The news of Tom Herman being removed from his post as the head coach at the University of Texas rocked the Forty Acres Saturday morning. Then reports surfaced of Steve Sarkisian being the next in line, and that leads to questions of what happens to the assistants.
For the second offseason in a row, there will be changes across the staff. With any hiring of a new head coach that is to be expected. However, there could be holdovers from the previous staff. This then begs the question of who should be retained.
A few names to consider:
Chris Ash, Defensive Coordinator
One of the biggest names that should return is Chris Ash. His defense took leaps towards being a great unit for this team down the stretch. They made life difficult on running backs down the stretch by limiting Leddie Brown, Chuba Hubbard, Breece Hall, and Jarek Broussard in recent weeks. Fans saw a dominant performance at times from Joseph Ossai. Ash is definitely deserving of another run at Texas.
Coleman Hutzler, Linebackers Coach
Hutzler joined Ash’s staff and his work with DeMarvion Overshown was one of his best moments in one year. Not to be outdone by his work on the recruiting trail. The trio of Terrence Cooks, Morice Blackwell, and Derrick Harris Jr were all recruited by Hutzler.
Stan Drayton, Running Backs
Drayton was a key to landing five-star running back Bijan Robinson. Not to mention his work with Roschon Johnson as he converted from quarterback. Drayton is one of the most well-respected running backs coaches at the college and NFL level. Former running back at Ohio State, Ezekiel Elliott spoke glowingly about his progression under Drayton.
There are other names to be considered but these are the three that I would start with.
Honorable Mention: Jay Valai, Cornerbacks
One of the biggest reasons to keep Ash’s assistant. He brought him over from Rutgers and Valai played for him at Wisconsin. Jay Valai has been crucial for this program on the recruiting front. Given the growth of the unit especially from the younger players such as Jerrin Thompson, he should be under consideration.