Texas Brings Back Chris Gilbert As Special Assistant To Head Coach Steve Sarkisian

The Texas Longhorns return a familar face to their staff ahead of the 2024 season

After spending a season at North Texas, Chris Gilbert is making a return to Austin as an announcement on Wednesday revealed he was hired as a special assistant to head coach Steve Sarkisian. 

Welcome back to the Forty, Chris Gilbert!

Special Assistant to the Head Coach 🤘@ChrisGilbert_1 pic.twitter.com/WJwNSLd90r

— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) February 22, 2024

Gilbert spent the two seasons prior to 2023 with the Longhorns as the director of high school relations. Ahead of 2023, he accepted an offer to be North Texas’ assistant head coach and tight ends coach. Thanks to his high school coaching background, which includes stops at South Oak Cliff, Terrell High, and Lancaster he helped Sarkisian in developing relationships with the programs around the area. Something the previous regime didn't cultivate as much.

Texas Longhorns helmet

Sarkisian has always been a fan of what Gilbert brings to the table, as he even highlighted the former staffer and all he had done for the program on early signing day back in December. 

“Going back to when we first got hired, hiring Chris Gilbert, and the job that he did for two years with us in recruiting, A; B, the connection to the high school coaches,” Sarkisian said when asked about the importance of the director of high school relations position. “For me, being a new coach here in the state of Texas and that connection to the coaches, Coach Gilbert did a great job. What came out of it? He earned a full-time coaching position at North Texas.”

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Gilbert returns to a Texas program that is not only coming off of their best season since 2009, but one that is making the jump to the SEC in 2024. The Longhorns are recruiting at an elite level, and even when he wasn't a member of the staff, Gilbert still deserves credit for helping lay the foundation.