After engineering one of the nation’s most improved offensive units during his first season at William & Mary, Brennan Marion returns for his second year as the Tribe’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
Although W&M relied heavily on a talented true freshman class that included the Tribe’s starting quarterback, leading receiver and three of its top four rushers, Marion’s offense nearly doubled its scoring output from the season prior to his arrival – improving from 13.6 points/game in 2018 to 25.2 points/game in 2019. Additionally, W&M’s total yardage per game catapulted by nearly 100 yards per contest.
Nowhere was the dramatic progress more evident than in W&M’s rushing attack where it increased its production on the ground by more than 130 yards per game and scored 21 more rushing touchdowns than the squad’s 2018 figures. Additionally, the Tribe’s 26 rushing touchdowns was just one shy of breaking into the program’s single-season top-10 list, while its 462 rushing yards in the win against Rhode Island set a single-game school record.
Marion also produced a number of individual standouts, as offensive lineman Mark Williamson and fullback Tyler Crist both earned all-conference distinction, while wideout Kane Everson garnered Freshman All-America honors after setting true freshman single-season school records for catches (46) and receiving yards (585).
In addition to Everson, quarterback Hollis Mathis also set true freshman single-season school records for total offense (1,522), passing yards (976) and rushing touchdowns (8). His eight rushing scores are the third most of any quarterback in school history, while his 546 rushing yards were the most ever by a W&M true freshman quarterback and the most by a Tribe true freshman since Jonathan Grimes (2008).
Marion came to W&M after two tremendously successful seasons as Howard University’s offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach under Mike London where he elevated the Bison into one of the nation’s most productive units.
Under his direction in 2018, HU ranked 15th nationally in total offense (470.8), 16th in passing offense (278.0), 21st in scoring offense (33.6) and fourth in yards per completion (17.27) – all figures that led the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). The Bison also led the league in rushing yards per game (192.8).
En route to posting the impressive numbers in 2018, seven offensive standouts garnered All-MEAC distinction – highlighted by seven first-team selections, the MEAC Offensive Player of the Year and the MEAC Rookie of the Year. The long list of honors followed up a successful first season at HU in which five of his players earned all-conference honors. Among those honored were 2017 MEAC Rookie of the Year and All-America Freshman First Team selection, quarterback Caylin Newton, and All-America offensive lineman, Gerald Wright.
Marion’s 2017 unit also posted impressive numbers, as it ranked 13th nationally in total offense (446.0) and 18th in rushing yards per game (215.5).
His successful two-year stint at Howard did not go unnoticed at the national level, as he was invited to the 2019 NFL Quarterback Coaching Summit and the prestigious American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) 35 Under 35 Leadership Institute.
Before leading Howard’s offense, Marion coached two years at the collegiate level with Arizona State (2015) and Oklahoma Baptist University (2016) where he mentored two All-Americans.
Prior to coaching collegiately, Marion architected two impressive one-year turnarounds as a head coach at the high school level. In 2014, he led Waynesboro Area Senior High School (Pa.) to a division title and its first winning season in 22 years just one year after a posting a winless record. This effort earned him the distinction of the state high school coach of the year for Pennsylvania. In 2013, he led Saint Patrick-Saint Vincent Catholic High School to a playoff appearance following a 1-9 record the year prior to his arrival.
Marion played two seasons at the University of Tulsa where he finished his Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) career averaging 28.7 yards per reception (83 catches), which set a FBS record among players with at least 75 career receptions.
In his first season at Tulsa, Marion led the nation in yards per catch (31.9), breaking an FBS record in the process. Marion finished the season with 39 receptions for 1,244 yards and 11 touchdowns and was named Conference USA Newcomer of the Year. A second-team All-Conference USA selection, he was part of just the third team in FBS history to have three 1,000-yard receivers.
As a senior, Marion played 13 games and totaled 43 receptions for 1,112 yards and eight touchdowns. He earned first-team All-Conference USA honors after leading the nation in yards per catch for the second consecutive season.
In 2009, he was signed by the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent.
Marion was a one-year letter winner in football, basketball and track at Greensburg-Salem High School in Greensburg, Pa. As a senior, Marion had 23 receptions for 400 yards and four touchdowns.
Marion graduated with a bachelor’s degree in organizational studies from Tulsa.
He has two children: Mariah and Brennan Marion.
