VIRGINIA HAULERS BRING PROFESSIONAL ARENA FOOTBALL TO WYTHEVILLE IN 2027

WYTHEVILLE, VA — A new team. A new tradition. And a whole new reason to get loud in Southwest Virginia. 

The Virginia Haulers are bringing professional arena football to Wytheville, with Hitachi Energy Arena serving as their home for the 2027 American Arena League season. The Haulers open the season on the road March 26 before bringing the action home on May 8. The first of four regular-season home games.

Wytheville and Wythe County already know what it means to rally behind a professional team. Home to the Blue Ridge Bobcats of the Federal Prospects Hockey League, the area is building a sports identity that reaches beyond county lines. The arrival of the Haulers adds another reason for local families, visiting fans and businesses across the region to get involved.

At the helm of the new franchise is championship coach Josh Resignalo, known throughout the indoor and arena football world as Coach Res. The 2027 season will mark his 20th season in the indoor and arena game, bringing a veteran presence and championship experience to Virginia’s newest franchise.

Resignalo’s résumé includes championships with the AAL Atlanta Havoc in 2018 and the Wheeling Miners in 2024, when Wheeling finished a perfect 10–0 season with an AAL2 championship. He has coached in championship games in four of his last six seasons coached and earned General Manager of the Year honors in both 2018 and 2024.

For Coach Res, this opportunity also hits close to home. A Mount Airy, North Carolina, resident, he lives just down the road from Wytheville and understands the pride, toughness and community spirit that define this region. He brings the experience of building championship teams and the expectation that the Haulers will put a disciplined, competitive football team on the field.

“I want to thank Head Coach Brandon Negron and Owner Tony Thompson for the opportunity to have been hired as the defensive coordinator for the Colorado Spartans,” said Resignalo. “I’m grateful for the chance they gave me and for the confidence they placed in me. However, when the opportunity came to return to a head coaching role and take on the general manager/head coach position with the Virginia Haulers, it was a decision I had to make. Being only 45 minutes from home made the opportunity even more special.”

Resignalo will serve as the general manager and head coach of the Virginia Haulers, overseeing both the team’s football operations and on-field direction as the franchise prepares for its inaugural season in Wytheville.

The Virginia Haulers will host a press conference in the coming weeks at Hitachi Energy Arena to officially introduce the team’s ownership group, announce the front-office staff and unveil the remainder of the coaching staff. Additional details, including the date and time of the event, will be announced soon.

But the opportunity extends well beyond football.

Four home games mean four more occasions to bring people into Wytheville, to eat at local restaurants, shop at local businesses, stay in area hotels and experience what Wythe County has to offer. For businesses, the Haulers create new opportunities to connect with fans. For young athletes, they bring professional football closer to home. For families, they offer the speed, intensity and up-close excitement of arena football right in their own backyard.

The vision is to build a team that Wytheville, Wythe County and all of Southwest Virginia can take pride in. A team the community can grow with. A game-day atmosphere people look forward to. A tradition that starts with the very first kickoff.

The road begins March 26. The home crowd takes over May 8.

Wytheville, get ready. The Virginia Haulers are coming and it’s time to get hauling!