Ex-Husky RB Coach Lee Marks Reportedly Headed to Memphis
A year ago, Lee Marks traveled to the South multiple times to convince Mississippi State running back Dillon Johnson to come to Seattle.
These days, the former University of Washington running-backs coach appears headed there for a career move, with ESPN reporting he is close to joining Memphis in a similar role.
Marks would become the second one-time UW assistant coach to work at Memphis, following Rick Mallory, who was the Tigers offensive-line coach in 2000-09 and now coaches at Middle Tennessee.
Mallory was an All-Pac-10 offensive guard for the Huskies as a senior in 1983, played in the NFL for Tampa Bay and coached the UW tight ends in 1992-99.
Marks spent the past two seasons in Montlake with Kalen DeBoer's staff and has been looking for work since DeBoer left Montlake for Alabama and didn't take him to Tuscaloosa.
A former Boise State running back, Marks coached at his alma mater for six seasons before he joined DeBoer's Fresno State staff for two seasons and served as the interim coach for the Bulldogs' New Mexico Bowl appearance before ending up at the UW.
His hiring would leave two of DeBoer's Husky coaches still available for employment in former co-defensive coordinator Chuck Morrell and cornerbacks coach Julius Brown.
In Alabama, DeBoer has just two of his UW assistant coaches with him in JaMarcus Shepard and Nick Sheridan, who again will coach his wide receivers and tight ends, respectively, and serve as co-offensive coordinators.
Ex-Husky offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb and offensive-line coach Scott Huff have since joined the Seattle Seahawks, holding the same roles; edge-rusher coach Eric Schmidt and defensive-line coach Inoke Breckterfield have moved to San Diego State, where Schmidt has been elevated to defensive coordinator; and former co-defensive coordinator William Inge is now the Tennessee linebackers coach.
DeBoer brought six of his Fresno State coaches to the UW and none of them are with him now.
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