Shannon Harris, a former HBCU quarterback and Tennessee State alum, etched his title within the report books.
On Saturday evening, he grew to become the primary HBCU graduate to educate a U.S. professional soccer workforce to a league championship. Harris guided the DC Defenders to a dominant 58-34 victory over the Michigan Panthers within the 2025 UFL Championship Recreation at The Dome at America’s Middle.
The Defenders exploded for 31 factors within the second quarter, breaking open a detailed contest and setting a brand new UFL scoring report.
Quarterback Jordan Ta’amu was named MVP after passing for 390 yards and 4 touchdowns, whereas Chris Rowland, one other Tennessee State product, contributed 69 complete yards.
Harris, who took over as interim head coach simply days earlier than the season following Reggie Barlow’s departure, credited his workers and gamers for his or her unity and resilience.
“Yeah, to God be the glory,” Harris mentioned after the win. “These guys right here, man, the teaching workers, help workers, I imply, everyone’s been on the identical web page since day one, since taking up… We simply rattle it round one another, and it continues to only be us, we, and ours…
I can’t thank them sufficient for the trouble they put into this, the resiliency that we had all through the course of the 12 months. We now have some nice followers again in D.C., we need to do it for them as properly, and God is superb, man, God is superb, and I’m very grateful”.
Harris additionally acknowledged the inspiration laid by Barlow: “We owe rather a lot to Coach Barlow… The muse, as you mentioned, been laid from 12 months one, from 2023, and we simply adopted go well with. It got here right down to not only a one-man present. It got here right down to us, we and ours, and that’s been the motto for us the whole season. We’re going to do that collectively”.
The championship caps a exceptional season for Harris, who was named the 2025 UFL Buddy Teevens Coach of the 12 months earlier within the week. Beneath his management, the Defenders completed 6-4 within the common season and superior by way of the playoffs with unity and function
