IT Scoop:
By: Justin, Eric, and Gerry
*Sark’s first couple of weeks of offseason seem about as perfectly scripted as his opening drives. The recruiting class finished incredibly strong, he’s poised to make staff upgrades, and groundwork is being laid to build momentum in the 2023 class.
*With the expected departure of wide receiver coach Andre Coleman, Steve Sarkisian appears to have his eyes on Pittsburgh wide receiver coach Brennan Marion. However, there could very well be other candidates IT is unaware of. On November 27th we wrote we were paying attention to TCU’s Malcolm Kelly. We do believe Kelly and Sark have talked, but are unsure what came of it. Very likely, nothing.
Marion is a Tulsa graduate well-known in Dallas/Fort Worth and East Texas as a volume recruiter. He coached with former Texas quarterback GJ Kinne in Hawaii in 2020 after stints as offensive coordinator at William and Mary and Howard.
One source described Marion as "relentless in pursuit of talent." The source said Marion, “holds his players accountable and they flourish when bought-in." His youthful energy would add a jolt on the recruiting trail and serve as a needed course correction from Andre Coleman.
Marion was instrumental in Pitt's Jordan Addison winning the 2021 Fred Biletnikoff Award, an award given to the nation's top wide receiver. That immediate success coupled with his personality would pair well on the trail.
The sophomore and All-ACC first teamer was sensational this season racking up 1,479 yards receiving on 93 catches, and 17 touchdowns.
Again, there could be other names we’re unaware of, but one thing is clear, Sark wants to get younger and more energetic with his position coaches. He proved that when he hired Tashard Choice, rather than chasing a big named veteran who expressed interest in the job.
*With changes on offense being set in motion, we turn our attention to defense. However, there is much less certainty what Sark intends to do, if anything, on that side of the ball. IT has heard he intends to sit down with every coach, player, and personnel member associated with the program to have frank discussions. As you know, those discussions with the players have already occurred, resulting in numerous players entering the transfer portal. We expect more still.
Sark is proving to be quite pragmatic, so it would be hard to fathom he would return the entire defense intact. However, we haven’t heard of any definitive moves he intends on making.
There was justified talk Brian Kelly wanted to reunite with Texas cornerbacks coach Terry Joseph at LSU. IT hears Jospeh is happy at Texas and would prefer to stay in Austin. Context for his job performance this year is more favorable to him than some of the conventional wisdom.
Along with defense, we’re unsure if or how Sarkisian intends to address strength and conditioning, but S&C falls under the umbrella of people he is going to have forthright discussions with.
Whatever Sark decides to do (even if it’s inaction), he has the full support and checkbook of the AD. The men in charge are big believers.
*There’s a good chance Texas won’t take an offensive lineman out of the portal given the O-line flourish over the last few weeks. If you don’t hear about a portal player at the position, it would be a good sign for UT’s chances with Devon Campbell.