| Houston Gamblers | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Current season | |||
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| General information | |||
| Founded | November 22, 2021; 4 years ago (2021-11-22) | ||
| Inaugural season | 2022 | ||
| Stadium | Shell Energy Stadium Houston, Texas | ||
| Colors | Black, red, yellow | ||
| Website | www | ||
| Personnel | |||
| Owner | League owned | ||
| Head coach | Kevin Sumlin | ||
| Team history | |||
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| Home fields | |||
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| League / conference affiliations | |||
United States Football League (2022–2023)
United Football League (2024–present)
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TheHouston Gamblers are a professionalAmerican football team based inHouston, Texas. The Gamblers compete in theUnited Football League (UFL). The team is owned and operated byDwayne Johnson's Alpha Acquico andFox Corporation.
The team was a founding member of theUSFL, as the Houston Gamblers in 2022, named after the1980s USFL team of the same name. Though named after the city of Houston, the 2020s Gamblers never played there under that brand, instead playing its home games as the guest of other USFL teams inBirmingham, Alabama in 2022 andMemphis, Tennessee in 2023. When the USFL andXFL merged to form the UFL in 2024, the Gamblers took over the branding of theoriginal Houston Roughnecks that had played the 2023 season in the XFL and played in Houston atRice Stadium. The team played atTDECU Stadium (the home of the 2020 and 2023 Roughnecks) during the 2025 season. The team returned to the Gamblers name ahead of the 2026 UFL season, coinciding with a move toShell Energy Stadium.
The Houston Gamblers were one of eight teams that were officially announced as a USFL franchise onThe Herd with Colin Cowherd on November 22, 2021.[1] On January 6, 2022, it was announced onThe Herd with Colin Cowherd that former NCAA Football Head coachKevin Sumlin was named the Head coach and General manager of the Gamblers.[2] Houston was the only city in the USFL nominally based west of theMississippi River and the only city that had a representative team in both professional spring football leagues, the USFL (the Gamblers) and theXFL (the Roughnecks), though the Gamblers never set foot in Houston, instead playing as atraveling team under the USFL's hub model.
On January 6, 2022, former college head coach,Kevin Sumlin was named the head coach and general manager for the Houston Gamblers.[3] The Gamblers' first season game was on April 17, 2022, against theMichigan Panthers atProtective Stadium inBirmingham, Alabama. Kicker Nick Vogel made a 37-yard field goal in the first quarter (the first points for the franchise). The Gamblers defeated the Panthers 17–12, winning their first game in franchise history. The Gamblers lost their next seven games before winning for their final two games of the season, and failing to qualify for the USFL playoffs.[4]
In September 2022, the Gamblers announced that Robert Morris was named their new general manager.[5] In November 2022, the USFL announced that the Gamblers will play atSimmons Bank Liberty Stadium inMemphis, Tennessee for the 2023 season.[6] In February, 2023, Sumlin announced his plans to join the coaching staff of theMaryland Terrapins, this led to the Gamblers hiring formerNew Orleans Saints assistant coach,Curtis Johnson as their new head coach.[7]
On January 1, as part of the merger with the XFL, the Gamblers merged with their XFL counterpart, the Roughnecks. The merged team took on the Roughnecks name and identity (including history and social media presence), while maintaining the Gamblers' coaching staff, player rights and position in the USFL Conference.[8] The team will play in Houston as the Roughnecks did, but renovations toTDECU Stadium, the Roughnecks' home in 2020 and 2023, required the use of a different venue;Rice University Stadium was approached about the possibility prior to the merger.[9] On February 1, 2024, the Roughnecks announced an agreement to play the 2024 season at Rice Stadium.[10] The Roughnecks announced their return to TDECU Stadium on September 13, 2024.[11]
By August 2025, incoming UFL co-ownership had indicated it would be moving between two and four teams,[12] reportedly all from the USFL Conference;[13] the Birmingham Stallions were eventually spared from relocation,[14] and the league was "trying" to save the Michigan Panthers with a more ideal stadium, effectively guaranteeing that the Roughnecks and Memphis Showboats would be the two minimum teams relocating, one of them toHistoric Crew Stadium inColumbus, Ohio.[13] Houston was unexpectedly spared from relocation on October 3, 2025, when the league chose to relocate Memphis, Michigan and the San Antonio Brahmas.
On October 7, 2025, the UFL announced that the Roughnecks would be rebranding, returning to the Houston Gamblers name for the 2026 season.[15] The color scheme was updated to Gamblers red and black. The UFL also announced that the team would be moving intoShell Energy Stadium in Downtown Houston.[15]
League co-ownerMike Repole stated he chose to revert to the Gamblers name because of its "iconic" history, mentioning Pro Football Hall of FamerJim Kelly's tenure with the 1980s incarnation of the team.[16] Despite this, head coach Curtis Johnson was fired on November 29, 2025.[17]
| Quarterbacks(QB) Running backs(RB)
Wide receivers(WR)
Tight ends(TE)
| Offensive linemen(OL)
| Linebackers(LB)
Defensive backs(DB)
Special teams(ST)
|
|
| |||||
| Season | Pos | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | LB | Reuben Foster | FormerSan Francisco 49ers Linebacker, 2017 1st Round Pick |
| 2025 | CB | Damon Arnette | FormerLas Vegas Raiders Tight End, 2020 1st Round Pick |
| Gamblers USFL OPOY winners | |||
| Year | Player | Position | Selector |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Mark Thompson | RB | USFL |
| Gamblers USFL DPOY winners | |||
| Year | Player | Position | Selector |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Chris Odom | DE | USFL |
| # | Name | Term | Regular season | Playoffs | Awards | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GC | W | L | Win % | GC | W | L | ||||
| Houston Gamblers | ||||||||||
| 1 | Kevin Sumlin | 2022 | 10 | 3 | 7 | .300 | - | - | - | |
| Houston Gamblers / Roughnecks | ||||||||||
| 2 | Curtis Johnson | 2023–2025 | 30 | 11 | 19 | .367 | - | - | - | |
| Houston Gamblers | ||||||||||
| 3 | Kevin Sumlin | 2026–present | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| # | Name | Term | Regular season | Playoffs | Awards | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GC | W | L | Win % | GC | W | L | ||||
| Houston Gamblers | ||||||||||
| 1 | David Beaty | 2022 | 10 | 3 | 7 | .300 | - | - | - | *Co Offensive Coordinator |
| 2 | J. D. Runnels | 2022 | 10 | 3 | 7 | .300 | - | - | - | *Co Offensive Coordinator |
| Houston Gamblers / Roughnecks | ||||||||||
| 3 | Eric Price | 2023–present | 30 | 11 | 19 | .367 | - | - | - | |
| # | Name | Term | Regular season | Playoffs | Awards | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GC | W | L | Win % | GC | W | L | ||||
| Houston Gamblers | ||||||||||
| 1 | Tim Lewis | 2022 | 10 | 3 | 7 | .300 | - | - | - | |
| Houston Gamblers / Roughnecks | ||||||||||
| 2 | Chris Wilson | 2023–2025 | 30 | 11 | 19 | .367 | - | - | - | |
| Houston Gamblers | ||||||||||
| 3 | Marvin Sanders | 2026–present | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| All-time Gamblers/Roughnecks leaders | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leader | Player | Record | Years with Gamblers/Roughnecks | |
| Passing yards | Kenji Bahar | 2,250 passing yards | 2022–2024 | |
| Passing Touchdowns | Clayton Thorson | 10 passing touchdowns | 2022 2022–2024 | |
| Rushing yards | Mark Thompson | 1,341 rushing yards | 2022–2024 | |
| Rushing Touchdowns | Mark Thompson | 21 rushing touchdowns | 2022–2024 | |
| Receiving yards | Justin Hall | 1,622 receiving yards | 2023–present | |
| Receiving Touchdowns | Justin Hall | 10 receiving touchdowns | 2023–present | |
| Receptions | Justin Hall | 165 receptions | 2023–present | |
| Tackles | Jeremiah Tyler | 150 tackles | 2023–2025 | |
| Sacks | Chris Odom | 17.5 sacks | 2022, 2024 | |
| Interceptions | William Likely | 4 interceptions | 2022 | |
| Coaching wins | Curtis Johnson | 11 wins | 2023–2025 | |
Regular season –As of June 2, 2025
| Season(s) | Quarterback(s) | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houston Gamblers | |||
| 2022 | Clayton Thorson(1–6) /Kenji Bahar(2–1) | [18] | |
| 2023 | Kenji Bahar(4–5) /Terry Wilson(1–0) | [19] | |
| Houston Roughnecks | |||
| 2024 | Reid Sinnett(1–4) /Jarrett Guarantano(0–3) /Nolan Henderson(0–2) | [20] | |
| 2025 | Anthony Brown(1–2) /Nolan Henderson(0–1) /Jalan McClendon(4–2) | [21] | |
Most games as starting quarterback
| Name | Period | GP | GS | W | L | Pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston Gamblers | ||||||
| Kenji Bahar | 2022–2023 | 16 | 12 | 6 | 6 | .500 |
| Clayton Thorson | 2022 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 6 | .143 |
| Terry Wilson | 2022–2023 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.000 |
| Houston Roughnecks | ||||||
| Jalan McClendon | 2025 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 2 | .667 |
| Reid Sinnett | 2024 | 10 | 5 | 1 | 4 | .200 |
| Anthony Brown | 2025 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | .333 |
| Nolan Henderson | 2024–2025 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 3 | .000 |
| Jarrett Guarantano | 2024 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 3 | .000 |
| UFL champions† (2024–present) | USFL champions§ (2022–2023) | Conference champions* | Division champions^ | Wild Card berth# |
| Season | Team | League | Conference | Division | Regular season | Postseason results | Awards | Head coaches | Pct. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finish | W | L | |||||||||
| 2022 | 2022 | USFL | South | 4th | 3 | 7 | Chris Odom (DPOY) | Kevin Sumlin | .300 | ||
| 2023 | 2023 | USFL | South | 3rd | 5 | 5 | Mark Thompson (OPOY) | Curtis Johnson | .500 | ||
| 2024 | 2024 | UFL | USFL | 4th | 1 | 9 | .100 | ||||
| 2025 | 2025 | UFL | USFL | 3rd | 5 | 5 | .500 | ||||
| Total | 14 | 26 | All-time regular season record (2022–2025) | .350 | |||||||
| 0 | 0 | All-time postseason record (2022–2025) | – | ||||||||
| 14 | 26 | All-time regular season and postseason record (2022–2025) | .350 | ||||||||
The Houston Roughnecks have shared a rivalry with theBirmingham Stallions since 2022.[22] This rivalry was called the Double Down Derby. As of 2024 the Roughnecks hold a 2–4 record against Birmingham.
The Houston Roughnecks sharedSimmons Bank Liberty Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee with the Memphis Showboats during the 2023 season. In 2024, the two teams played against each other in the season finale for the number one overall pick in the 2025 UFL draft. The winner would get the number one pick,[23] the Showboats won the game 19–12 and earned the 2025 number one pick.[24] Currently the Roughnecks have a 1–3 record against the Showboats.
| Team | Record | Pct. |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas Renegades | 1–0 | 1.000 |
| New Jersey Generals | 1–1 | .500 |
| Philadelphia Stars | 1–1 | .500 |
| Pittsburgh Maulers | 1–1 | .500 |
| Birmingham Stallions | 2–4 | .333 |
| Memphis Showboats | 1–3 | .250 |
| Michigan Panthers | 1–3 | .250 |
| New Orleans Breakers | 1–3 | .250 |
| DC Defenders | 0–1 | .000 |
| St. Louis Battlehawks | 0–1 | .000 |
| San Antonio Brahmas | 0–1 | .000 |
| Tampa Bay Bandits | 0–2 | .000 |
