Longhorns Hire USC's Tashard Choice As Running Backs Coach

Longhorns found their replacement for Stan Drayton at running backs coach

Matt Galatzan | Dec 18, 2021

AUSTIN -- The Texas Longhorns coaching staff took a major blow this week when former running backs coach Stan Drayton was hired as the head coach of the Temple Owls.

However, Steve Sarkisian and Chris Del Conte wasted no time in finding his replacement, hiring USC running backs coach Tashard Choice to the same position.

A fast riser in the industry, Choice first entered the coaching ranks as an intern with the Dallas Cowboys in 2016 before becoming a graduate assistant at North Texas in 2017.

Following his stint as a grad assistant, Choice was then promoted to running backs coach for the Mean Green in 2018. In 2019, Choice then went on to be running backs coach at his alma mater Georgia Tech.

After two years with the Yellow Jackets, Choice joined the USC Trojans coaching staff in 2021. With the hiring of Lincoln Riley, the USC staff has been shaken up, prompting Choice's decision to head to Austin.

Choice also spent six years in the NFL from 2008-2013, including four years with the Dallas Cowboys. While with the Cowboys, Choice appeared in 54 games, rushing 250 times for 1,139 yards and eight touchdowns, while averaging 4.6 yards per carry.

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Published Dec 18, 2021

MATT GALATZAN

Matt Galatzan is the Managing Editor and Publisher of Texas Longhorns On SI and Texas A&M Aggies On SI and a long-time member of the Football Writer’s Association of America. He graduated from the University of Mississippi, where he studied integrated marketing communications, with minors in journalism and business administration. Galatzan started in the sports journalism industry in 2014 covering the Dallas Mavericks and SMU Mustangs with 247Sports. He then moved to Sports Illustrated's Fan Nation network in 2020, eventually being taking over as the Managing Editor and Publisher of the Longhorns and Aggies sites a year later. You can find Galatzan on all major social media channels, including Twitter on @MattGalatzan.