Names Emerging For Texas Longhorns RB Coach Position?

The Texas Longhorns lost one of their top assistants last week, when running backs coach Tashard Choice accepted a job with the Detroit Lions in the NFL.

Now, the search is on for his replacement.

And a ccording to On3's Pete Nakos, three names are beginning to emerge for the job.

Texas Longhorns running back CJ Baxter during the first day with pads in fall football camp practice for the Texas Longhorns at Denius Fields on Monday, August 5, 2024. | Ricardo B. Brazziell/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK

Per the report, Nebraska running back coach E.J. Barthel, Baylor running back coach Khenon Hall, and Georgia Tech running back coach Norval McKenzie have all begun to 'gain traction' for the job.

Perhaps the name that makes the most sense of that group for the Longhorns could be Hall, who would immediately give the Longhorns a major recruiting presence in the state of Texas and did a fantastic job of development in the first year in Waco, with Bryson Washington breaking the school record for rushing yards by a freshman with 175 carries for 1,028 yards and 12 touchdowns. In his first year with the Bears, Hall was the primary recruiter on four four-star recruits in wide receivers Ryelan Morris and London Smith, running back Michael Turner, and edge Kamaurayn Morgan.

As for McKenzie, he would follow a similar path to Choice coming from Georgia Tech, and as Nakos points out, would help the Longhorns replace their recruiting losses in the Atlanta area. He also has SEC experience, coaching at Vanderbilt on two separate occasions in addition to two years with the Yellow Jackets and 20 years of coaching experience overall.

Under Mckenzie, Yellow Jackets running back Jamal Haynes earned All-ACC honors with 944 yards and nine scores on 169 carries. Georgia Tech also ranked 32nd in the nation and second in the ACC in rushing.

Finally, Barthel already has connections with the Longhorns after coaching alongside offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Kyle Flood back at Rutgers over a decade ago. Under Barthel, the Cornhuskers did struggle to run the ball overall, finishing 11th in the Big 10 in rushing. That said, Barthel has shown his recruiting chops by being the primary recruiter on the Huskers landing four-star running back Jamarion Parker, and three-star Mekhi Nelson.

He has been with the Huskers since 2023 and has previously coached at UConn, the Carolina Panthers in the NFL, William & Mary, Howard, and Albany. Before that, he was a support staff member as the recruiting coordinator with Penn State, director of player personnel at Temple and player development, and recruiting coordinator at Rutgers with Flood.

Nakos also noted that none of these three coaches should be considered 'the favorite' for the job at this time.

That said, the Longhorns likely won't wait much longer before naming a replacement for Choice, much like their timeline for replacing Blake Gideon as Safeties coach.

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