Reports: Texas football set to hire Rutgers assistant Mark Orphey
Texas is set to hire Rutgers cornerbacks coach Mark Orphey to Steve Sarkisian’s assistant coaching staff, according to multiple reports.
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Anwar Richardson first reported the news.
Orphey, who just completed his third season on Greg Schiano’s staff with the Scarlet Knights, is a 2007 graduate of Galena Park (Texas) North Shore and a former All-SWAC defensive back at Texas Southern.
Other stops in Orphey’s coaching career include Alabama (senior defensive analyst), Utah State (secondary coach), Montana State (secondary), South Carolina (quality control and defensive graduate assistant), and Texas Southern (cornerbacks).
Orphey helped the Scarlet Knights to a 7-6 record in 2024 with wins over Michigan State, Washington, and Virginia Tech. Rutgers finished the season ranked No. 38 in defensive SP+. In 2022, he helped Christian Braswell become a sixth round pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars and in 2023 guided Max Melton into a second round selection by the Arizona Cardinals. Melton was an All-Big 10 honorable mention along with Robert Longerbeam in 2023.
Orphey’s work with Nick Saban at Alabama in 2021 is described on his official Rutgers profile as “helping to develop the defensive game plan and assisting with defensive backs.”
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The burnt orange connection likely comes from Ophrey’s time at Montana State. Ophrey was on former Texas linebackers coach Jeff Choate’s staff in 2017 and 2018 and was part of the Bobcats’ run to the second round of the 2018 FCS Tournament.
Orphey fills the vacancy created by the departure of Blake Gideon to become the Georgia Tech defensive coordinator.
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