The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Football
- Title:
- Assistant Coach, Football - Cornerbacks
A 14-year coaching veteran who has deep roots in the State of Texas where he played high school and college football, Mark Orphey (or-fay) joined the Longhorns Football staff in February 2025 as cornerbacks coach. Orphey spent five seasons working in the SEC and has been a part of six bowl games, the FBS Playoffs and a College Football Playoff National Championship Game.
Orphey spent the past three seasons coaching cornerbacks at Rutgers, helping revitalize a struggling Scarlet Knights program with back-to-back winning seasons and a bowl game the past two years for the first time since 2011-12. His time with Rutgers was highlighted by a 2023 season where he helped coach a defense that ranked 16th nationally in total defense (313.5), posting its best mark and ranking for a season in the Big Ten era. Rutgers limited 10 opponents under 30 points, five under 20 points and three in single digits to rank No. 32 nationally in scoring defense (21.2) that year. Additionally in 2023, Rutgers ranked 10th nationally in passing defense (176.3) and 15th in red zone defense (75.6 percent), posting 11 stops.
The cornerbacks at Rutgers excelled under Orphey, led by Max Melton, an honorable mention All-Big Ten in 2023 who earned an invitation to the Reese’s Senior Bowl and NFL Combine and was selected by the Arizona Cardinals in the second round of the NFL Draft, the highest RU pick since 2010. Cornerback Christian Braswell earned honorable mention All-Big Ten in Orphey’s first year with the Scralet Knights in 2021 and Braswell was selected in the sixth round of the NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars. He helped Rutgers post its best mark in total defense (349.8) in 10 years at that year.
Prior to Rutgers, Orphey spent the 2021 season as a senior defensive analyst, working on Nick Saban’s staff at Alabama and helping develop the defensive game plan while assisting with defensive backs. That Crimson Tide squad won the SEC Championship and advanced to National Championship Game that year.
Orphey spent two seasons as secondary coach at Utah State from 2019-20, helping safety Shaq Bond earn honorable mention All-Mountain West Conference honors both seasons. The Aggies’ defense in 2019 paved the way for a winning season and a Frisco Bowl berth after forcing 24 turnovers (13 fumbles, 11 interceptions) to rank second in the Mountain West and 15th in the nation.
In his two seasons at Montana State (2017-18) working under former Longhorn co-defensive coordinator Jeff Choate, Orphey coached four players to All-Big Sky Conference honors in safety Jahque Alleyn (2018), cornerback Greg Filer (2018), safety Brayden Konkol (2018) and safety Bryson McCabe (2017). During the 2018 season, Orphey helped the Bobcats to an 8-5 record, including a 5-3 mark in the Big Sky Conference, and an appearance in the NCAA FCS Playoffs for the first time since 2014. MSU also advanced to the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2012. The defensive backs produced nine interceptions and six forced fumbles, finishing in the top half of the league in interceptions (12), passing yards allowed (213.5 yards per game) and passing efficiency defense (124.16).
Orphey’s spent four seasons in the SEC working at South Carolina, serving as a quality control assistant (2013) and defensive graduate assistant (2014-16). The program advanced to three bowl games (2013 Capital One Bowl, 2014 Independence Bowl, 2016 Birmingham Bowl) and the team’s third-straight 11-win season in 2013. He helped coach four players to all-conference honors in DB Chris Lammons (2015), CB Al Harris Jr. (2015), S Brison Williams (2013) and CB Victor Hampton (2013).
Orphey began his collegiate coaching career at his alma mater as the cornerbacks coach at Texas Southern. During two seasons with the Tigers (2011-12), he mentored DB Tray Walker, a fourth-round pick in the NFL Draft, to all-conference and All-America honors in 2012, and DB Jerome Thomas to all-conference status in 2011.
A three-year starter at cornerback at Texas Southern, Orphey earned all-Southwestern Athletic Conference honors as a junior and senior (2009-10). He played was a part of a major rebuild for a program that endured a winless season his freshman year and developed into a SWAC Championship squad when he was a senior in 2010. He starred in a secondary that ranked amongst the nation's best during his junior and senior seasons.
Born and raised in Houston, Orphey is a 2007 graduate of Galena Park North Shore High School where he was an all-district standout in both football and track and field. Orphey earned his degree from Texas Southern in 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. He went on to complete a master’s degree in health and information technology at South Carolina in 2015.
Orphey File
Hometown: Houston, Texas
Alma Mater: Texas Southern, 2010
2025-present: Texas (cornerbacks)
2022-24: Rutgers (cornerbacks)
2021: Alabama (senior defensive analyst)
2019-20: Utah State (secondary)
2017-18: Montana State (secondary)
2014-16: South Carolina (quality control)
2013: South Carolina (defensive graduate assistant)
2011-12: Texas Southern (cornerbacks)
