned to the CFL a year later as the head coach of the Toronto Argonauts. In 2022, he was the Defensive backs coach of the Birmingham Stallions when they won the USFL title over the Philadelphia Stars before taking the same position with the San Antonio Brahmas in 2023. He returned to Birmingham in 2024 and 2025, helping the Stallions win the UFL title in 2024.
Chamblin will be honored at the UFL Awards a day before the 2026 UFL United Bowl gets underway on Sunday from Audi Field at 3 pm on ABC.
