Texas hire former DC Scottie Hazelton

[GoHorns1]

Texas has added Scottie Hazelton a former DC as special assistant to the HC.

 

Add former Michigan State Spartans defensive coordinator Scottie Hazelton to the defensive braintust on Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian’s staff as a special assistant to the head coach, according to multiple Thursday reports, including Bruce Feldman of The Athletic.

A Colorado native who played linebacker for Fort Lewis in the 1990s, Hazelton is a coaching veteran of nearly 30 years who spent four seasons at his alma mater to break into the coaching world, eventually landing as a graduate assistant on Bob Babich’s staff at North Dakota State from 2000-01. After three stops at small schools, by which he’d been a defensive coordinator twice (Fort Lewis, Missouri Southern State), Hazelton returned to Fargo in 2007, serving as the defensive line coach for three seasons. By that point, Babich was coaching in the NFL, leaving the Bison in the capable hands of Craig Bohl, who won three titles at NDSU. Hazelton became the defensive coordinator under Bohl in 2010 and won an FCS national title the following season.

Lane Kiffin hired Hazelton away from NDSU in 2012, but Hazelton stayed less than a year when Nevada hired him as their defensive coordinator. Then Hazelton spent three years in the NFL when he rejoined Babich, who was the defensive coordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Returning to the college level, Bohl hired Hazelton a second time, making him the defensive coordinator at Wyoming for two years. Hazelton made the jump Power Five defensive coordinator in 2019 when he joined Chris Klieman’s staff at Kansas State. Behind a strong third-down defense, the Wildcats ranked second in scoring defense in the Big 12 under Hazelton. 

After one year in Manhattan, Hazelton became the defensive coordinator for Mel Tucker and the Spartans. In 2022, Hazelton’s linebacker Cal Haladay led the Big Ten in tackles per game; his 120 tackles were the most for any Michigan State player since 2009. Elsewhere on Hazelton’s defense, graduate transfer cornerback Ameer Speed developed into a sixth-round draft pick and New Mexico State transfer Jacoby Windmon caused havoc at defensive end and linebacker, leading the FBS with six forced fumbles while recording 10.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks. The previous year, the defense had helped key the biggest turnaround in school history as Michigan State went 11-2, beat No. 12 Pitt in the Peach Bowl, and finished the season with a top-10 national ranking.

With the Division I Council voting earlier this week “to permit any staff member to provide technical and tactical instruction to student-athletes” during practice and competition, removing the limit of 11 on-field coaches, the addition of a special assistant like Hazelton can have more impact on teaching fundamentals and technique in practice and serving as a de facto third defensive coordinator and secondary linebackers coach on gameday.

Between Hazelton, co-defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Johnny Nansen, and defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski, Texas now has 35 years of defensive coordinator experience on Sarkisian’s staff.

Edited June 27 by GoHorns1

[Shane]

Like the other SA’s he’s hired let’s hope this one makes a difference as well. Trust in Sark ! 🤘🏻

[southpaw]

3 minutes ago, Shane said:

Like the other SA’s he’s hired let’s hope this one makes a difference as well. Trust in Sark ! 🤘🏻

The fact he can coach on the field increases the odds that he'll make a difference.

[Shane]

32 minutes ago, southpaw said:

The fact he can coach on the field increases the odds that he'll make a difference.

They can make a difference in plenty of ways. But you’re right definitely increases the odds 

[Neil Leininger]

Kwiatowski, Nansen, and Hazelton should form a strong defensive quorom.