Decorated Coaching Veteran Oscar Giles Rejoins Cougars

HOUSTON – Coaching veteran Oscar Giles, who has two prior stints as University of Houston Football's Defensive Line Coach, including a decorated two-year run during 2015-16, has rejoined the Cougars in the same capacity, first-year Head Coach Willie Fritz announced Monday.

The 2024 season will mark his 25th as a full-time college coach and third tour with the Cougars (2003-04; 2015-16). During 24 seasons as a full-time college coach, Giles has helped coach teams to 19 bowl games including a 2005 Rose Bowl Game title, 2006 Rose Bowl Game/BCS National Championship, 2009 Fiesta Bowl title, 2010 BCS National Championship appearance, 2015 Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl Championship and 2019 Allstate Sugar Bowl title.

Giles joins Houston from Wyoming where he served as Associate Head Coach and Head Freshman Coach during the 2023 season. He also served as Defensive Run-Game Coordinator while coaching the Cowboys' defensive tackles and nose tackles during 2022-23.

For his career, Giles has tutored 28 players, including 24 defenders, who reached the National Football League. Those 28 standouts, which have included nine Top-3 round selections, have amassed nearly $383 million in career earnings.

During his time at Wyoming (2022-23), Texas (2005-13; 2017-20), Houston (2003-04; 2015-16) and SMU (2000-02), he has mentored 49 All-Conference honorees, six All-Americans, three Big 12 Conference Defensive Players of the Year, three Big 12 Defensive Linemen of the Year and one Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year. He has also coached defensive linemen who have won the Bronko Nagurski Award, Lombardi Award and Ted Hendricks Award.

Giles' defensive lines played a critical role in one of the most dominant two-year spans in Houston history between 2015-16. The Cougars ranked inside the Top 10 nationally in rushing defense both seasons, racking up a combined 75 sacks which ranked as the 10^th most in the FBS.

In 2016, defensive tackle Ed Oliver, who Giles recruited and coached, was named Scout's National Freshman of the Year. The All-American sparked a Cougar defense which ranked 14^th nationally in tackles for loss per game (7.7) during 2016. Houston's 22 wins during the two-year stretch ranked fifth in the country including a 2015 Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl title with a dominant 38-24 victory over #9/8 Florida State.

At Houston, Giles also coached defensive end Cameron Malveaux, who signed as an NFL free agent in 2017 and played for four teams, and Tyus Bowser, a second round selection who played in 89 games and made 23 starts with the Baltimore Ravens from 2017-22. He also recruited wide receiver Marquez Stevenson who followed a record-setting career with a sixth-round selection in the 2021 NFL Draft.

As Defensive Line Coach at Texas from 2017-20, the Longhorns won four consecutive bowl games and finished ranked inside the Top 25 three times. During the four-year stretch, seven Texas defensive linemen earned All-Big 12 honors. In three of the four seasons, a Longhorn was named Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year (2020 – Joseph Ossai; 2018 – Charles Omenihu; 2017 – Poona Ford) with Ossai earning consensus All-America honors.

In 2017, Texas limited opponents to just 106.8 rushing yards per game, ranking eighth nationally, including holding the opposition under 100 rushing yards in seven of 13 games. In 2020, his final season with the Longhorns, Texas ranked 23^rd nationally in tackles for loss per game (7.3) and produced the nation's 14^th best run defense grade (85.4) according to PFF.

Giles spent one season as Defensive Line Coach at Louisiana Tech in 2014. The Bulldogs posted a 9-5 record, won the Western Division of Conference USA and defeated Illinois in the Heart of Dallas Bowl helped by 5.5 sacks. The Bulldogs led the nation in turnovers gained (42) and were fourth in tackles for loss per game (8.1), 17^th in rushing defense (118.2) and 26^th in sacks per game (2.71). Defensive tackle Vernon Butler was a First Round selection in the 2016 NFL Draft and defensive end Houston Bates signed as a free agent.

For nine seasons, from 2005-13, Giles served as Defensive Ends/Special Teams Coach at Texas. During the stretch, 16 defensive ends and 13 special teams standouts were named All-Big 12 Conference. Four defensive ends earned All-America honors including unanimous selection Brian Orakpo who won the Nagurski Award (nation's top defensive player), Lombardi Award (nation's top lineman) and Hendricks Award (nation's top defensive end) in 2008. Giles helped develop Orakpo from the 2005 Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year into the 13^th overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. He was selected to four Pro Bowls as part of a 10-year pro career.

During six of his nine seasons, the Longhorns ranked inside the Top 25 nationally in sacks per game including during 2008 when the program paced the nation with 3.62 per contest. The Longhorns never ranked lower than fourth in the Big 12 in sacks per game and in seven of nine seasons were among the league's top three.

In 2009, as part of the Longhorns second national championship appearance in five seasons, the team led the nation in rushing defense (72.36) while ranking fifth in sacks per game (3.0) and eighth in tackles for loss per game (8.0). That season, senior defensive end/linebacker Sergio Kindle became the first player in college football history to be a finalist for both the Hendricks Award (nation's top defensive end) and Butkus Award (nation's top linebacker) while picking up First Team All-America honors.

In four consecutive seasons from 2006-09, the Longhorns paced the Big 12 Conference and ranked inside the Top 6 nationally in rushing defense including third in 2006 (61.2), sixth in 2007 (93.4), third in 2008 (83.5) and first in 2009 (72.36).

In 2010, senior defensive end Sam Acho won the William V. Campbell Trophy as the nation's top scholar-athlete, won the Wuerffel Trophy and the ARA Sportsmanship Award. He also earned Academic All-America honors for the second straight year and was drafted in the fourth round by the Arizona Cardinals.

In 2013, Texas topped the Big 12 in sacks per game (3.0) and boasted the league's top run defense grade (70.4) and pass rush grade (80.6) according to PFF. Giles' defensive end unit included Jackson Jeffcoat, who won the Hendricks Award in 2013 and earned First Team All-America honors, while being named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year.

Giles was a four-year letterman at Texas from 1987-90. The three-year starter earned Associated Press All-Southwest Conference (SWC) honors as a senior while helping Texas to a 10-2 record, the 1990 Southwest Conference Championship and an appearance in the Cotton Bowl. Texas was ranked as high as No. 3 in the AP poll during the 1990 season and ended the season ranked No. 12. He also was part of the 1987 team that ended the season ranked No. 19 in the nation and captured a 32-27 victory over Pittsburgh in the 1987 Bluebonnet Bowl.

Giles was a semifinalist for the Outland Trophy and was a two-time Academic All-Southwest Conference selection. He led Texas in sacks in 1988 (6.5) and '89 (7.0), finishing with 22.0 career sacks to tie for No. 10 on the Texas career list. He also recorded nine career fumble recoveries which ranked second in school history.

He played professionally with the Atlanta Falcons as a defensive end and linebacker and played in the Canadian Football League from 1994-97 where he was part of the 1996 Toronto Argonauts Grey Cup Championship team.

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