ARLINGTON, TX – December 30, 2025 – Once a spring football player himself, Rick Neuheisel is returning to the spring sidelines to lead the Dallas Renegades in 2026. A successful collegiate quarterback with NFL experience, longtime coach at multiple levels, and CBS Sports Network analyst, Neuheisel is set to succeed the legendary Bob Stoops in Dallas.
The Madison, Wisconsin, native played his college football at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). In 1983, Neuheisel was named the starting quarterback in his senior year and orchestrated a remarkable turnaround for the program. After beginning the season 0-3-1, he guided the Bruins to a 6-4-1 finish, including a signature win over rival University of Southern California (USC). That victory propelled them to a Pac-12 Championship and a ticket to the Rose Bowl, where Neuheisel led UCLA to a dominant 45-9 victory over fourth-ranked Illinois, earning MVP honors after throwing four touchdown passes.
Following his collegiate career, Neuheisel joined the San Antonio Gunslingers of the United States Football League (USFL), where he played two seasons in the spring. He also had brief stints with the San Diego Chargers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1987 before stepping away to pursue coaching–a decision that would define his legacy.
Neuheisel returned to UCLA as a graduate assistant and became a full-time assistant in 1988. He remained with his alma mater until 1994, when he moved to the University of Colorado.
After just one season as an assistant, Neuheisel was named head coach at age 34. In his four years in Boulder, his best season came immediately, leading the Buffaloes to a 10-2 record and a victory in the Cotton Bowl.
In 1999, Neuheisel was inducted into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame and simultaneously accepted the head coaching position at the University of Washington, becoming one of the top-five highest-paid coaches in the nation.
The 2000 season proved to be his most successful at Washington. The Huskies captured the Pac-10 title and went on to defeat Purdue University and Drew Brees in the Rose Bowl. Neuheisel became the first Rose Bowl MVP to also coach a Rose Bowl-winning team.
In 2005, Neuheisel took on an NFL role as assistant quarterbacks coach for the Baltimore Ravens, quickly earning a promotion to offensive coordinator after the 13-3 2006 season that included an AFC North title. He spent three seasons in the NFL before returning to UCLA, where he made an immediate impact by defeating 18th-ranked Tennessee in overtime and securing the fifth-best recruiting class in the nation in 2009, along with his fifth career bowl victory.
After four years at UCLA, Neuheisel joined CBS Sports Network as a college football analyst in 2011, a role he continues today on College Football Today, Inside College Football, and CBS Sports’ pregame, halftime, and postgame coverage.
His most recent coaching opportunity came in 2019 with the Arizona Hotshots of the Alliance of American Football (AAF), where he described the season as a success, helping players extend their careers and finishing with a winning record.
Although Neuheisel has been away from coaching for a few years, his return was widely anticipated. “People ask if I miss coaching, and I say that every day. It’s about the ability to put together goals and strive for them. And when you fall short, you figure out what you did wrong and strive again. When you finally reach the goal, you celebrate, and then look forward to the next goal. I’m at a point where the timing couldn’t be better.”