Herman fires DC Orlando in staff shakeup
AUSTIN — Two years ago, Texas defensive coordinator Todd Orlando looked like a head coach in the making.
He was a commanding presence with a military buzzcut and authoritative aura. In his first year on the job, Orlando, who followed Tom Herman from Houston, directed a Longhorns defense that allowed 21.1 points per game and ranked among the nation’s top 10 in third-down and rushing defense.
Orlando received a contract extension and a raise (up to $1.7 million per year), but his unit regressed over the following two seasons, including a disastrous 2019 campaign that ranked as one of the program’s worst defensively. On Sunday, Herman axed Orlando and pass game coordinator/ outside receivers coach Drew Mehringer and relieved inside receivers coach Corby Meekins of his duties, the first casualties following a disappointing 7-5 finish.
Meekins will continue to serve in an administrative capacity for the immediate future, but Orlando and Mehringer are fully out in Austin.
“After taking time, looking back and evaluating the season in its totality, I am very disappointed in our performance in a number of areas in 2019,” Herman said. “Seven and five will never be our standard at Texas, and I take full responsibility for any and all of our shortcomings and know we need to do a better job coaching across the board. With that said, I do believe the future is very bright, have decided to make some changes to our staff as we head into bowl preparation and look to finish strong in the final weeks of fall recruiting.”
Co-defensive coordinator/safeties coach Craig Naivar will assume the defensive coordinator responsibilities on an interim basis until a new permanent DC can be found. Former Rutgers coach Chris Ash, a former colleague of Herman’s at Ohio State, is a top candidate.
Offensive coordinator Tim Beck has also been stripped of his responsibilities. He will remain as quarterbacks coach through the bowl, which won’t change playcalling much since Herman assumed those duties last season.
The new offensive coordinator will likely have more control of the offense, from play-calling to overall scheme and direction. LSU’s Joe Brady or USC’s Graham Harrell could be lured to Texas, especially with athletic director Chris Del Conte willing to spend top dollar to procure top talent.
Two members of the 2019 football support staff — football analysts Andre Coleman and Jeremiah Georgewill — will take on assistant coaching roles during bowl preparation. Coleman will serve as the interim wide receivers coach, while George will be the interim linebackers coach.
Director of recruiting Bryan Carrington will also move into one of the 10 full-time assistant coaching roles on an interim basis in order to assist Herman and the staff on the road recruiting.
“I’m truly grateful for everything Todd, Drew and Corby have done, not only for us here at Texas but in building the program at Houston as well,” Herman said. “These were very difficult decisions and certainly not an indictment of them as coaches. I just believe we need a fresh set of eyes and infusion of new ideas and energy to help us grow across the board.”
Orlando’s defense struggled through an onslaught of injuries this season, though even at or near full strength the unit never had the same sort of bite as the 2017 Longhorns. Among 130 teams, Texas ranked 108th in total defense, 101st in red-zone defense, 112th in thirddown defense and 127th in passing defense.
Development has been cited as a key issue and point of emphasis moving forward. It was clear the staff didn’t do nearly enough to prepare and grow the elite talent on campus, especially on the defensive side.
“We’re all in this together, but at the end of the day, the buck stops with me,” Herman said last Monday. “So a big charge of mine in the offseason is to find a way to get these guys better developed and put them in better positions to succeed.”
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