Three Candidates Emerging For Texas Longhorns' Safety Coach

With Blake Gideon now gone, three new names have reportedly emerged as potential replacements.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish defensive backs coach Mike Mickens in the huddle with players during a time out against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the CFP National Championship college football game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Texas Longhorns have officially begun their search for a replacement for safeties coach Blake Gideon.

Last week, Gideon - who was one of the Steve Sarkisian's top assistants - left the 40 Acres to accept the defensive coordinator role at Georgia Tech, leaving a gaping whole in both the defensive coaching staff and their recruiting efforts.

Fortunately, it appears that three candidates have begun to emerge as potential replacements.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish cornerbacks coach Mike Mickens yells to players during the first quarter of the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl of an NCAA college football game Friday, Dec. 30, 2022 at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish held off the South Carolina Gamecocks 45-38. | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK

According to reports from Anwar Richardson of OrangeBloods.com, Notre Dame defensive backs coach Mike Mickens, Pittsburgh secondary/safeties coach Cory Sanders and Rutgers cornerbacks coach Mike Orphey are the 'top three' candidates for the Longhorns' safeties coach position.

"According to my sources, Notre Dame DBs coach Mike Mickens, Pitt Assistant Head Coach (Secondary/Safeties) Cory Sanders, and Rutgers cornerbacks coach Mark Orphey are the top three candidates to replace former Longhorn safeties coach Blake Gideon," Richardson said on X.

Perhaps the best known of the group, Mickens Mickens, 37, was a two-time All-American and four-time All-Big East performer with the Cincinnati Bearcats from 2005-2008. He then went on to a short NFL career, before jumping into the coaching industry in 2011.

Mickens then quickly ascended the ranks, being hired as the cornerbacks coach for the Fighting Irish in 2020. This past season, he was promoted to defensive backs coach, with Irish finishing fourth in the nation in pass defense, fifth in interceptions, sixth in yards per attempt, first in opponent's completion percentage, and 23rd in passing touchdowns against.

Mickens also helped the Irish land highly rated recruits such as Dallas Golden, Christian Gray, Mark Zackery IV, Chaston Smith, Jaden Mickey, and Micah Bell, among many others.

Sanders, 39, started with Pitt in 2018 as the team's safeties coach, holding the position for six seasons until he was promoted to assistant head coach and safeties coach in 2024. He also has head coaching experience with his Alma Mater at Saint Josephs (IN) from 2011-2014, The Panthers ranked 123rd in the nation in pass defense in 2024, 42nd in 2023, 77th in 2022, 114th in 2021, and 85th in 2020 with Sanders coaching the safeties.

A Houston, Texas native, Orphey has been the cornerback coach at Rutgers since 2022, with stops at Alabama, Utah State, Montana State, and South Carolina along the way. He got his career started in 2011 as the cornerbacks coach for Texas Southern. This past season, Rutgers ranked 87th in the nation in pass defense. However, in 2023, the Scarlet Knights were a top-10 pass defense in the country, with Orpehy helping Rutgers earn its first winning season since 2014.

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