During his introductory press conference, new Sacramento State Hornets head coach Brennan Marion informed the players, alums, and fanbase of his intention to buck tradition.
New Sacramento State Head Coach Marion Embraces Nonconformity in 2025
For two seasons, Brennan Marion turned the UNLV Rebels into an offensive juggernaut as the offensive coordinator. In 2024, Marion’s Rebel offense ranked seventh in FBS with 243.5 yards per game.
“I saw a video of him [President Wood] getting hyphy at a graduation and I was like ‘me and him can really get along’…This is one place where I can be myself, wear my cowboy hat, and be different.”
-Brennan Marion on why he felt Sacramento State was the right fit for him. pic.twitter.com/nbPEnBkdYh
— Kevin John (@heykevinjohn) January 9, 2025
Fully cognizant of the homogenous landscape of college football, the new coach understands what deviating from the norm looks like.
“These kids know that we are going to create an environment and energy that is different from any other program in the nation, and they want to be a part of that. This is one place where I can be myself, wear my cowboy hat, and be different.”
If variety remains the spice of life, Coach Marion intends to make the Big Sky teem with flavor.
The Go-Go Offense
Sacramento State will rely solely on Marion’s patented Go-Go offense. Under a base of the traditional triple option, Marion gets to work, adding wrinkles like placing both backs together, on one side of the quarterback.
Labeled the Sidecar formation, Marion can flex either back in motion or keep them together, forcing the defense to overcommit to one side. Despite the window dressing and crisp execution, Marion also wants to throw the ball out of the Go-Go, while maintaining a ground-and-pound aspect of the option game.
Like most well-oiled machines, the dependence of moving parts flows to the surface.
Combined with zone-based runs and offensive linemen blessed with the ability to move in any direction, Marion wants to create chaos for the defense and big plays in the passing game. UNLV averaged 7.8 yards per attempt, top of the Mountain West Conference.
Although twenty-two attempts per game may not scare defenses, the threat of the vertical route scares opponents into keeping the opposition honest. At the press conference, Marion made his intentions known.
“We are going to be a run-the-ball football team: 21 personnel, we use a fullback, old school, and throw it over people’s head a lot. On defense, we are going to be about turnovers, putting your fist up, and getting off the field.”
Bigger Dreams Ahead
Currently, Sacramento State competes in the Big Sky Conference at the FCS level.
On balance, many see the conference as the premier one in FCS. Yet, rumors swirl regarding the Hornets making the jump to the FBS, particularly the Mountain West Conference.
The school continues to make loud overtures regarding the move. As a city, Sacramento enjoys the thirty-fifth largest population in the United States. With an enrollment of 31,451 students, the school easily could transition. The coach laid out his goals for the program.
“We are a program that is going to be seeking championships, always about winning, whether we are in the Big Sky, FBS, Power Four, we want to be about winning championships and playing at the highest level.”
Brennan Marion not only wants to put his mark on the Sacramento State program, he wants to make unconventional thinking the status quo. While the cowboy hat could chafe sensibilities and decorum, the new coach wants to put the action behind his words and take the Hornets to new heights.
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