Texas Football Hires Former Michigan State Defensive Coordinator

The Texas Longhorns are making a defensive addition to Steve Sarkisian’s coaching staff.

Michigan State defensive coordinator Scottie Hazelton watches a play against Akron during the second half at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing on Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Texas Longhorns are adding knowledge and experience to the defensive staff as the team heads to the SEC.

Per college football reporter Bruce Feldman, Texas is hiring former Michigan State defensive coordinator Scottie Hazelton as a special assistant for next season. 

"SOURCES: Texas is hiring Scottie Hazelton as a special assistant,” Feldman tweeted. "Hazelton joins the Longhorns after recently serving as Michigan State’s DC along with previous DC stops at K-State, Wyoming and NDSU where they won the 2011 FCS national title.”

Hazelton, 50, was a linebackers coach at USC in 2012 before being hired as the defensive coordinator at Nevada. He then spent three seasons in the NFL as an assistant linebackers coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars before returning to the college ranks to become the defensive coordinator at Wyoming in 2017 and ’18. After one year at Kansas State in 2019, he joined Michigan State in 2020, where he had coached for the past four seasons. 

While Steve Sarkisian will continue to lead what should once again be a strong offense next season, Hazelton will aid defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski. 

The Texas secondary was arguably the worst-performing unit on what was a deep roster last season, as the unit surrendered the fifth-most passing yards per game in the Big 12 (240.8) despite the defense as a whole allowing the fewest rushing yards (80.8) and points per game (17.5) in the conference. 

Texas’ defense will get its first chance to shine when the Longhorns host the Colorado State Rams for the season opener on Saturday, Aug. 31 in Austin.