The University of Houston has hired Arkansas State defensive coordinator Joe Cauthen and defensive line coach and running game coordinator Brian Early for the same positions, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette confirmed Monday afternoon.
ASU running backs coach and special teams coordinator Norval McKenzie has also accepted the same position at the University of Louisville under the Cardinals’ new coach, former Appalachian State Coach Scott Satterfield, according to a published report by FootballScoop, which cited sources.
Under McKenzie — a 2018 nominee for the Broyles Award, which is given annually to the nation’s top assistant coach — ASU allowed -15 punt return yards in 2018, the fewest in NCAA history.
When asked Monday how soon he will start at Houston, Early said he will fly to Texas on Tuesday morning.
Arkansas State ranked among the top four Sun Belt Conference teams in scoring defense in each of the past three seasons, allowing 21.5 points per game in 2016, 25.7 in 2017 and 25.6 in 2018.
Under Cauthen and Early, ASU ranked No. 1 in the league with 43 sacks in 2016, No. 4 with 35 sacks in 2017 and No. 2 with 35 sacks in 2018.
Cauthen and Early recently completed their fifth seasons at ASU and were two of the longest-tenured assistants on Coach Blake Anderson’s staff since his hiring five years ago in Dec. 2013.