Texas Assistant Blake Gideon Named Georgia Tech’s New Defensive Coordinator

ATLANTA, Ga. — Georgia Tech has hired Texas assistant Blake Gideon as its new defensive coordinator, sources confirmed to ESPN on Thursday. Gideon, who has coached safeties at Texas since 2021, will replace Tyler Santucci, who departed earlier this week to join the Baltimore Ravens as linebackers coach.

Gideon played a key role in Texas’ recent success, helping the Longhorns secure a Big 12 championship in 2023 and back-to-back College Football Playoff appearances over the past two seasons. A former standout safety for Texas, Gideon started 52 games during his collegiate career before briefly playing in the NFL.

“Blake Gideon leaves his room much better than he found it. The amount of talent remaining is quite the selling point, and Texas will have a number of attractive options,” a source close to the program told ESPN.

Gideon returns to Atlanta, where he previously coached cornerbacks in 2018. He also served as special teams and safeties coach in 2019 and special teams coach in 2020 before joining head coach Steve Sarkisian‘s staff at Texas. His familiarity with the region and proven track record at Texas made him a top candidate for the position.

Santucci, who spent one season at Georgia Tech, leaves behind a defense that ranked 67th nationally in points allowed last fall. Gideon’s arrival is expected to bring a fresh perspective to a unit looking to improve its performance in the upcoming season.

247 Sports first reported Georgia Tech’s decision to hire Gideon. The move marks a significant step for the Yellow Jackets as they aim to bolster their defensive capabilities under Gideon’s leadership.