Courtesy of Sacramento State Athletics
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Sacramento State Director of Athletics Mark Orr announced today that Brennan Marion has been appointed as the 13th head football coach in school history. Marion’s first NCAA Div. I coaching opportunity came at Washington DC-based HBCU Howard University, where he posted two exceptional seasons (2017-18) as the Bisons’ offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
In 2017, quarterback Caylin Newton was named the MEAC Rookie of the Year after becoming the first freshman in the HBCU conference’s history to surpass 3,000 yards of total offense (3,185). Marion’s offense sparked Howard University to a 7-4 record in 2017, including a memorable 43-40 win over UNLV — the largest upset in college football history.
One of the top offensive coordinators in the country, Brennan Marion comes to the Hornets after spending the last two seasons at UNLV. Under his watch, the Rebels had great success, posting a 19-8 overall record and qualifying for a pair of bowl games. This season, UNLV ranked 14th in the FBS with a school-record-setting average of 36.2 points per game. The team’s average of 251.2 rushing yards per game would also be the most for the school in over 45 years. For his efforts, Marion was named one of five finalists for the Football Scoop Offensive Coordinator of the Year.
“I’m truly honored by the heartfelt welcome from President Luke Wood and Director of Athletics Mark Orr to be the program’s next head football coach,” Marion said. “Sacramento State is fully invested in becoming a nationally known football program, and I’ve always relished the opportunity to build and create. My family and I can’t wait to serve the student-athletes of this program and the Sacramento community. As a University, we’re going to write history and work tirelessly to build something that the community will be proud of for generations to come.”
In Marion’s “Go-Go” offense, five UNLV offensive players earned either first or second team all-Mountain West this fall. That includes WR Ricky White III, who became the first player in school history to post two 1,000-yard seasons, and Hajj-Malik Williams, who became just the second Rebel quarterback since 1996 to be named either first or second team all-league.