Sources tell Dave Campbell’s Texas Football that UTEP interviewed a handful of candidates over the weekend for the vacant head coaching spot with a few names emerging as the favorites for the job. Coaching industry sources say that Austin Peay head coach Scott Walden and UNLV offensive coordinator Brennan Marion are the top two candidates heading into Sunday. Texas Tech offensive coordinator Zach Kittley also interviewed and fits the profile the Miners want. 

The Miners want to decide by early in the week, UTEP sources say. The program wanted to find a young, offensive mind in the search. Other reported interviews were Texas Tech assistant Kenny Perry and former UTEP assistant Eric Price. The transfer portal opens on Dec. 4 and programs across the country are scrambling to have head coaches in place by that date. 

Texas A&M hired Mike Elko the day after the regular season. Houston is expected to name Tulane head coach Willie Fritz as Dana Holgorsen’s replacement on Sunday. UTEP is the only remaining open head coaching job in Texas at the FBS level. 

Walden, 30, is described as innovative and energetic by his director of athletics on the Austin Peay website. The former college quarterback and safety at Hardin-Simmons and Sul Ross rose up the ranks as a play caller and landed the Peay job in 2020. He’s 26-14 with back-to-back conference championships in four years there. He was 7-3 back in 2016 in his one season as head coach at East Texas Baptist. He was the head coach for four games at Southern Miss in 2020. 

Marion, 36, helped lead UNLV to the Mountain West Conference title game in his first season with the Rebels. His “GoGo” offense averaged 35.5 points per game in 2023 – 19th-best in FBS. The offense averaged 6.24 yards a carry and 36 rushing touchdowns. Marion was the wide receiver coach at Texas and Pittsburgh before the UNLV job. Marion has head coaching experience at the high school level and has connections He’s coached and played at multiple levels, including junior college. Marion was a prolific receiver at Tulsa. 

Kittley, 32, grew up playing basketball but gravitated into the football coaching ranks as a student assistant in 2013 and a graduate assistant by 2015. Kittley built a name as the OC at Houston Baptist (now Houston Christian) and Western Kentucky with record-setting offenses with Bailey Zappe at quarterback. He’s helped the Red Raiders win 14 games in Joey McGuire’s first two seasons in Lubbock. 

UTEP relieved Dana Dimel of his job in November after a 3-9 finish in the 2023 season. He was 20-49 in six seasons in charge of the Miners. He reached a bowl game once.