Steve Sarkisian Addresses Key Coaching Staff Decision.
Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian has reportedly filled a key defensive coaching vacancy. According to Orangebloods’ reporter Anwar Richardson, Rutgers assistant Mark Orphey has been hired as the Longhorns’ new safeties coach. Orphey, who spent the past three seasons as the cornerbacks coach at Rutgers, replaces Blake Gideon, who recently accepted the defensive coordinator position at Georgia Tech.
Since 2017, Mark Orphey has steadily climbed the ranks as an assistant coach, with stops at Montana State, Utah State, and Alabama before joining Rutgers in 2022. During his tenure, he played a key role in transforming the Scarlet Knights’ defense into one of the Big Ten’s stronger units, highlighted by a 2023 season in which they ranked 16th nationally in total defense. Under his guidance, two defensive backs were drafted into the NFL—Christian Braswell, selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, and Max Melton, who was picked by the Arizona Cardinals in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
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