The Pittsburgh Maulers were a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania but played their home games in Canton, Ohio. The Maulers competed in the United States Football League (USFL) North division.
Founded in 2021, the Maulers were one of the eight inaugural teams for the re-launch of the original United States Football League which ceased operations in 1986. They played their home games at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio in 2023, which also hosts the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game. Prior to Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, the Maulers had played their home games in Protective Stadium and at Legion Field in 2022. The Maulers posted a 3–15 record through their first 18 games, identical to the original Maulers franchise during its lone season in 1984. However, the Maulers then won their final two games of the 2023 season to clinch the USFL North division title, and then won their first playoff game to advance to the 2023 USFL Championship Game.
On December 19, 2023, the USFL informed its players union that the Maulers would not be included in the league's upcoming merger with the XFL.
History
The Pittsburgh Maulers were one of eight teams that were officially announced as a USFL franchise on The Herd with Colin Cowherd on November 22, 2021, Their first head coach was announced on January 20, 2022, when it was announced on The Herd with Colin Cowherd that former NFL running backs coach Kirby Wilson was named the Head Coach and General Manager of the Maulers. Wilson revealed on February 9, 2022, that UConn Defensive Coordinator Jarren Horton would become the Defensive Coordinator for the Maulers, while Wilson would call the offense. They made their first draft pick in franchise history, selecting quarterback Kyle Lauletta 7th overall. They drafted 35 players from February 22–23 in 2022.
The team begun the season 0–4, the worst in the league, but defeated the Houston Gamblers 21–20 behind an off the bench effort by newly signed quarterback Vad Lee. Finishing with a record of 1–9, the worst record in the league, the team did not win the rights to the first overall pick in the 2023 USFL draft, after the league decided that the winner of the Week 10 game between the 1–8 Maulers and 1–8 Michigan Panthers, would win the first overall pick. The Panthers were victorious 21–33.
On October 18, 2022, the Maulers named Lonnie Young as the team's new general manager. In early January, 2023, Wilson stepped down as the head coach of the Maulers, citing personal reasons. He was replaced on January 17, 2023, by Ray Horton.
On December 19, 2023, the USFL informed its players union that the Maulers were not one of the four USFL teams chosen to participate in the league's upcoming merger with the XFL.
Logo and uniforms The team's 2022 colors of orange and purple were slightly different from what was used by the Pittsburgh Maulers team in the original USFL, as they used red and purple. In any event, the colors were a radical departure from the city's traditional sporting colors of black and gold and are more or less of an ode to the original Maulers franchise.
The logo depicts a worker swinging a large hammer, as an ode to the steel workers that Pittsburgh's history is known for. The current jerseys were a different design than the originals, with the home being purple with an orange bar across the shoulders and the away being white with a purple bar along the shoulders.
In 2023, the Maulers changed their team's colors to the traditional city colors of black, gold, and white.
Player history
Current NFL players USFL SeasonPosNameNFL team2022LSMitchell FraboniDenver Broncos2022DTJeremiah Pharms Jr.New England Patriots
Notable players USFL SeasonPosNameNotes2023LBReuben FosterFormer San Francisco 49ers Linebacker, 2017 1st Round Pick
Coach history
Head coach history #NameTermRegular seasonPlayoffsAwardsGCWLWin %GCWLPittsburgh Maulers1Kirby Wilson20221019.100 – – –2Ray Horton20231046.400211
Offensive coordinator history #NameTermRegular seasonPlayoffsAwardsGCWLWin %GCWLPittsburgh Maulers1John Tomlinson2022–202320515.250211
Defensive coordinator history #NameTermRegular seasonPlayoffsAwardsGCWLWin %GCWLPiitsburgh Maulers1Jarren Horton2022-202320515.250211
Championships North Division championships Season Coach Location Opponent Score 2023 Ray Horton Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium (Canton, Ohio) Michigan Panthers 31–27 Total North Division Championships won: 1
Records All-time Maulers leadersLeader Player Record Years with Maulers Passing yards Troy Williams 1,414 passing yards 2023Passing TouchdownsTroy Williams Vad Lee6 passing touchdowns2023 2022 Rushing yards Madre London 669 rushing yards 2022-2023Rushing TouchdownsTroy Williams3 rushing touchdowns2023 Receiving yards Bailey Gaither 698 receiving yards 2022-2023Receiving TouchdownsIsiah Hennie6 receiving touchdowns2022-2023ReceptionsBailey Gaither59 receptions2022-2023TacklesKyahva Tezino180 tackles2022-2023 Sacks Olive Sagapolu 6.0 sacks 2022–2023 Interceptions Mark GilbertArnold Tarpley III 4 interceptions 20232022–2023Coaching winsRay Horton4 wins2023
Statistics and records
Season-by-season record
Note: The finish, wins, losses, and ties columns list regular season results and exclude any postseason play. +LegendUSFL champions†Division champions^Wild Card berth#
+Pittsburgh Maulers season-by-season recordsSeasonTeamLeagueDivisionRegular seasonPostseason resultsAwardsFinishWinsLossesTies 2022 USFL North 4th 1 9 0 – – 2023 USFL North 1st^ 4 6 0 Won Division Finals (vs. Panthers) 31–27 (OT)Lost USFL Championship (vs. Stallions) 1228 Jarren Horton (Assistant Coach of the Year)Totals5150(2022–2023, regular season)110(2022–2023, playoffs)6160(2022–2023, regular season and playoffs) Rivalries Key Stone State Battle The Pittsburgh Maulers shared a rivalry with their cross-state foes the Philadelphia Stars called the Key Stone State Battle. The Maulers went 1–3 against Philadelphia during both USFL seasons.
Franchise matchup history +TeamRecordPct.Michigan Panthers3–2.600Houston Gamblers1–1.500New Jersey Generals1–3.250Philadelphia Stars1–3.250Memphis Showboats0–1.000Tampa Bay Bandits0–1.000New Orleans Breakers0–2.000Birmingham Stallions0–3.000
References
External links Pittsburgh Maulers official website