UNLV Rebels Offensive Coordinator Brennan Marion stands on the field before a NCAA football game against Syracuse Orange, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024, in Las Vegas.
The go-go days are numbered at UNLV, as offensive coordinator Brennan Marion has left the team before Wednesday's LA Bowl matchup against Cal.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, interim head coach Del Alexander confirmed Marion won't be on the sideline for the final game of the season.
"Brennan has decided to move toward other opportunities," Alexander said.
Marion's departure comes amid a wave of coaching upheaval at UNLV. Former head coach Barry Odom left for Purdue last week, and on Friday Dan Mullen was introduced as the team's next head coach.
In the meantime, Alexander has been bumped up from receivers coach to acting head coach, and Marion is pursuing other jobs, reportedly emerging as a favorite to be named the next head coach at Sacramento State.
Alexander declined to announce UNLV's play-caller for the LA Bowl, instead engaging in some subterfuge as he shared a podium with Cal coach Justin Wilcox.
"That's top secret," Alexander said.
Whoever runs the offense on Wednesday will have big shoes to fill, as Marion was key in UNLV's historic turnaround over the past two seasons.
Marion's marriage to UNLV was serendipitous. Odom's first choice as offensive coordinator was scandal-laden Bobby Petrino, who took the job in an effort to rehab his image at the FBS level. When Texas A&M made him a similar offer less than three weeks later, Petrino resigned at UNLV and jumped ship.
That led Odom to hire Marion, who was then serving as the wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator at Texas. Odom granted him free reign to install his unique go-go offense, and the results were immediate.
Running Marion's go-go attack, UNLV averaged 34.4 points in 2023, ranking the Scarlet and Gray No. 22 in the country. In Marion's second year, they upped it to 36.2 points and 14 nationally.
The run-heavy scheme aimed to give UNLV a numbers advantage on the ground while also using misdirection to put the defense in disadvantageous positions on pass plays. This season, UNLV was No. 7 in the country in rushing yards per game (234.3) and No. 11 in yards per attempt (5.5). In the passing game, Marion weathered the loss of starting quarterback Matthew Sluka, as senior Hajj-Malik Williams stepped in and performed efficiently: 62.0% completions, 1,845 yards, 17 touchdowns and five interceptions.
The major mark against Marion was his handling of Sluka's offseason recruitment. Sluka's agent said Marion promised Sluka $100,000 in name, image and likeness money to sign with UNLV, but never made good on the payments. Sluka eventually left the team after leading UNLV to a 3-0 start, a move that could have disrupted the entire season if not for Williams' excellent play.
Marion's actions on the recruiting trail could have had a negative impact on his career prospects. UNLV interviewed him for the vacant head coach position but ultimately passed him over in favor of Mullen; Odom had an opening at offensive coordinator while building his staff at Purdue and opted to hire Josh Henson, formerly the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at USC.
Alexander said UNLV will continue to run the go-go offense against Cal, hinting at a collaborative approach to game-planning.
"We've collectively put our heads together and said this is how we want to do this game. It's the same offense."