Texas Longhorns Hire Mark Orphey as New Safeties Coach

The Texas Longhorns have made significant changes to their coaching staff ahead of the 2025 season, hiring Mark Orphey as the new safeties coach to replace Blake Gideon, who departed for a defensive coordinator position at Georgia Tech. Orphey comes from Rutgers, where he helped develop a top-performing secondary, and he is expected to enhance Texas's recruiting efforts, particularly in Houston. Meanwhile, running backs coach Tashard Choice is leaving Texas to join the Detroit Lions, reuniting with Jahmyr Gibbs, a former player he coached at Georgia Tech. Choice's departure is viewed as a significant loss for the Longhorns, given his success in developing talent and his strong recruiting abilities. Steve Sarkisian now faces the challenge of filling the vacant running backs coach position while navigating a roster that has seen several key players exit. As the Longhorns prepare for the upcoming season, these coaching changes highlight the ongoing dynamics between college football and the NFL.