From UT:
Hutzler named co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Texas
A 13-year coaching veteran, including seven seasons coaching defense in the SEC, Coleman Hutzler has joined the Longhorns staff.
Austin – Coleman Hutzler, a 13-year coaching veteran who has spent 10 seasons working with linebackers and seven years in the Southeastern Conference, has been named co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Texas, head coach Tom Herman announced Tuesday.
“Coleman is a coach who came highly recommended by several people I have a great deal of respect for in our business,” Herman said. “When we had a chance to sit down and talk with him, he certainly lived up to everything we had heard. He has a wealth of knowledge and experience, is high energy and has accomplished a great deal while spending much of his career coaching in big-time environments in the SEC. He’ll do a terrific job developing our linebackers and helping us grow on defense. We’re excited to get him on board and to get him around our team and out on the road recruiting for us.”
“I’m so excited to join the program and work with Coach Herman and Coach Ash and the entire staff,” Hutzler said. “Obviously the brand and program that is Texas Football is second to none, and I’m ready to get started. I have a ton of respect for Coach Herman and all the great things he’s done. He’s done a tremendous job everywhere he’s been, we know a lot of the same people and just to have this opportunity to come and work for him is exciting.
“I’ve recruited in the state of Texas before both at Boston College and New Mexico, but I’m excited to get to the city of Austin. I’ve only been through as a visitor, but I’ve heard nothing but great things from a lot of different people, and I’m excited to get our family there and moved in and get started.”
Hutzler spent the last four seasons at South Carolina, joining the program in December 2015, where he coached the linebackers and coordinated the special teams units.
In 2019, Hutzler mentored a linebacker group that featured the team’s top two tacklers. Senior T.J. Brunson, who was named one of five permanent team captains following the season, was chosen by his teammates for the Leadership Award for defense. He finished second on the team with 77 tackles, including 6.0 tackles for loss, and had one interception and five pass breakups en route to being selected for the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl. Sophomore Ernest Jones earned a starting spot at the beginning of the season and came on to rank fourth in the SEC with 8.1 tackles per game. He led the team with 97 total tackles, including 5.5 tackles for loss, and recorded two interceptions, five pass breakups and one forced fumble.
Hutzler’s special teams units ranked in the top 20 nationally in two categories, including rating 10th in net punting (41.96 ypp) and 16th in punt return average (13.27 ypr). For the second straight year, punter Joseph Charlton set a school record in punting average, ranking second in the nation at 47.7 yards per punt. That was almost three yards better than his then-school record of 44.8 ypp in 2018 when he earned second-team All-SEC honors.
Placekicker Parker White also continued to improve, posting the third-best field goal percentage in the SEC at 81.8 percent after connecting on 81.2 percent in 2018, which was a significant increase from a 56.0-percent success rate in 2017. Also in 2018, Deebo Samuel returned his school-record fourth career kickoff for a touchdown, tying the SEC mark, and was named first-team All-SEC as a return specialist. Defensively, the linebackers once again produced the team’s top two tacklers in Brunson (106) and sophomore Sherrod Greene (73). Brunson also led the team with 10.5 tackles for loss, while adding four sacks.
In 2017, Hutzler was nominated for the Broyles Award, which goes to the nation’s top assistant coach. Charlton logged another one of the school’s top single-season punting averages at 43.5 yards per punt, while ranking among the nation’s top 30. Samuel returned each of his two kickoffs for touchdowns in the season’s first two games.
Defensively, linebackers Skai Moore and Brunson were the team’s top two tacklers, logging over 180 stops between them. Moore, who led the team in tackles in all four of his seasons for the Gamecocks, earned first-team All-SEC accolades. As a whole, the defense ranked 25th in the nation in scoring defense (20.7 ppg) and in the top 40 in both pass efficiency defense (37th/119.09) and rushing defense (39th/141.1 ypg). South Carolina posted a 9-4 record capped by a win over Michigan in the Outback Bowl.
Under Hutzler’s tutelage in 2016, the South Carolina kickoff return team led the SEC and ranked eighth in the nation, averaging 25.8 yards per return. A trio of players, Samuel, A.J. Turner and Rashad Fenton, all returned a kick at least 50 yards, with Samuel posting a 100-yard touchdown return. Placekicker Elliott Fry became the school’s all-time leading scorer, while snapper Drew Williams was recognized as a fourth-team All-American.
Hutzler spent the 2015 season as the special teams coordinator and outside linebackers coach at Boston College. During his year in Chestnut Hill, Hutzler was part of a staff that produced the nation’s stingiest defense, as the Eagles allowed just 254.3 yards per game and 24.1 percent of third down conversions and were second in rushing defense at 82.8 yards per contest. Linebacker Matt Milano was named third-team All-ACC. On special teams, freshman Michael Walker ranked in the top 10 in the nation in kick return average, while the Eagles were second in the nation in punt return defense, allowing just 1.66 yards per return. BC also blocked three punts on the year.
Previously, Hutzler logged two stints at Florida, first from 2010-11 as an assistant to the linebackers and special teams coordinator, then again for the 2014 season, handling special teams and outside linebackers.
As the Gators outside linebackers coach in 2014, Hutzler guided Dante Fowler, Jr. to a first-team All-SEC selection. Fowler went on to be selected third overall in the 2015 NFL Draft by Jacksonville. Florida also had the second-best punt return average in the SEC and the 17th-best unit in the nation. Punter Kyle Christy earned second-team All-SEC honors after averaging 44.3 yards per punt, the nation’s 14th-best average.
Between his stints in Gainesville, Hutzler was the special teams coordinator and outside linebackers coach at New Mexico from 2012-13. He coached punter Ben Skaer to first-team All-Mountain West accolades and returner Carlos Wiggins to MWC Special Teams Player of the Year and a second-team All-America honors in 2013.
Wiggins returned three kickoffs for touchdowns, and the Lobos were first in the conference and 15th in the nation in kickoff returns. The Lobos improved from 112th nationally to 25th in net punting, and their punt-return defense improved to 19th from 106th.
Hutzler began his coaching career at the University of San Diego, working as a defensive assistant in 2006. He moved to Palo Alto to become a recruiting assistant at Stanford in 2007 and served as an assistant on the defensive side of the ball for the Cardinal in 2008 and 2009.
A native of Las Vegas, Hutzler played football at Middlebury College in Vermont, earning his degree in psychology. A linebacker from 2002-05, he was a team captain as a senior and left the program second in career tackles.
Hutzler and his wife, Cobey, have a son, Micah, and a daughter, Leila. Cobey is a former director of volleyball operations at Stanford and was the Florida Class 3A Coach of the Year in 2011 while working at P.K. Yonge High. She played volleyball at UNLV and Michigan and is the daughter of long time University of Hawai’i women’s volleyball coach (1975-2017) Dave Shoji, who retired in 2017 with 1,202 victories (No. 2 in NCAA Division I history).
Hutzler named co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Texas
A 13-year coaching veteran, including seven seasons coaching defense in the SEC, Coleman Hutzler has joined the Longhorns staff.
Austin – Coleman Hutzler, a 13-year coaching veteran who has spent 10 seasons working with linebackers and seven years in the Southeastern Conference, has been named co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Texas, head coach Tom Herman announced Tuesday.
“Coleman is a coach who came highly recommended by several people I have a great deal of respect for in our business,” Herman said. “When we had a chance to sit down and talk with him, he certainly lived up to everything we had heard. He has a wealth of knowledge and experience, is high energy and has accomplished a great deal while spending much of his career coaching in big-time environments in the SEC. He’ll do a terrific job developing our linebackers and helping us grow on defense. We’re excited to get him on board and to get him around our team and out on the road recruiting for us.”
“I’m so excited to join the program and work with Coach Herman and Coach Ash and the entire staff,” Hutzler said. “Obviously the brand and program that is Texas Football is second to none, and I’m ready to get started. I have a ton of respect for Coach Herman and all the great things he’s done. He’s done a tremendous job everywhere he’s been, we know a lot of the same people and just to have this opportunity to come and work for him is exciting.
“I’ve recruited in the state of Texas before both at Boston College and New Mexico, but I’m excited to get to the city of Austin. I’ve only been through as a visitor, but I’ve heard nothing but great things from a lot of different people, and I’m excited to get our family there and moved in and get started.”
Hutzler spent the last four seasons at South Carolina, joining the program in December 2015, where he coached the linebackers and coordinated the special teams units.
In 2019, Hutzler mentored a linebacker group that featured the team’s top two tacklers. Senior T.J. Brunson, who was named one of five permanent team captains following the season, was chosen by his teammates for the Leadership Award for defense. He finished second on the team with 77 tackles, including 6.0 tackles for loss, and had one interception and five pass breakups en route to being selected for the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl. Sophomore Ernest Jones earned a starting spot at the beginning of the season and came on to rank fourth in the SEC with 8.1 tackles per game. He led the team with 97 total tackles, including 5.5 tackles for loss, and recorded two interceptions, five pass breakups and one forced fumble.
Hutzler’s special teams units ranked in the top 20 nationally in two categories, including rating 10th in net punting (41.96 ypp) and 16th in punt return average (13.27 ypr). For the second straight year, punter Joseph Charlton set a school record in punting average, ranking second in the nation at 47.7 yards per punt. That was almost three yards better than his then-school record of 44.8 ypp in 2018 when he earned second-team All-SEC honors.
Placekicker Parker White also continued to improve, posting the third-best field goal percentage in the SEC at 81.8 percent after connecting on 81.2 percent in 2018, which was a significant increase from a 56.0-percent success rate in 2017. Also in 2018, Deebo Samuel returned his school-record fourth career kickoff for a touchdown, tying the SEC mark, and was named first-team All-SEC as a return specialist. Defensively, the linebackers once again produced the team’s top two tacklers in Brunson (106) and sophomore Sherrod Greene (73). Brunson also led the team with 10.5 tackles for loss, while adding four sacks.
In 2017, Hutzler was nominated for the Broyles Award, which goes to the nation’s top assistant coach. Charlton logged another one of the school’s top single-season punting averages at 43.5 yards per punt, while ranking among the nation’s top 30. Samuel returned each of his two kickoffs for touchdowns in the season’s first two games.
Defensively, linebackers Skai Moore and Brunson were the team’s top two tacklers, logging over 180 stops between them. Moore, who led the team in tackles in all four of his seasons for the Gamecocks, earned first-team All-SEC accolades. As a whole, the defense ranked 25th in the nation in scoring defense (20.7 ppg) and in the top 40 in both pass efficiency defense (37th/119.09) and rushing defense (39th/141.1 ypg). South Carolina posted a 9-4 record capped by a win over Michigan in the Outback Bowl.
Under Hutzler’s tutelage in 2016, the South Carolina kickoff return team led the SEC and ranked eighth in the nation, averaging 25.8 yards per return. A trio of players, Samuel, A.J. Turner and Rashad Fenton, all returned a kick at least 50 yards, with Samuel posting a 100-yard touchdown return. Placekicker Elliott Fry became the school’s all-time leading scorer, while snapper Drew Williams was recognized as a fourth-team All-American.
Hutzler spent the 2015 season as the special teams coordinator and outside linebackers coach at Boston College. During his year in Chestnut Hill, Hutzler was part of a staff that produced the nation’s stingiest defense, as the Eagles allowed just 254.3 yards per game and 24.1 percent of third down conversions and were second in rushing defense at 82.8 yards per contest. Linebacker Matt Milano was named third-team All-ACC. On special teams, freshman Michael Walker ranked in the top 10 in the nation in kick return average, while the Eagles were second in the nation in punt return defense, allowing just 1.66 yards per return. BC also blocked three punts on the year.
Previously, Hutzler logged two stints at Florida, first from 2010-11 as an assistant to the linebackers and special teams coordinator, then again for the 2014 season, handling special teams and outside linebackers.
As the Gators outside linebackers coach in 2014, Hutzler guided Dante Fowler, Jr. to a first-team All-SEC selection. Fowler went on to be selected third overall in the 2015 NFL Draft by Jacksonville. Florida also had the second-best punt return average in the SEC and the 17th-best unit in the nation. Punter Kyle Christy earned second-team All-SEC honors after averaging 44.3 yards per punt, the nation’s 14th-best average.
Between his stints in Gainesville, Hutzler was the special teams coordinator and outside linebackers coach at New Mexico from 2012-13. He coached punter Ben Skaer to first-team All-Mountain West accolades and returner Carlos Wiggins to MWC Special Teams Player of the Year and a second-team All-America honors in 2013.
Wiggins returned three kickoffs for touchdowns, and the Lobos were first in the conference and 15th in the nation in kickoff returns. The Lobos improved from 112th nationally to 25th in net punting, and their punt-return defense improved to 19th from 106th.
Hutzler began his coaching career at the University of San Diego, working as a defensive assistant in 2006. He moved to Palo Alto to become a recruiting assistant at Stanford in 2007 and served as an assistant on the defensive side of the ball for the Cardinal in 2008 and 2009.
A native of Las Vegas, Hutzler played football at Middlebury College in Vermont, earning his degree in psychology. A linebacker from 2002-05, he was a team captain as a senior and left the program second in career tackles.
Hutzler and his wife, Cobey, have a son, Micah, and a daughter, Leila. Cobey is a former director of volleyball operations at Stanford and was the Florida Class 3A Coach of the Year in 2011 while working at P.K. Yonge High. She played volleyball at UNLV and Michigan and is the daughter of long time University of Hawai’i women’s volleyball coach (1975-2017) Dave Shoji, who retired in 2017 with 1,202 victories (No. 2 in NCAA Division I history).
