From Football Scoop
Dabo Swinney adding Mike Houston to his Clemson staff
Houston saw success as the head coach at ECU, The Citadel, Lenoir-Rhyne, and won a national title at James Madison.
In his sixth season at East Carolina, he was let go back in October after a 3-4 start.
He had led the Pirates to 7-5 and 8-5 seasons in 2021 and 2022, but ECU dropped to 2-10 in 2023 and the slow start to this past fall (2024)left decision makers wanting to go in a new direction.
ESPN shares that Houston is joining the staff to work on the defensive side of the ball.
Names emerge for Texas defensive backs opening
Anwar Richardson of
Orangebloods reported three candidates for the position on Monday, two of whom are cornerbacks coaches.
Richardson reported that Notre Dame cornerbacks coach Mike Mickens, Pitt assistant head coach/secondary coach Cory Sanders, and Rutgers cornerbacks coach Mark Orphey are candidates for the post:
Orphey, a Houston native, has coached Rutgers's cornerbacks since 2022. He spent one season at Alabama -- 2021, the year after Sark took the Texas job -- and previously coached defensive backs at Utah State and Montana State. Mark Orphey are candidates for the post: