The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Football hires Brennan Marion as assistant coach
12.31.2021 | Football
A record-setting collegiate receiver with 12 years of coaching experience, Marion will be Texas’ passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach.
AUSTIN, Texas — One of the nation's most highly-regarded assistants who coached the 2021 Biletnikoff Award winner, Brennan Marion is joining the Texas Football staff as passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach. A record-setting collegiate receiver himself, Marion has extensive coaching experience at both the high school and college levels, including three seasons as an offensive coordinator. He replaces Andre Coleman, who will not return to the Texas staff for the 2022 season.
"Brennan's a great addition to our staff, and I'm so fired up to have him on board," head coach Steve Sarkisian said. "He's a guy I've watched from afar and admired, and when we talked about a passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach here, his name just kept coming up. His reputation as a teacher, coach, recruiter and mentor is tremendous, and he's an innovative coach who will bring a lot of new and unique ideas to our passing game. After talking with him at length, I could tell he was the perfect person to fill our role. He is a high-energy person and a relationship guy who gets the best out of his players. He will not only be a great coach for our receivers and an outstanding member of our staff, but an experienced and knowledgeable mentor who will be an awesome resource to everyone in our program. I'm excited to get him to Austin and get to work."
In 2021, Marion was a part of a Pitt staff that directed one of the nation's most explosive offenses. Serving as wide receivers coach for an offense that ranked among the nation's top eight in scoring (41.4 ppg/4th), total offense (486.6 ypg/8th) and passing offense (337.4 ypg/8th), he helped lead the Panthers to an 11-3 record, their first-ever ACC Championship, a No. 12 final regular-season ranking and a berth in the New Year's Six Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.
Marion's prize pupil at Pitt was wide receiver Jordan Addison, who won the Biletnikoff Award as the nation's top receiver, and was a consensus first-team All-American selection in 2021. The first-team All-ACC wideout set a Pitt single-season record with 100 receptions this season, which rank fifth in the FBS, for 1,593 yards (3rd FBS) and an FBS-leading 17 touchdowns. The receiving yards and touchdowns rank second to only Larry Fitzgerald in a season in Pitt history.
"I'm so excited for this opportunity and can't wait to get started," Marion said. "Coach Sark is as big time of an offensive coach as there is, and what he's putting together as the head coach at Texas is something I'm thrilled to be a part of. The opportunity to learn, study and grow under him at a premier program like Texas was a no-brainer. It's a proud program with a rich tradition, and I want to be a part of the history of helping the Longhorns return to prominence and regain their place as a national powerhouse.
Prior to Pitt, Marion was wide receivers coach at Hawaii in 2020, where oversaw the development of All-Mountain West Conference (MWC) receiver Calvin Turner. Under his guidance, Turner was named the 2020 New Mexico Bowl's Most Outstanding Offensive Player after compiling 252 all-purpose yards and scoring two touchdowns in the Rainbow Warriors' 28-14 win over Houston.
In 2019, Marion was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at William & Mary, where he dramatically improved the Tribe's production in every major statistical category. William & Mary nearly doubled its scoring average while its total offensive output increased by almost 100 yards per contest. The Tribe's improvement was even more impressive considering Marion's starting quarterback, leading receiver and three of his top four rushers were true freshmen.
Marion's first Division I coaching opportunity came at Howard University, where he enjoyed two exceptional seasons (2017-18) as the Bison's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Howard boasted a highly-potent offense in 2018, ranking fourth nationally in yards per completion (17.27), 15th in total yards (470.8 ypg), 16th in passing offense (278.0 ypg) and 21st in scoring offense (33.6 ppg). The Bison led the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) in each of those categories, as well as rushing yards per game (192.8). Howard had seven first-team All-MEAC performers on offense, including the league's 2018 Offensive Player of the Year (quarterback Caylin Newton) and Rookie of the Year (running back Dedrick Parson).
In 2017, Newton was named the MEAC Rookie of the Year after becoming the first freshman in the conference's history to surpass 3,000 yards of total offense (3,185). Offensive lineman Gerald Wright earned All-America accolades, paving the way for a unit that ranked first in the MEAC and 13th nationally with an average of 446.0 yards per game.
Marion's "Go-Go" offense sparked Howard to a 7-4 record in 2017, including a shocking 43-40 win at heavily-favored UNLV in the opener. The Bison had won just three games over the prior two years.
In 2016, Marion coached the running backs at Oklahoma Baptist University. Under his guidance, Isaiah Mallory rushed for a school-record 1,083 yards en route to first-team All-National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) honors. During the 2015 season, Marion was an offensive quality control assistant at Arizona State.
During his college coaching career, he has earned prestigious invitations to the NFL Quarterback Coaching Summit and American Football Coaches Association's (AFCA) 35 Under 35 Leadership Institute.
Prior to joining the collegiate ranks, Marion orchestrated two impressive turnarounds as a high school head coach. In 2014, he led Pennsylvania's Waynesboro Area — which went 0-10 the year before — to the Mid-Penn Colonial Division title and its first winning season in 22 years. In 2013, Marion guided St. Patrick-St. Vincent (Calif.) to the North Coast Section Division IV playoffs following a 1-9 season prior to his arrival.
A 2009 graduate of Tulsa, Marion was a record record-setting receiver for the Golden Hurricanes. In two seasons at Tulsa (2007-08), he compiled 2,356 yards on 82 receptions with 19 touchdowns. He was a two-time All-Conference USA selection and the 2007 C-USA Newcomer of the Year. Marion set NCAA records for yards per catch in a season (31.9 in 2007) and career (28.7).
Prior to Tulsa, he was a standout at De Anza College. In 2006, he led California's junior colleges with 1,196 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns on 60 receptions. Following his accomplished collegiate playing career, Marion signed free agent contracts with the Miami Dolphins, as well as the Canadian Football League's Montreal Alouettes.
A native of Greensburg, Pa., Marion was a four-year letterman in three different sports (football, basketball and track) at Greensburg Salem High School. He played receiver and defensive back under Golden Lions head coach George Kermer and was an All-Keystone Conference honoree.
Marion has two children, Mariah and Brennan.