Texas fired defensive coordinator Todd Orlando and two other assistants Sunday, while reassigning offensive coordinator Tim Beck as part of a major overhaul on Tom Herman's staff.
Orlando is out, along with outside receivers coach/pass game coordinator Drew Mehringer and inside receivers coach Corby Meekins. All three assistants have been with Texas for the past three seasons, and Orlando also served as Herman's defensive coordinator at Houston. While Orlando and Mehringer will no longer be with the program, Meekins will remain in an administrative role.
"These were very difficult decisions and certainly not an indictment of them as coaches," Herman said in a prepared statement. "I just believe we need a fresh set of eyes and infusion of new ideas and energy to help us grow across the board."
Beck no longer will serve as Texas' offensive coordinator but will remain as quarterbacks coach through the team's upcoming bowl game. Texas immediately will begin searching for new offensive and defensive coordinators. The Longhorns finished the regular season 7-5 after beating Texas Tech on Friday.
"I am very disappointed in our performance in a number of areas in 2019," Herman said. "7-5 will never be our standard at Texas and I take full responsibility for any and all of our shortcomings and know we need to do a better job coaching across the board. With that said, I do believe the future is very bright, have decided to make some changes to our staff as we head into bowl preparation and look to finish strong in the final weeks of fall recruiting."
Craig Naivar, the team's co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach, will serve as Texas' defensive coordinator on an interim basis. Two analysts, Andre Coleman and Jeremiah George, will serve as on-field assistants during bowl preparation. Director of recruiting Bryan Carrington will serve as an interim assistant coach so he can assist with off-campus recruiting.
Sources say Texas likely will consider former Rutgers coach Chris Ash as a replacement for Orlando. Ash and Herman served as coordinators together at Ohio State when the Buckeyes won a national title in 2014. Former Arkansas and SMU coach Chad Morris and LSU passing game coordinator Joe Brady could be candidates for Texas' offensive coordinator vacancy.