Pitt assistant brought ‘GoGo’ to college
New receivers coach to have ideas for Mark Whipple offense
Caylin Newton had faith. But people don’t often believe things until they see them. So on Sept. 3, 2017, Cam Newton’s younger brother knew he had to put on a show. What followed was “the start of something great” for Newton and his coach Brennan Marion, who was recently hired as a Pitt assistant.
Three-and-a-half years ago, Marion’s innovative “GoGo” offense pulled off the biggest pointspread upset in college football history. With Newton at quarterback and Marion calling plays, Howard took down UNLV as a 45point underdog. The FCS program vaulted itself into the national spotlight, Newton made headlines with 330 total yards, and Marion saw his unorthodox, two-back offense — one that combines old-school triple-option concepts and uptempo spread ideas — take off.
“He was doing things you would never think about doing, and it actually worked. He’s not afraid of it not working. That’s the genius behind it,” Newton told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “When I first saw his playbook, I didn’t know what I was looking at. … It’s so creative because he can do so much.”
In 2017 and 2018, the Bison averaged 31.7 points per game. Newton utilized the shotgun formation, downhill mindset and space afforded in Marion’s offense to rack up 6,318 total yards. Newton won MEAC rookie of the year in 2017 and was the league MVP in 2018, head coach Mike London’s final season there. He left for William & Mary, and Marion followed, calling plays for the Tribe before rejoining Todd Graham’s staff at Hawaii in 2020.
Now, Marion is back in Pittsburgh. The Greensburg Salem graduate returns to coach Pitt’s wide receivers, succeeding Chris Beatty, who left in January to take the same position with the Los Angeles Chargers.
“This was always one of the destination stops you want to be, back home,” Marion said. “To come back in this role is very surreal.”
Newton said there wasn’t a day that went by at Howard that Marion didn’t mention Pittsburgh. Marion tweeted about having Mineo’s three times last week, repping the Squirrel Hill staple in the Pittsburgh pizza debate. He’s a hometown guy through and through who came back to recruit the area in the past. But a long-term return was a long time coming.
Marion left town in 2005 to go the junior college route in California to continue his playing career. He landed at Tulsa and was a key part of record-setting offenses concocted by Graham and coordinator Gus Malzahn. Marion accumulated 1,244 yards on 39 receptions in 2007, setting an FBS record by averaging 31.9 yards per catch. He was all-conference twice, but his professional career with the Miami Dolphins and later the CFL was cut short by knee injuries.
In 2013, Marion led St. PatrickSt. Vincent in Vallejo, Calif., to the playoffs after a 1-9 record the year before. In 2014, he returned to Pennsylvania and turned Waynesboro High School into a shared league champion after 12 years without a winning season. Then, he became a quality control coach at Arizona State in 2015, took the running backs gig at Oklahoma Baptist in 2016 and was hired by London at Howard in 2017.
It was with the Bison that the “GoGo” offense got its name, influenced by Washington, D.C., culture and the Chuck Brown music that permeated it. And it was at Howard that Marion coached the brother of Cam Newton — the quarterback who won a national title at Auburn under Malzahn, Marion’s former playcaller at Tulsa. Everything came full circle, and Marion became a hot commodity in the coaching community.
Major college programs and
NFL teams alike started implementing aspects of Marion’s offense. Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley and Arizona Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsburg — two of the most heralded offensive minds in football — have run plays out of the “GoGo” package. Heck, Cam Newton’s second play from scrimmage with the Patriots last season was a play his brother used to run.
Now, Pat Narduzzi and the Panthers have Marion’s creativity at their fingertips. And while
Mark Whipple is still the offensive coordinator and will call the plays in 2021, Marion’s voice is already being heard.
“Not many times in football can you do a lot of things differently. The game’s been going on for 150 years. So for me, those things helped bring me to the forefront of college football,” Marion said. “Here with coach Whip, we share a lot of the same thought processes on things. … I come in, and my input is valued. It’s not like I can’t say anything when I come in the room. It’s actually like, ‘Brennan, what would you do here?’ So I think we’ll definitely have some things where we’ll go in and help us put more points on the board.”
The offense could certainly use a sprucing up. In 22 games against FBS opponents, Whipple’s offense has averaged only 23.7 points per game. Pitt’s running game ranked 118th and 111th nationally in 2019 and 2020, respectively, while the passing efficiency was subpar, as well. Drops hurt, but the scheme and offensive line played a factor, too. Marion and at least the implementation of some of his “GoGo” plays could make a real difference in quarterback Kenny Pickett’s last season with the Panthers.
And Pickett will have weapons to throw to, too. Jordan Addison was a 2020 freshman All-American. Taysir Mack, Shocky Jacques-Louis, Jared Wayne and Tre Tipton are veteran options, while underclassmen Jaylon Barden, Jaden Bradley and Myles Alston have potential.
Alston, an early enrollee, said “everyone’s on the same page” with Marion, who at 33 can easily relate to the 18- to 21-year-olds in his room. Alston, a former threestar prospect, committed to and signed with Pitt thanks in large part to Beatty, who feverishly recruited the Virginia and D.C. area. Marion is expected to handle that region, as well as put to use his relationships across the country.
From recruiting to coaching, Marion “checked every box” Pitt was looking to fill. Eventually, Marion said he “no doubt” hopes to become a Power Five offensive coordinator, maybe even a head coach.
Newton wouldn’t be surprised in the slightest if he does.
“He has a dedication and a love for the game that I really had never seen,” the former Howard quarterback said. “He’s going to continue to climb the ladder at a fast pace. He works too hard not to. … I’m happy for him, and I hope the university understands the blessing they’re getting.”