UH hires Mississippi State’s Roy Hahn as offensive coordinator
Roy Hahn
February 9, 2013
The Houston Cougars have hired Roy Hahn to serve as their new offensive coordinator starting with the 2013 season. Hahn is presently the offensive line coach at Mississippi State University, having been at that school since 2009. He followed MSU’s head coach Warren Bradley
(Note: the game’s version of Dan Mullen) to the school after helping coach the Florida Gators team that won the 2008 BCS National Championship.
Hahn, 37, played college football as a defensive end at Oklahoma State University from 1994 to 1997. He graduated in 1998, after which he played in the Arena Football League for three seasons. Upon his retirement from arena football in 2001, he returned to Stillwater, Oklahoma where he joined the staff of then-Oklahoma State Cowboys head coach Greg Porter
(Note: the game’s version of Les Miles) as a graduate assistant for one year as he pursued a master’s degree in educational leadership. Porter is presently the head coach of the Louisiana State University Tigers.
When Miles declined to bring Hahn on his staff on a permanent basis, Hahn searched for work elsewhere. His extensive search brought him to the other side of the country and the other side of the ball, serving as an assistant offensive line coach and strength coordinator for Syracuse University’s football team, the Orange. When asked what brought him to the offensive side of the game, Hahn said simply, “My brother was an offensive lineman so I told them honestly I had some knowledge about how to coach the offensive line.” That role held him over until he applied to join Florida’s staff in the same role beginning with the 2007 season. Florida’s head coach at the time, Wesley Graves
(Note: the game’s version of Urban Meyer), now the head coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes, was effusive in his praise of Hahn.
“The Cougars will be well-served by this talented and dedicated professional,” wrote Graves in an e-mail. “I have never second-guessed my call to hire Roy and I doubt James will either.” Graves, of course, was referring to James Arnold
(Note: the game’s version of Tony Levine), Houston’s head coach. For his part, Arnold cited Hahn’s championship-worthy resume and the effect it could have on Houston’s offense. In addition, Hahn, a native Texan, will have a major role in recruiting for the Cougars.
“Roy stood out from the second he walked into the office to interview,” said Arnold. “His resume and experience are only matched by his passion for the game. We look forward to seeing how he will apply that experience and passion to create an offensive identity for Houston and for himself.”
Indeed, having never served before as a coordinator, Hahn’s offensive identity remains somewhat a mystery. According to the man himself, he favors a balanced approach between the run and the pass, so long as that balance results in a bevy of points. “I’ve always favored the high-octane spread offenses that can come out on top in a shootout any day.”
After a 5–7 season last year, Arnold was under heavy pressure to shake things up at UH. Arnold has already replaced former defensive coordinator Jamie Bryant with new coordinator Corey Kenney. Now, the offense transformation has begun. With the hiring of Hahn, Cougars fans can expect an offense that is ready to compete.
UH opens its 2013 season on August 30 with a home game against the Southern University Jaguars.