Early Candidates for Texas Football’s Next Safeties Coach
Gideon is set to replace former Georgia Tech defensive coordinator Tyler Santucci, who left for a linebackers coaching job with the Baltimore Ravens. This comes after Gideon spent four seasons at Texas as the Longhorns’ safeties coach.
During his tenure, he helped develop one of the most formidable safety rooms in the SEC. Texas finished the 2024 season with the nation’s No. 7 ranked pass defense, which played a key role in their College Football Playoff semifinal appearance.
Gideon’s departure marks the first assistant coaching change for Texas this offseason, as all other staff members under head coach Steve Sarkisian have been retained.
Here’s a look at three potential candidates to replace Gideon as safeties coach:
Torrian Gray, South Carolina Defensive Backs Coach
Torrian Gray, in his fifth year as South Carolina’s defensive backs coach, is a seasoned veteran with over 20 years of coaching experience at both the NFL and college levels. He is also the Gamecocks’ defensive pass game coordinator, a title he earned this offseason.
Gray has spent much of his career in the SEC, having served as the defensive backs and corners coach at Florida in 2016, 2019, and 2020, before joining South Carolina in 2021. Over the years, he’s developed multiple NFL defensive backs, including Kam Chancellor, Kyle Fuller, Terrell Edmunds, Kendall Fuller, and Brandon Flowers, among others.
If Texas seeks an experienced coach with a proven NFL track record and success in recruiting and developing talent in the SEC, Gray is a strong candidate worth considering.
Jimmy Lake, Former Atlanta Falcons Defensive Coordinator
Former Washington Huskies defensive coordinator and head coach Jimmy Lake was let go by the Atlanta Falcons after the 2024 season. Lake spent that year as the Falcons’ defensive coordinator after serving as the assistant head coach for the Los Angeles Rams the prior offseason.
Lake has an extensive background in both college and NFL coaching, especially with defensive backs. During his time at Washington in the 2010s, he worked closely with the defensive backfield, while Texas defensive play-caller Pete Kwiatkowski focused on the front seven. PK and Lake have a long history of working together at Washington, Boise State, and Montana State, and Lake’s West Coast connections could be valuable in recruiting, particularly in California and the Pacific Northwest.
Michael Huff, Texas Assistant Director of Player Development
Michael Huff, a legendary former Texas safety and current assistant director of player development, could be an internal candidate for the Longhorns. Huff is already familiar to the current defensive backs, bringing stability and experience that would benefit the locker room culture moving forward.
Huff has also excelled in recruiting and has a solid NFL background, having played for the Baltimore Ravens, Oakland Raiders, and Denver Broncos. His familiarity with the program and his role in player development make him a viable candidate if Texas decides to promote from within.
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