Coaching football is not for the faint of hearts. It comes with sacrifices that could affect more than one person, and the amount of time one puts into the game is quite extensive. For UNLV Rebels offensive coordinator Brennan Marion, the journey has been quite adventurous. Since 2019, Marion has coached at a new program every single year, owing to his consistent rise up the coaching ranks.

The 36-year-old Marion took his previous football playing ability and utilized it through impacting young athletes in the game of football. In 2011, at just 24 years old, he began his journey coaching wide receivers at West Valley College. Hiring a 24-year-old at a collegiate program, regardless of the size, is quite controversial. However, Marion had an outstanding NCAA career at Tulsa and broke two records that are jaw-dropping. He has the NCAA record for single season yards-per-catch at 31.9 and he has the NCAA career yards-per-catch record at 28.7. These two records are impressive and he was an explosive player in his prime.

Marion took his receiving abilities and has applied them everywhere he has gone. A proven winner, he showcased his winning mentality in 2013 he took over as the head football coach at Saint Patrick Saint Vincent High School in California. This is a school that finished with a 1-9 record the previous season and he led them to a first-round playoff game.

The following season he moved his belongings and traveled from California to Pennsylvania to take on a new role as the head football coach at Waynesboro Area Senior High School. There, he made history by leading the team to their first winning season in 22 years and winning a division title.

After establishing himself as a top tier high school football coach, Marion set his sights on the collegiate rankings once again heading to Arizona State in 2015 as the offensive quality control assistant. He spent one season there and then moved to Oklahoma to become the Oklahoma Baptist’s Running Backs Coach. For the next few stops, it will be easier to breakdown the year and the accomplishments and impact he had on the players he coached when employed at the school.

Coordinator Opportunity:

It depends on the specific person, but a lot of coaches work their way up the coaching ladder to one day become a coordinator and then a head football coach. While Marion became an assistant to start his career off and then dabbled here and there with high school head coaching positions, he ultimately became a college coordinator in 2017 at the University of Howard.

At Howard he was instrumental in their offensive success and made history with the biggest point-spread upset in college football history when they defeated UNLV 43-40 according to an ESPN article published shortly after the game in 2017.

Marion left Howard in 2018 and went to William & Mary as their offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2019. They finished with a 5-7 record and were not shutout once and the lowest points scored was 7 against East Carolina where they lost 7-19. The most points scored in the season was 55 and that was achieved against Rhode Island in a 55-19 victory. Marion and his offense also scored a season average 25 offensive points per game, which is quite respectable.

Last Four Seasons: 

2020: Hawaii – Receivers Coach

2021: Pittsburgh – Receivers Coach

2022: Texas – Pass Game Coordinator & Receivers Coach

2023: UNLV – Offensive Coordinator & QB’s Coach

These are just the last four seasons of his coaching career. Marion has been on the move but the stops along the way has gained him valuable knowledge through the different programs he was associated with. When he was with the University of Pittsburgh in 2021, he coached Minnesota Vikings rookie receiver Jordan Addison.

Addison is on record with multiple reporters discussing how his career would have never propelled without the help of Marion. That is quite the endorsement from a rookie receiver who as of the writing of this article has 66 receptions for 854 yards and nine touchdowns. Mind you, this is all without his quarterback Kirk Cousins and with a revolving door of quarterbacks throughout the season.

Biggest Impact Yet

The hiring of UNLV’s head football coach was initially questioned but has since then proved it was a slam dunk hire. Head coach Barry Odom took over for the Rebels in 2023 and led them to the best season in recent memory. When Odom took over in December of 2022, he was tasked with building a strong football staff and to begin building a winning tradition, something that has been hard to come by over the last 20 seasons.

Look at UNLV’s football win loss record in the 20 seasons before Odom arrived this year.

Incredible work by Odom and staff. pic.twitter.com/xQIpf7D6WH

— Jon Tweets Sports (@jontweetssports) November 19, 2023

Odom hired Marion to be his offensive coordinator and it has paid dividends. UNLV’s offense was not only explosive, they set records and won 9 games, propelling them to new heights. Marion took his offensive philosophy, the “Go Go Offense”, a scheme that relies on an up-tempo approach where one utilizes multiple formations and spacing to move the football down the field. It also incorporates triple options and modern spread concepts as well.

This approach to offensive football paid off remarkably, with the team scoring 482 points in the first year of implementing the Go Go Offense.

Just a couple of points (like the 482 we scored this season) about year 1 of the Go Go! #BEaREBEL pic.twitter.com/QmgIYwu4zk

— UNLV Football (@unlvfootball) January 4, 2024

Barry Odom!!! #GoGoRebels https://t.co/F1vhGyAtIU pic.twitter.com/eamAGnPlox

— Coach Marion (@BrennanMarion4) January 4, 2024

Marion’s strength is his ability to teach and stay humble and that is exactly what he has done every single place he has been. UNLV’s success is just another example of how strong of a coach and leader of men he is.

What’s Next? NFL?

I am a Pittsburgh Steelers fan and I honestly would be extremely happy to see the Go Go offense make its way to the National Football League. There are times where I watch football games, especially with offensive minded coaches such as Andy Reid, Kyle Shanahan or Doug Pederson and I witness an old school play that works. A few years ago the Wing-T formations and plays made its way to the NFL and it was successful. I understand that running the triple option with the speed of the linebackers and the players in the NFL is extremely unrealistic, however, taking the concepts of Marion and adapting them to the modern NFL, could be a deadly and effective offensive approach in the coming years.

In my opinion, it will be a very short time before we begin to see Marion in the NFL. He has what it takes, and his resume has proved that he can develop players and call plays when given a chance. It is up to an organization to give him a chance in the future to showcase his talent. I always look at previous college coordinators who make the jump to the league and how they do. One that comes to mind in recent years is Mike Macdonald of the Baltimore Ravens. Macdonald was on Jim Harbaugh’s staff in Michigan and then his brother John [Harbaugh] poached him and look at where the Ravens’ defense is this year.

Marion, if he even wants to head into the NFL, could have an opportunity in the coming years. His determination, willpower, and unselfishness to move each year for the last four to a new location to better his career is just the type of hardworking individual that is needed at the next level.

We will see where he ends up but ever since I got into the coaching world in 2016, I have been a very big fan of him and his accolades. I am wishing him the best and hope to see him at the highest stage sooner rather than later.