Last week, now-former Texas football running backs coach Tashard Choice accepted the position of running backs coach for the Detroit Lions, marking his return to the NFL. During his two years at UT, coach Choice excelled as both a recruiter and a developer of running backs.
Texas football hires former WVU RB coach Chad Scott to replace Tashard Choice
The new coach will certainly have big shoes to fill, but I’m optimistic about the arrival of Chad Scott, the former offensive coordinator and running backs coach at West Virginia. Here are three reasons why he’s a great fit for the role.
Bringing in a former college running back to coach the running backs
The Longhorns have added another former collegiate running back with NFL experience to their coaching staff for the running backs. Coach Scott, who began his college career at the University of Kentucky, transferred to the University of North Carolina during his sophomore year (2003-05). In his senior season, he earned first-team All-ACC honors after rushing for 796 yards and scoring eight touchdowns.
Following his college career, he had a short stint in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns and the Pittsburgh Steelers. In 2006, he returned to his alma mater, the Tar Heels, as a graduate assistant video analyst.
Decades of Experience coaching running backs at a high level
Coach Scott began his coaching journey in 2006 as a graduate assistant video analyst for the UNC Tar Heels. The following year, he stepped into his first role as a running back coach at Troy University. During his three years there, he played a pivotal role in leading the Trojans to three consecutive Sun Belt Conference Championships and two appearances in the New Orleans Bowl.
His next chapter unfolded at Texas Tech, where he worked under coach Tommy Tuberville from 2010 to 2012. There, he established strong connections, recruiting four-star running backs like Kenny Williams from Pflugerville Hendrickson, DeAndre Washington from Fort Bend Marshall, and Bradley Marquez from Odessa in the 2011 class.
Washington eventually became a fifth-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, enjoying a five-year career. During Scott's brief tenure at Texas Tech, his primary running backs averaged five yards per carry and scored 52 touchdowns over three seasons.
In 2013, he joined the Kentucky Wildcats as the run game coordinator and running backs coach before returning to his alma mater, the Tar Heels, as the tight ends coach from 2016 to 2019. His next significant role was with the West Virginia Mountaineers as a running backs coach.
In 2020, he significantly boosted the running game, increasing production by over 60 yards per game, adding more than 90 total yards of offense, and nearly seven additional points per game. In 2021, running back Leddie Brown achieved over 1,000 rushing yards for the second consecutive season, finishing with 1,065 yards and leading the team with 14 offensive touchdowns.
In his final year as the Offensive Coordinator, he helped the WVU rushing offense rank among the best in the nation, coming in at No. 9 among Power Five schools. Jahiem White, CJ Donaldson Jr., and Garrett Greene formed one of only two FBS backfields to each rush for over 600 yards during the regular season. With this wealth of experience, he aims to guide the Longhorn backfield toward continued success.
Scott recruiting ties to Florida
Coach Scott hails from Plant City, FL, and throughout his coaching career, he has successfully recruited talent from the Tampa and Orlando areas, as well as Georgia. These are the same regions that Coach Choice focused on during his tenure with the Horns.
The Horns have a strong track record of identifying four to five-star prospects, including 2023 five-star running back CJ Baxter from Orlando and 2024 four-star recruit Jerrick Gibson from Gainesville, Florida, among others. With Coach Scott's extensive experience as a leader, developer, and exceptional recruiter, he is set to enhance the Horns' backfield significantly.