The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Gideon returns to Football as defensive passing game coordinator and secondary coach
01.16.2026 | Football
An all-conference defensive back at Texas and an assistant coach with the Longhorns for four seasons from 2021-24, Gideon comes back to UT after a year as defensive coordinator at Georgia Tech.
Austin – An all-conference defensive back at Texas (2008-11) and an assistant coach with the Longhorns for four seasons from 2021-24, Blake Gideon is returning to UT as defensive passing game coordinator and secondary coach, head coach Steve Sarkisian announced Friday.
"It's awesome getting Blake back," Sarkisian said. "He did great things for us during his four years here and gained more valuable experience as a coordinator last year. He's tremendous coach, teacher, and developer of men, and a great staff member. Blake and Will (Muschamp) have an incredible relationship going back to his playing days here, so having them together will make for a seamless transition on defense. He also knows and recruited or coached so many of our players currently on our roster, which is a big plus. And of course, he understands the passion, passion and rich tradition of Texas Football both as a player and coach. We're fired up to have him back, and we know Longhorn Nation is excited, as well."
Gideon spent the 2025 season as defensive coordinator at Georgia Tech where he helped the Yellow Jackets to a 9-4 overall record, including a 6-2 mark in the ACC. Georgia Tech rose to as high as a No. 7 ranking during the season, finishing the regular season at No. 22. In Gideon's defense, DT Jordan van den Berg earned first-team All-ACC honors, compiling 11 tackles for loss and three sacks, while LB Kyle Efford received honorable mention accolades after leading the team with 77 tackles.
Gideon had gone to Georgia Tech after spending the previous four seasons in Austin as safeties coach, including being promoted to associate head coach (defense) in 2024. That year, he was named National Defensive Backs Coach of the Year by Football Scoop after two Longhorns in that unit garnered All-America honors in Jahdae Barron and Michael Taaffe, while Barron won the Thorpe Award as the nation's top defensive back, along with being UT's first-ever defensive back to be a Nagurski Trophy finalist.
Texas finished the season ranked third in the FBS in scoring defense (15.3 ppg) and total defense with an SEC-best 283.4 yards allowed per game. It also forced an SEC leading 31 turnovers (2nd FBS) including an FBS-best 22 interceptions, and nearly three sacks (2.88/15th FBS) per game. The Longhorns made their second-consecutive College Football Playoff semifinals appearance, finished with a No. 3 ranking, a 13-3 overall record, a conference best 7-1 mark in the SEC, and an appearance in the SEC Championship Game.
The 2023 season was highlighted by the Texas defense holding opponents to 82.4 rushing yards per game (3rd NCAA), allowing fewer than 100 yards rushing by eight opponents, while leading the SEC in both total defense (336.7 ypg) and scoring defense (18.9 ppg). It also ranked second in the nation in third-down defense (26.6 percent) and seventh in red zone defense (73.8 percent). The Longhorns compiled a 12-2 overall record, including an 8-1 mark in the Big 12 and a win in the conference championship game before appearing the CFP semifinals.
The defense touted Barron as a Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist, who led the secondary with 61 tackles and 4.5 tackles for loss, while registering six pass breakups and an interception. Along with Barron, the defensive backfield featured the consistency of veteran Jerrin Thompson, and the emergence of former walk-on Taaffe and true freshman Derek Williams Jr. Thompson and Taaffe owned a share of the team lead with three interceptions each, while Williams led all defensive backfield newcomers with 42 tackles and 24 solo tackles.
In 2022, Texas featured the rise of Barron and Thompson, as well as veteran Anthony Cook, who each registered career years to earn honorable mention All-Big 12 Conference accolades from the league's coaches. Barron had a team-leading 11.5 tackles for loss and had an interception return and fumble return for scores. Thompson led all defensive backs with 83 tackles and tied for the team lead with seven pass breakups, both career bests, while Cook posted career highs with 61 tackles (35 solo), 3.5 tackles for loss and five pass breakups. Cook also garnered honorable mention all-conference accolades in 2021, along with safety B.J. Foster.
Gideon had returned to Austin after spending one season as special teams coordinator at Ole Miss. He helped the Rebels rank 17th nationally in kickoff return defense (17.45 ypr) and 23rd in kickoff returns (23.95), including a 100-yard touchdown return by Jerrion Ealy against LSU. Punter Mac Brown, who was a Wuerffel Trophy semifinalist, averaged 46.6 yards per punt on 28 attempts, which would have ranked fourth nationally in average, however it did not reach the 3.6 punts per game minimum used by the NCAA. Ole Miss did not allow a blocked punt during the season.
Prior to his time at Ole Miss, Gideon served as the special teams coordinator and nickelbacks coach at Houston for one season. Houston was No. 1 in the country in both blocked punts (five) and blocked kicks (six). The Cougars led the American Athletic Conference in kick return defense (17.6) and net punting (43.6).
Under Gideon's guidance, punter Dane Roy was named a finalist for the 2019 Ray Guy Award. Roy ranked first in the AAC and is seventh nationally with a 46.9 yards per punt average. Roy's 46.9 yards per punt average in 2019 set a Houston single-season record.
Prior to Houston, Gideon was cornerbacks coach at Georgia State in 2018. He spent the previous two seasons on staff as the defensive backs coach and defensive passing game coordinator at Western Carolina. In 2017, Gideon helped coach a Western Carolina defense that ranked No. 15 nationally in passing yards per game allowed and No. 20 in pass efficiency defense.
Gideon began his coaching career as a defensive quality control assistant at Florida in 2014 before moving on to Auburn to serve as a defensive graduate assistant.
Gideon signed a free agent contract with the Arizona Cardinals following the 2012 NFL Draft. He was signed to the Denver Broncos practice squad in October 2012 and trained with the club until retiring in May 2013.
Gideon was a four-year starter at safety and two-time team captain at Texas, where he played under head coach Mack Brown and defensive coordinators Will Muschamp and Manny Diaz. He started all 52 games during his career at safety with the Longhorns, which represents the second-most consecutive starts on school record. He helped Texas to a 12-1 record and No. 3 final ranking while starting as a true freshman in 2008 and played a key role in leading the Longhorns to a 13-1 mark, Big 12 Championship, berth in the BCS National Championship game and a No. 2 final ranking in 2009.
A four-time honorable mention All-Big 12 selection and two-time team captain, Gideon posted 276 tackles (166 solo), 10 INTs, 20 PBU, two sacks, eight TFL, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and a blocked punt for his career. As a senior in 2011, he was named to the Thorpe Award watch list and was a team captain. He started all 13 games with 82 tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack, two interceptions, four pass breakups and one fumble recovery that year. He was also a captain as a junior in 2010, and posted 68 tackles (42 solo), two INTs, four PBU, one sack, three TFL, one forced fumble and one blocked punt. As a sophomore, Gideon collected six interceptions to go along with 62 tackles (35 solo), two TFL, five PBU and a fumble recovery. The six INTs tied for seventh on UT's single-season list. He preceded that with Freshman All-America honors after starting all 13 games as a true freshman and finishing third on the team in tackles with 64 (41 solo) to go along with seven PBU, a TFL, a forced fumble and eight pressures.
Academically, he was a two-time member of UT's Athletics Director's Honor Roll and graduated in December 2011 with a degree in kinesiology and health.
A native of Leander, Texas, Gideon is married to the former Mary Catherine Abernathy, and they have two sons, Barrett and Brooks, and a daughter, Catherine. His father, Steve, was the head coach at Leander High School before retiring.
