University of Miami head football coach Mario Cristobal Wednesday announced the hiring of Lance Guidry as the Hurricanes defensive coordinator.
Guidry spent the past two seasons as the defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Marshall University, where his defenses proved to be among the nation’s elite units. Marshall’s defense ranked in the top five nationally in FBS in several key statistics, including third down defense (first), stop rate (second), pass efficiency defense (third), defensive efficiency (third), yards per play (third), turnovers gained (fifth) and rushing defense (fifth).
In a dominant 2022 campaign, the Thundering Herd also finished the season ranked sixth in scoring defense (16.0) and passes intercepted (18), eighth in total defense (294.5), ninth in first down defense (200), 12th in defensive touchdowns (3), 16th in team sacks (2.92), 19th in red zone defense (76.7) and 22nd tackles for loss (6.9) and fumbles recovered (11). Both redshirt juniors Owen Porter and Micah Abraham were selected to the All-Sun Belt First Team, while four other standouts earned all-conference honors under his watch.
In his first season in the position with the Thundering Herd in 2021, Guidry’s defensive squad led the conference and placed among the top 30 nationally in passing efficiency defense (12th – 117.56), sacks (18th – 3.08) and tackles for loss (30th – 6.6). Nine of the team’s defensive players were recognized by the C-USA in their end of the season awards.
Prior to arriving at Marshall, Guidry spent a year working as the safeties coach at FAU. In 2020, his unit contributed to the 16th-best pass defense in all of FBS. (188.2) The unit ranked No. 24 in total defense in the NCAA and also finished as the second-most difficult unit to score in the conference (17.4 points per game, the ninth-best mark in the FBS).
Guidry, who spent the 2019 season at Southeastern Louisiana, served six seasons for McNeese State, his alma mater, the last three as the head coach of the Cowboys. All told, Guidry spent 12 seasons at McNeese State during which the team compiled a 98-45 overall record, including a 60-24 mark in Southland Conference play. During his most recent stint in Louisiana, he mentored Southland Defensive Players of the Year BJ Blunt (2018) and Wallace Scott (2015)
Guidry was part of McNeese staffs that helped the Cowboys to four Southland Conference championships and six appearances in the FCS playoffs, including a trip to the 2002 FCS championship game.
Guidry’s consistently dominant defense were highlighted by his units in both the 2015 and 2017 seasons. The 2017 Cowboys led the nation and set a new Southland record with 54.5 rushing yards per game allowed – the seventh-lowest average allowed in FCS history. Guidry’s 2017 McNeese defense propelled the Cowboys to a 9-2 record, ranking in the top 10 nationally in third down conversion defense (1stt – 23.8), first downs allowed (2nd – 150), defensive touchdowns (3rd- 5), total defense (5th – 262.5 ypg.), red zone defense (6th – 63.0 percent), turnovers forced (6th – 26), interceptions (7th – 16) and tackles for loss per game (9th – 8.2). That season, the Cowboys held five teams without an offensive touchdown, including Southeastern Louisiana in a 13-3 McNeese victory in Lake Charles. That year’s Lions’ offense averaged 428.1 total yards, 283.1 rushing yards and 34.8 points per game. In 2015, McNeese won the Southland Conference title and finished with a perfect regular season record thanks in large part to rankings of No. 12 nationally in total defense, third in scoring defense and fourth in rushing defense.
Prior to his stint at McNeese, Guidry was the defensive coordinator for two seasons at WKU and served as the interim coach for the Hilltoppers in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl – the program’s first bowl appearance. At WKU, he coached three NFL draft picks in defensive end Quanterous Smith, linebacker Andrew Jackson and safety Jonathan Dowling. His 2012 defense led the Sun Belt Conference in total defense, sacks, pass defense efficiency and first downs allowed.
Before coaching at WKU, Guidry was defensive backs coach at Miami (Ohio) for two seasons. The 2010 RedHawks were 10-4 and won the GoDaddy.com Bowl over Middle Tennessee, 35-21, with Guidry serving as interim head coach.
Guidry also had local high school coaching stops at Leesville and Carencro High School. A 1995 McNeese graduate and two-time All-Conference strong safety, Guidry helped McNeese to a pair of conference titles and playoff appearances during his collegiate playing career (1990-93).
University of Miami head football coach Mario Cristobal Thursday announced the hiring of Shannon Dawson as the Hurricanes’ offensive coordinator. Dawson’s hire is pending completion of a standard University background check.
Dawson spent the past four seasons at the University of Houston, including the last three as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. He joined the program as tight ends coach at Houston in January 2019 after three seasons as offensive coordinator at Southern Miss.
In Dawson’s three seasons as quarterbacks coach with the Cougars (2020-22), Houston quarterbacks combined to throw 87 touchdown passes (13th nationally) behind a 65.3 completion percentage (19th nationally) and 10,008 passing yards (21st nationally). Dawson tutored signal caller Clayton Tune to a record-setting career. In 2022, Tune set the American Athletic Conference single-season touchdown passes record (40). The first-team all-conference honoree ranked third nationally in passing touchdowns, third in total offense (355.2) and fifth in passing yards per game (313.4).
Dawson’s Cougars ranked eighth nationally in passing offense (314.0) this past season. Houston wide receiver Nathaniel Dell led the nation in receiving touchdowns (17) and receiving yards (1,398) while Matthew Golden set a Houston true freshman record with seven receiving touchdowns.
Houston ranked 15th nationally in scoring offense (35.6), 22nd in first downs offense (314), 23rd in passing offense (271.6) and 25th in red zone offense (.891).
In his final year at Southern Miss (2018), Dawson helped guide the Golden Eagles as the No. 3 team nationally in completion percentage, completing 69.2 percent of their passes. Sophomore quarterback Jack Abraham ranked third in the league and 22nd nationally with an average of 260.8 passing yards per game while leading the nation with a completion percentage of 73.1 percent and ranking fourth nationally with 24.8 completions per game. Sophomore receiver Quez Watkins earned first team All-Conference USA honors after finishing second in the league with nine touchdown receptions while true freshman center Trace Clopton earned FWAA Freshman All-America honors.
Despite missing his starting quarterback for three games and in limited action in two more contests in 2017, the Golden Eagles were still able to amass 424.6 total yards per game, just behind league champion Florida Atlantic and West Division champ North Texas. His efforts also helped former Golden Eagle Ito Smith become just the 10th running back in FBS history to rush for over 4,000 yards and collect at least 1,000 receiving yards.
In his first season with Golden Eagles, Dawson mentored Nick Mullens in his senior season, who ended his career first in passing yards and touchdowns thrown. Mullens signed a free-agent contract with the San Francisco 49ers heading into this season. Southern Miss also set a school record for total offensive yards in a game with 702 against Rice.
Dawson also helped build some of the nation’s most prolific offenses at West Virginia, where he spent four seasons, including his last three as offensive coordinator. In his last season in Morgantown, WVU ranked 12th in the nation in total offense, averaging 499.8 yards per game, and was ninth nationally in passing offense at 317 yards per contest. The Mountaineers averaged 33.5 points per game and set a school record by scoring at least 30 points in eight consecutive games. WVU also averaged more than 182 rushing yards per game.
A native of Clinton, La., Dawson played his college football at Wingate (N.C.) University as a quarterback and wide receiver. He began his coaching career as receivers coach at his alma mater in 2002.
Dawson linked up with former Kentucky head coach Hal Mumme in 2003-04 to help revive a program at Southeastern Louisiana that had been dormant for 17 years. He also coached with Mumme at New Mexico State in 2005.
Dawson went to Millsaps College as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2006-07. The Majors won the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference championship both years, the first back-to-back titles in school history, and quarterback Juan Joseph was two-time SCAC Offensive Player of the Year. Millsaps played in the NCAA Division III playoffs in 2006.
Dawson moved to Stephen F. Austin University as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach from 2008-10. With the Lumberjacks averaging only 16 points a game during a winless 2007 season, Dawson helped orchestrate an amazing turnaround in SFA’s offensive fortunes. In his first season, the Lumberjacks ranked third in the nation in passing offense, 13th in total offense and 14th in scoring offense.
SFA won or shared the Southland Conference championship the next two seasons, advancing to the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs both years. In 2009-10, SFA led the nation in passing offense while ranking in the top six nationally in total offense and scoring. Quarterback Jeremy Moses was a two-time All-American, two-time Southland Conference Offensive Player of the Year and won the Walter Payton Award as the FCS National Player of the Year. Wide receivers Dominique Edison and Contrevious Parks went on to play in the NFL.