On Dec. 20, Brennan Marion was announced as the 13th head football coach in Sac State history. Photo by Sacramento State Athletics

SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) - Sacramento State Director of Athletics Mark Orr announced on Dec. 20 that Brennan Marion has been appointed as the 13th head football coach in school history.
 
One of the top offensive coordinators in the country, 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 wide receiver 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.
 
"I'm thrilled to announce Brennan Marion as our next head football coach," Mark Orr said.  "Coach Marion is the perfect fit for our football program, our department, our university and our community. His demonstrated success in recruiting promising student-athletes and maximizing their talents will help us return our football program to winning conference championships. I'm confident Coach Marion possesses the dynamic ability to cultivate impactful relationships with internal and external constituents surrounding Hornet football. He will lead the student-athletes in our program to reach and surpass their aspirations of achievement both on and off the field."
 
Following the 2023 season, Marion earned the Mountain West Wire Coordinator of the Year honor and was a nominee for the prestigious Broyles Award in just his first season at UNLV. During the season, the team scored 40+ points in a school-record six games and had 24 points in a school-record 10 straight games. The Rebels finished sixth in the FBS in third-down conversions (49.3 percent), tied for eighth in red-zone offense (93.1 percent) and 22nd in scoring (34.4 ppg).
 
UNLV was the Mountain West regular season co-champion and boasted a first team All-American in wide receiver Ricky White III, a Mountain West Freshman of the Year in quarterback Jayden Maiava and a rookie who led the nation among all freshmen in rushing touchdowns with 12 in Jai'Den Thomas as part of a school-record 39 overall rushing scores.
 
Marion came to UNLV from Texas where he served the 2022 season as the passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach. The Longhorns finished with a top 25 scoring offense (34.5 PPG) while Marion tutored Big 12 Conference receiving touchdowns leader Xavier Worthy, who became the 28th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs.
 
Marion coached 2021 Biletnikoff Award winner Jordan Addison at Pittsburgh. The nation's top wideout was a consensus first team All-American after setting a school single-season record with 100 catches for 1,593 yards and an FBS-leading 17 touchdowns. He would become a first round NFL Draft pick by the Minnesota Vikings. 
 
UNLV was Marion's second stop in the Mountain West as he served as wide receivers coach at Hawaii in 2020. On the islands, he oversaw the development of all-Mountain West receiver Calvin Turner who was named the New Mexico Bowl Most Outstanding Offensive Player after compiling 252 all-purpose yards and scoring two touchdowns in the Rainbow Warriors' 28-14 win over Houston.
 
In 2019, Marion was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at William & Mary, where he dramatically improved the Tribe's production in every major statistical category. William & Mary nearly doubled its scoring average while its total offensive output increased by almost 100 yards per contest.
 
Marion's first NCAA Div. I coaching opportunity came at Howard, 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 conference history to surpass 3,000 yards of total offense (3,185). Marion's offense sparked Howard to a 7-4 record in 2017, including a memorable 43-40 win over UNLV — the largest upset in college football history.
 
Marion also coached the running backs at Oklahoma Baptist in 2016 and spent the 2015 season as an offensive quality control assistant at Arizona State.
 
A 2009 graduate of Tulsa, Marion was a record-setting receiver for the Golden Hurricane. In two seasons at Tulsa (2007-08), he compiled 2,356 yards on 82 receptions with 19 touchdowns. He was a two-time all-Conference-USA selection and the 2007 C-USA Newcomer of the Year. Marion set NCAA records for yards per catch in both a season (31.9 in 2007) and a career (28.7).
 
Prior to Tulsa, he was a standout at De Anza junior college. In 2006, he led California's junior colleges with 1,196 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns on 60 receptions. Following his collegiate playing career, Marion signed free agent contracts with the NFL's Miami Dolphins, as well as the Canadian Football League's Montreal Alouettes.
 
A native of Greensburg, Pa., Marion was a four-year letterman in three different sports (football, basketball and track) at Greensburg Salem HS. Marion has three children, Mariah, Brennan and Melrose.