TheReal_jayD

DENTON – UNT Football head coach Eric Morris named Skyler Cassity as the program’s next defensive coordinator Wednesday. Cassity comes to UNT after spending the 2024 season in the same role at Sam Houston, guiding the Bearkats to the No. 20 national rank in total defense this season. An up-and-coming star in the coaching ranks, Cassity led a Sam Houston pass defense that ranked 11th in the country while forcing 22 turnovers, the 16th-most in FBS in 2024. The Bearkats were also one of only four Group of Five teams to give up 20.0 points per game or less this season. “We are excited to have Coach Cassity join our staff,” Morris said. “He’s one of the best young defensive minds in college football. He is someone that I have watched for a while, and I look forward to him leading our defense to the next level.” “First of all, I am excited to be joining the North Texas family,” Cassity said. “Similar to Coach Morris, I am happy to be able to stay in Texas and join such a great program. This program instills character, discipline and toughness into its team. I have extremely high expectations for our new defensive unit, and I believe this is the right place to achieve those goals. I look forward to competing for championships, and I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t believe Coach Morris was the guy to lead us in that direction. My work has already started, and I look forward to meeting and getting to know everyone in the Mean Green family. I want to thank my wife, Kori, for her unbelievable support through the whole process. Texas is home for the both of us, and we are excited for all that we will be able to achieve here at North Texas. Thank you and Go Mean Green!” Upon arrival at Sam Houston, Cassity inherited a 3-9 defense which he immediately turned into a 9-3 team for 2024. The program became bowl eligible for the first time, narrowly missing out on a berth in the Conference USA (CUSA) championship game. Cassity quickly upgraded Sam Houston’s defense in his one year. The Bearkats’ scoring defense ranked 64th in FBS in 2023 and jumped to the No. 21 scoring defense in 2024. In addition, Sam Houston improved from 88th to 20th in total defense, 92nd to 56th in rushing defense and 77th to 11th in passing defense. The Bearkats dominated nationally in FBS including ranking eighth in possession stop rate at 73.8%, in redzone defense and fourth-down defense — also ranking 21st in scoring defense and 20th in total defense. In CUSA, Cassity’s defense was top five in every category including first in scoring defense, passing defense, passing defensive efficiency, redzone defense and interceptions. In 2024, the Sam Houston defense held seven of its 12 opponents under its season scoring average and held nine to 21 points or less. The Bearkats were even stronger defensively down the stretch, allowing just 13.2 points per game over the final five contests. Prior to Sam Houston, Cassity spent two seasons, 2022-23, as Abilene Christian’s defensive coordinator. In 2023, two major publications highlighted Cassity’s success and bright future: 247 Sports named him to its “30 Under 30” list as did Dave Campbell’s Texas Football “40 Under 40.” No stranger to the state of Texas, Cassity also served as a graduate assistant at both Texas Tech (2018-19) and Texas State (2017) prior to his time at ACU. At ACU, he helped the Wildcats post a dozen wins in two seasons, its most in a two-year period since the program moved to Division I. While there he coached four all-conference selections, his defense held 14 of its 19 FCS opponents under their season scoring averages and was a top 35 Massey-rated defense each year. In 2022, he helped lead the Wildcats to a 7-4 record, the best for the program since it left the Division II ranks. That season his defense was proclaimed as the top in ACU's history and was near the top of the Western Athletic Conference in multiple statistical categories, ranking second in the league in rushing defense, scoring defense and total defense. Additionally, the Wildcats ranked in the top 20 of the FCS in third-down defense, first downs allowed and rushing. A year later he helped lead Abilene Christian to five more victories while his defensive unit ranked second in the newly formed United Athletic Conference and 23rd in the FCS with 12 interceptions. The Wildcats also ranked 29th in the FCS in defensive touchdowns and 27th in fourth-down defense. Cassity’s stint at ACU came after spending two seasons coaching outside linebackers, nickels and safeties under head coach Bobby Petrino at Missouri State. The Bears' defense finished the 2021 season ranked sixth nationally in turnovers forced, 11th in interceptions and 11th in defensive touchdowns while making their second consecutive appearance in the FCS Playoffs, snapping a 30-year playoff drought for the program. While working on his master’s degree in sports management at Texas Tech, Cassity was an outside linebackers analyst and defensive graduate assistant for the Red Raiders’ 2017 and 2019 seasons under then-head coach Kliff Kingsbury, plus the 2019 season under then-head coach Matt Wells. For the 2016 season, Cassity coached at Texas State as the primary defensive graduate assistant under then-head coach Everett Withers. The Bobcats boasted the 2017 top recruiting class in the Sun Belt Conference. Cassity attended Auburn University for his undergrad degree from 2012-16, earning his business administration degree in 2016. He played lacrosse while also growing his football coaching and recruiting experience in the Southeastern Conference with the Tigers’ football team thanks to then-head coach Gus Malzahn and Casey Woods hiring him in February of 2014. While in high school at Riverwood International Charter School, Atlanta, Cassity was a quarterback for the Raiders under then-head coach Robert Ingram, Cassity’s football playing career was cut short in 2010 due to career-ending chest surgery to correct his pectus excavatum via the Nuss Procedure. Ingram, still a mentor today, immediately elevated the young Cassity to a student assistant thus kicking off his coaching career. He brings along plenty of football pedigree as well, growing up as the son of longtime college coach Mike Cassity, who lettered for Kentucky football and wrestling (1971-76), spent 40 years on the sidelines including 22 years as a defensive coordinator at the Division I level at Louisville, Illinois, Oklahoma State, Baylor, Cincinnati, Georgia Tech, East Carolina, ULM and Western Kentucky. A football family, Cassity has two brothers who played college football as Hunter, played safety at Samford and Braden was a fullback at Oklahoma State. Cassity is married to nee Kori Peek, who grew up in Lubbock. The couple met while both attending Texas Tech. Coaching History 2014-16: Auburn, student assistant 2016: Texas State, graduate assistant 2017-19: Texas Tech, graduate assistant 2020-21: Missouri State, linebackers/nickels/safeties 2022-23: Abilene Christian, defensive coordinator 2024: Sam Houston, defensive coordinator 2024-: UNT, defensive coordinator

werent sheme fits with new scheme. None were offered by the staff while at SHSU

Well we are a G5 program dumbass. I would hope a P4 was doing better even if they were middle of the pack

All 10 I listed earlier have signed.

wow 8th ranked recruiting class out of 16 teams. Middle of the pack. That is super impressive.

Getting last place in confernce is a fireable offense at several places. Might be more of a concern for you rather than EARLY signing day results.

Fixed it

Who is scheduled to sign on National Signing Day? What is the defensive staff set to look like? https://www.patreon.com/posts/national-signing-117291929?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link

He can’t answer that. The 4-2-5 will help in a number of ways, mainly recruiting. But simplifying will held the most, I felt caponi defense was way two complex and always 1-3 guys confused and several players were thinking to much and not allowing to cut loose

will be more 4-2-5

I agree that Cassity is younger than our previous defensive coordinator. However, he has more experience as a DC than our previous hire. I understand the concerns about the level of competition he faced in the CUSA, but his record speaks for itself. Last year, he held FIU and La Tech to a combined 10 points. The Previous year UNT allowed 46 and 37 to the two schools. I believe he will be an improvement over our previous DC.

You didnt answer the question.

what was your perfect hire? Nick Saban or Bill Belichek?

One is being retained for sure

Only 20 DCs in the country with a top 20 defense. Also him bringing staff has chance to bring 6-10 players helps this turnaround happen sooner.

Temple and Keeler foought to get Cassity to Philly. He wanted to stay in Texas.

he tried his best

Who is a lame duck coach?

I don't care if we play in a bathroom in the toilet bowl... JUST WIN THE DAMN GAME!!!

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