University of Houston Athletics
Holgorsen Names Zac Etheridge to Houston Staff
1/25/2019 12:14:00 PM | Football
Houston head coach has hired nine full-time assistants
HOUSTON – The Houston Football staff continued to grow Friday as Dana Holgorsen named Zac Etheridge to his staff as a Defensive Assistant.
With the hiring, Holgorsen has now hired nine assistant coaches since joining the Houston program. Etheridge joins eight previously announced assistants in Joe Cauthen (Defensive Coordinator & Linebackers), Brian Early (Defensive Line), Brandon Jones (Co-Offensive Coordinator & Offensive Line), Tyron Carrier (Assistant Head Coach & Receivers), Doug Belk (Co-Defensive Coordinator & Cornerbacks), Marquel Blackwell (Co-Offensive Coordinator & Quarterbacks), Blake Gideon (Safeties & Special Teams) and Shannon Dawson (Offensive Assistant Coach).
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Zac Etheridge | Defensive Assistant
• Zac Etheridge was named a defensive assistant coach at Houston on Jan. 25, 2019 after one season as cornerbacks coach at Louisiana.
• In his lone season at Louisiana, Etheridge helped lead the Ragin Cajuns to a spot in both the Cure Bowl and the Sun Belt Conference Championship.
• A former team captain and defensive back at Auburn on its 2010 national championship team, Etheridge arrived at Louisiana from Western Carolina where he spent two seasons. Etheridge started his stint with the Catamounts coaching the cornerbacks in 2016 before being elevated to a full-time position as an assistant coach with his focus switching to WCU's outside linebackers in 2017.
• Prior to Western Carolina, Etheridge spent two seasons at Georgia Tech as a defensive graduate assistant, working closely with Yellow Jacket secondary.
• Before his move to Atlanta, Etheridge spent one year as a graduate assistant coach at Penn State under head coach Bill O'Brien.
• A 2009 Auburn graduate with a degree in political science, Etheridge was a four-year starter who broke his neck in the first quarter of a 2009 game against Ole Miss. Nine months later, after extensive rehabilitation, Etheridge returned to the starting lineup for Auburn and captained his team along a memorable run to the national title at the end of the 2010 season, finishing second on the team with 69 tackles, intercepting three passes, and returning a fumble 47 yards for a touchdown against Arkansas.
• Etheridge garnered freshman All-America status from numerous publications following the 2007 season, starting 12 of Auburn's 13 games. He led Auburn with 75 tackles in 2008 and was named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll in 2009.
• A native of Troy, Ala., Etheridge received the second annual James Owens Courage Award from Auburn in 2013. The award, named for the school's first African-American football player, was established to honor a player who has shown courage in the face of adversity.
