ARLINGTON, TX – July 13, 2026 – Expansion teams aren't supposed to finish atop the standings. They're supposed to spend their inaugural season building a foundation and finding an identity. The Orlando Storm skipped that process entirely.
In their first season, the Storm posted an 8-2 record, earned the No. 1 seed in the UFL playoffs and quickly established themselves as one of the league's premier franchises.
On Oct. 7, 2025, the UFL announced Orlando as one of its three expansion franchises. Along with the excitement came lofty expectations, especially with UFL Co-Owner Mike Repole, a Florida resident, eager to build a winner in his home state.
Repole entrusted the franchise to one of the league's most accomplished coaches.
"Anthony Becht has been a tremendous coach and ambassador for the United Football League, and I have no doubt he'll bring that same passion and leadership to the Orlando Storm," UFL Co-Owner Mike Repole said. "As a Florida resident and former Buccaneer, he understands what football means to this state. We're excited about bringing both Anthony and the Storm to Orlando and building something special for this community."
Becht arrived in Orlando after three successful seasons leading the St. Louis Battlehawks, compiling a 22-8 regular-season record while guiding the club to two postseason appearances. But taking over an established contender and building a franchise from scratch were two completely different challenges.
Still, the opportunity was one Becht embraced.
"I look forward to returning to my home state of the last 21 years, where I played three seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and welcome the task ahead in adding to the great tradition of football in the Sunshine State."
To ease the transition, Becht brought several trusted assistants with him from St. Louis, ensuring the culture and expectations he had established would carry into Orlando.
Once training camp began, the challenge shifted from assembling a roster to molding 50 strangers into one football team.
"Everything's different. Building a team from scratch, number one. There's excitement and anxiety doing that. You want to make sure you get the right pieces. You get the right character base with your players. Will they buy into the culture?... We're really trying to build something in 30 days so that we can come together and put together a great team."
As camp progressed, Becht liked what he saw.
"I just have a lot of respect for our players... each and every one of our guys have put it out there every single day... no bad apples either. We just got really hardworking, talented guys."
His confidence proved justified. Behind league MVP quarterback Jack Plummer, dynamic playmakers on both sides of the football and reliable kicking from Michael Lantz, the Storm stormed out to a perfect 4-0 start.
The group was tested early. Orlando survived a thrilling overtime victory over the Louisville Kings in Week 3 before traveling to Birmingham and pitching the league's first shutout of the season one week later.
Then came adversity. Back-to-back losses to the St. Louis Battlehawks and Birmingham Stallions suddenly raised questions about whether Orlando's fast start was sustainable.
The Storm entered the back half of the season at 4-2 searching for answers and instead of unraveling, they responded.
Becht's squad closed the regular season with four consecutive victories, including back-to-back wins over the defending champion DC Defenders to secure the UFL's top seed. The Week 10 victory also marked Becht's 30th career UFL coaching win.
For an expansion franchise, finishing first was almost unheard of. Although Orlando's championship hopes came to an end in the postseason, the league recognized what the Storm accomplished throughout the regular season.
Becht was named the 2026 Buddy Teevens UFL Coach of the Year.
"This is great. This is about coaches and players. This is what you get when those guys buy in and you have a staff that works diligently towards a goal. I am proud of my players and what they were able to accomplish. We have guys that will go on and play in the NFL and we have the MVP of the league. Those are wins that aren't accounted for on the record that I can cherish the most."
That MVP was Plummer. In his first season under Becht, Plummer led the UFL with 2,188 passing yards and 195 completions while throwing just one interception all season. His 17-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio also established a new UFL single-season record.
Becht praised the quarterback's leadership as much as his production.
"He was a fantastic leader, vocal, led by example, always prepared, first one in, last one out. He utilized this platform the way I wanted him to use it. I knew that we could provide him all the successes he wanted to have on the field, but he had to come out and do it. He did it with class, dignity and hard work. He galvanized the football team and that's why we went 8-2."
For Plummer, the season became about much more than statistics.
"It's been awesome to just play football and refind my love for actually playing the game and to just be the guy," Plummer said. "Having Coach Becht with me to help mature and to put together a really good season, while making friends along the way."
The Storm didn't just launch a franchise in 2026, they established a standard. An 8-2 record. The No. 1 seed in the UFL. Coach of the Year. League MVP.
For Orlando, Year One was more than a successful debut. It was the beginning of something the franchise hopes is only getting started.