3 Texas football assistants who could be future head coaches

Brennan Marion, WR coach/Pass game coordinator

If you want to talk about a fast-rising name in the college football coaching ranks, look no further than the former Pitt Panthers wide receivers coach Brennan Marion. Texas’ new wide receivers coach/passing game coordinator Marion has quickly risen up the college football coaching ladder in the last few years, en route to replacing Andre Coleman on the Horns’ staff earlier this offseason.

It’s clear that Marion could very well wind up being the most important hire of the offseason for Sark on this Longhorns staff. I would imagine it will either end up being Marion or new special assistant to the head coach and former TCU Horned Frogs longtime head coach Gary Patterson.

Marion’s background saw him go from a JUCO wide receivers coach at West Valley College in 2011 to an offensive quality control coach with the Arizona State Sun Devils in 2015, all the way to the offensive coordinator job with the William & Mary Tribe in 2019.

Marion was also responsible for installing the “GoGo” offensive scheme during his time as the offensive coordinator at Howard and William & Mary. The GoGo offense takes in some old-school rushing concepts with some ideals from the spread. This offense sees two running backs line up with a mobile quarterback in the backfield, with some tempo along with it, to open up the playbook with nearly unlimited possibilities in terms of running plays.

But the GoGo offense definitely isn’t the only reason for the fast rise of Marion amid the coaching ranks. He’s a tremendous recruiter and player developer. And this is a WR coach that is just generally beloved by his players.

The most significant talent that Marion developed as a WR coach was clearly the reigning Biletnikoff Award winner and the new USC transfer Jordan Addison. But Marion also coached up other key talents at past stops such as All-MWC wide receiver/running back Calvin Turner and 2018 MEAC Offensive Player of the Year Caylin Newton.

Marion’s all-around success as a college football coach was highlighted as he was named one of the 40 Under 40 by Dave Campbell this offseason.

All in all, it seems like only a matter of time before Marion really gets a lot of attention as a potential head coaching candidate around the FBS. He’s just too much of a rising star around the college football landscape for that not to happen at this point.

Texas definitely found a good one to replace Coleman at WR coach this offseason in Marion. His impact was felt in the wide receiver room and on the recruiting trail so far this offseason, bringing in key transfers Agiye Hall and Isaiah Neyor along with landing the likes of four-star wide receiver Ryan Niblett and five-star Johntay Cook, among others.