For the fourth consecutive year, Dave Campbell's Texas Football is proud to honor 40 of the rising stars in the coaching ranks across the Lone Star State with our annual 40 Under 40. These young coaches represent the future of football in Texas — and you'd better learn their names sooner rather than later.
Kyle Cooper
SMU safeties coach and special teams coordinator
Cooper moves to the role of safeties coach and special teams coordinator in 2023 having spent the 2022 season leading the outside linebacker room after a two-year stint at Miami.
Demerick Gary
North Texas defensive line coach
Gary joins North Texas as a member of Eric Morris’ first staff in Denton after spending 2022 as a graduate assistant and assistant defensive line coach at Houston. Gary is a South Dallas native who starred at SMU. He was previously at Houston and Arkansas.
Mack Leftwich
Texas State offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach
Leftwich engineered a UIW offense that won quarterback Lindsey Scott a Walter Payton Award last year. He moves up to the FBS ranks as the QB coach and OC for G.J. Kinne at Texas State.
Joe Price
UTSA wide receivers coach
The UTSA wide receiver room flirted with producing three 1,000-yard receivers a year ago. Price was a Texas high school football coach prior to his move to the collegiate ranks.
Daikel Shorts
Houston wide receivers coach
Shorts enters his third year in charge of Houston’s wide receivers. Nathaniel Dell led FBS in receiving yards and touchdowns on Shorts’ charge in 2022. His position group is deep in 2023.
Tashard Choice
Texas wide receivers coach
Choice led a running back room headlined by Bijan Robinson and Roschon Johnson, and he helped the Longhorns sign five-star C.J. Baxter in the 2023 recruiting cycle.
Stephen Hamby
Texas Tech offensive line coach
The Texas Tech offensive line improved as the season went along in year one under Hamby. He was an offensive lineman for the Red Raiders from 2005 to 2008.
Eric Mateos
Baylor offensive line coach
The wide zone rushing attack deployed by Baylor is one of the toughest to stop in college football. Mateos’ offensive line is at the heart of it.
T.J. Rushing
Texas A&M defensive backs coach
The Aggies led the FBS in passing defense despite a five-win season. The Wrecking Crew defense should continue to dominant on the back end with Rushing in charge.
Trevin Wade
UTEP cornerbacks coach
Wade joined UTEP’s staff in 2020 following six seasons in the NFL. He was a three-year starter at Arizona and a two-time All-Pac 12 selection.
Marco Relagdo
Rice director of player personnel
A former Texas high school football coach, Regalado led Rice’s recruiting efforts in a 2023 class that ranked highest in school history. Regalado also spent time at Washington State.