Unique perspective: Former ESPN college football analyst Anthony Becht appreciates UFL’s all-access approach

When Anthony Becht looks at his multi-faceted life — UFL head coach, NFL radio analyst, father of a rising college football star and family man — he chuckles and thinks of himself somewhat akin to another very determined dad.

Like Bryan Mills, the fictional avenging retired CIA operative actor Liam Neeson portrays in the “Taken” movie series, Becht says he believes he’s been blessed with a “very particular set of skills.”

They should be on display Saturday on ESPN (7 p.m. ET) when his undefeated Orlando Storm welcome the St. Louis Battlehawks to Inter&Co Stadium.

His primary skill: multitasking.

“I would say that one of my gifts is being able to do multiple things at once,” said Becht, who coached the UFL’s Battlehawks for two years before accepting the expansion Orlando position this season. “Is it challenging? Yes, but I’m ultra-focused in the moment.”

Becht not only will be overseeing the 4-0 Storm but also he’ll be giving viewers in-the-moment insights as he answers questions from ESPN sideline analysts.

Virtually everyone on the UFL sidelines is subject to be interviewed in-game given the league’s innovative all-access approach. But among those potential subjects, only Becht is a former ESPN college football game analyst (2013-2020) who can appreciate both sides of the interviewer-interviewee interaction.

In the video excerpt above, taken from a Week 1 game, ESPN sideline analyst Tom Luginbill asks Becht what his strategy will be in preserving a slim lead late in the game against the Columbus Aviators.

Becht gives succinct but insightful answers in a pressure-packed situation.

“It’s a great perspective from the fans’ standpoint,” Becht told Front Row about the UFL’s all-access approach. “But my focus is always on the game.”

Here’s another example of Becht taking fans behind the scenes on ESPN telecasts:

Anthony Becht and the Orlando Storm move to 2-0 on the season 🔥

Tom Luginbill is alongside the Head Coach now ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/X2w4Gt2zb5

— United Football League (@TheUFL) April 5, 2026

Working in the ESPN booth helped him learn to deliver valuable insight quickly.

“I once heard someone at an ESPN preseason [production] conference say, ‘Less is more’,” Becht recalls. “How can you give your point on live action in six or seven seconds, where [commentators are] actually giving you something that people can enjoy?”

In the fall, Becht serves as a radio game analyst for the NFL’s New York Jets, who made him a 2000 first-round draft pick.

The former West Virginia star – and subject of an innovative ESPN The Magazine photo feature in 1999 – excelled at tight end for 11 NFL seasons for multiple teams.

Developing talent in spring football – Becht coached the XFL version of the Battlehawks in 2023 before he led the UFL iterations the past two seasons – is a passion.

But so is monitoring the growth of his son Rocco Becht, a star quarterback at Iowa State who recently transferred to Penn State.

And as much as he loved coaching in St. Louis for the rabid Battlehawks’ fanbase, Becht appreciates working in Florida, the state his family has called home for about 20 years.

“Who’s got it better than me?” Becht said, alluding to the NFL coaching Harbaugh brothers’ signature catchphrase.

“I have the best 365-day-a-year life. I hit all the buckets.”