Houston's Zac Etheridge on track to be hired as Miami Hurricanes cornerbacks coach

Zac Etheridge, who has coached at Houston and Auburn the past several seasons, has been offered the cornerbacks coaching job at Miami and will be hired pending the completion of the standard background checks conducted on all new coaching hires.

Etheridge was the defensive backs coach at Houston last season his second stint at the school and was set to be defensive pass game coordinator next season. He had been the Cornerbacks Coach with the Cougars during the 2019-20 seasons.

In 2024, Etheridge’s cornerbacks unit helped Houston produce one of its most memorable defensive campaigns in recent memory. The position group was led by junior Jeremiah Wilson, who was named to the Dave Campbell’s Texas Football First Team after pacing the Big 12 and ranking fourth among Power Four cornerbacks with an 86.9 defensive grade (PFF). Wilson finished third in the conference with four interceptions.

During 2024, the Cougars limited opponents to 188.8 passing yards per game, ranking third in the Big 12. Houston’s 2,266 passing yards allowed were its fewest in a non-COVID season (eight games played) in 30 years (2,160 yards in 1994). UH held opponents under 225 passing yards nine times (15th nationally) and intercepted passes in eight of 12 games including three against Baylor (Nov. 23) which ranked tied for the fifth most nationally by a Power Four program on the season. 

During his first stint at Houston, Etheridge mentored cornerbacks Marcus Jones and Damarion Williams. Jones was named an All-American in 2020 at cornerback by Pro Football Focus (PFF) and was an All-American selection as a punt return specialist by the FWAA, CBS/247 Sports and Phil Steele Magazine. Jones also was graded as one of the Top 5 corners in 2020 by PFF. Under two seasons of Etheridge’s tutelage, Williams blossomed into an all-conference player in 2020, starting 19 consecutive games for the Cougars.

Etheridge also played a key role in Houston’s improvement on defense in 2020, as the Cougars finished fourth in the American Athletic Conference in total defense (398.5 yards per game). Houston’s defense also saw improvements from 2019 to 2020 in passing yards allowed, third down conversion defense percentage and tackles for loss. After that season, he was selected to the American Football Coaches Association 2021 35 Under 35 Coaches Leadership Institute. The prestigious program is aimed at identifying and developing premier, future leaders in the football coaching profession and is part of the AFCA Convention.

After that, Etheridge went to Auburn, returning to his his alma mater. He spent three seasons (2021-23) as the Tigers’ Secondary Coach and was promoted to Associate Head Coach before the 2022 season.

During his three seasons at Auburn, Etheridge tutored a pair of All-SEC defensive backs including 2023 Second-Team honoree Jaylin Simpson, who ranked 19^th in the country in interceptions (4), and 2021 First-Team honoree Roger McCreary, who paced the SEC in passes defended per game (1.3).

During 2023, Auburn posted the nation’s No. 15-best coverage grade (89.7), trailing only Alabama and Georgia in the SEC, according to PFF. The Tigers ranked third in the league in passing yards allowed (202.2) and interceptions (12) while limiting opponents to fewer than 250 passing yards in 10 of its 13 games (15^th nationally) and under 200 yards on seven occasions (20^th nationally). Senior D.J. James ranked 10^th nationally and sixth in the Power 5 among cornerbacks with an 88.9 coverage grade per PFF. Meanwhile, Simpson ranked sixth among safeties with an 88.7 coverage grade.

In 2022, Auburn ranked 25^th nationally in team passing efficiency defense (121.35). The Tigers’ 86.1 coverage grade (PFF) ranked 22^nd nationally. The Tigers continued their growth in the secondary, moving up 36 spots nationally in passing yards allowed, from 245.8 in 2021 to 222.7 in 2022.

In 2021, during his first season at Auburn, the Tigers moved up 13 spots in coverage grade according to PFF, advancing from 61^st nationally (67.6) in 2020 to 48^th in 2021 (75.6). McCreary was selected in the second round (pick 35) of the 2022 NFL Draft by the Titans, becoming the fourth cornerback in Auburn history selected inside the Top 35 picks.

Etheridge’s early coaching stops were at Louisiana (2015), where he helped lead the Ragin’ Cajuns to a spot in both the Cure Bowl and the Sun Belt Conference Championship and Western Carolina (2016-17), where he started coaching the cornerbacks in 2016 before being elevated to a full-time position as an assistant coach with his focus switching to WCU’s outside linebackers in 2017. His coaching career began as a graduate assistant coach at Penn State under head coach Bill O’Brien, followed by two years as a defensive graduate assistant at Georgia Tech where he worked closely with the secondary.

As a player, he was a four-year starter at Auburn. Etheridge broke his neck during his junior season in 2009 against Ole Miss. Nine months later, after extensive rehabilitation, Etheridge returned to the starting lineup for Auburn and captained his team along a memorable run to the national title at the end of the 2010 season, finishing second on the team with 69 tackles, intercepting three passes, and returning a fumble 47 yards for a touchdown against Arkansas.

Etheridge garnered freshman All-America status from numerous publications following the 2007 season, starting 12 of Auburn’s 13 games. He led Auburn with 75 tackles in 2008 and was named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll in 2009.

Etheridge signed as an undrafted free agent with the Oakland Raiders in 2011 before making a career change from a player to coach following a knee injury.