Brennan Marion lists Gus Malzahn, Mike Norvell as his biggest influences as a coach

Brennan Marion, who is going into his second season as UNLV’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, has been fortunate to play under and work beside some of the biggest names in college football throughout his career.

Despite having stints throughout his career at schools like Texas, Pitt, Arizona State and more in various roles, his coaching philosophy was shaped while he was a college player at Tulsa from 2007-2008.

There, he played under Gus Malzahn — and Mike Norvell happened to be on the staff as a graduate assistant. The two of them set the standard for what Marion believes a coach should be like in college football.

“I’d really think Gus [Malzahn] from the standpoint of having the confidence to call your own offense and create something and do something different and unique,” Marion told On3’s Andy Staples, explaining why the duo was so influential on him. “I’d say Mike Norvell from the standpoint of how do I coach players and that being super personal and getting the best out of each player. He was my position coach at Tulsa and recruited me there.

“I always say there are two people, him (Norvell) and a guy named Howard Irvin are two reasons I have a college degree. They used to wake me up at 5 a.m. knocking on my door, like, your ass is gonna be a freaking star. Like, you have no choice. You’re not gonna fail.”

That now sets the stage for how Marion has decided to coach, and it starts with having a relationship with all of his players. Many coaches say that it starts from the top down, and with Marion holding such a prominent position on the coaching staff, his word holds value in that locker room.

“I’ve always coached my players the same way that [Norvell] coached me,” he continued. “Just take it very personally and for every player that I’m responsible for, I’m trying to make sure that they become a star and have an impact.”

Marion noted that while those two, Malzahn and Norvell, have been the most impactful on his career, he’s also worked with some of the biggest names in college football over his coaching tenure. He name-dropped coaches like Steve Sarkisian, Kenny Dillingham and Mark Whipple as three others that have been influential on his coaching philosophy. Heading into year two at UNLV, Marion is sure to use what he’s learned working alongside these great minds.