Sterlin Gilbert Named OC, Quarterbacks Coach At Texas

A former Texas high school standout quarterback and coach, Sterlin Gilbert has helped lead some of college football’s most prolific offenses in recent years. In his four seasons as a collegiate coordinator, his offenses have averaged almost 500 total yards and nearly 38 points per game. He will now bring that explosive offense to Texas where he will serve as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, head coach Charlie Strong announced Saturday. He will receive a three-year contract worth $850,000 per year pending the approval of the UT System Board of Regents.

“I feel extremely blessed by this opportunity,” Gilbert said. “I’ve been looking forward to an opportunity like this for a long time, and we’re finally here. I’m excited to be on campus, and to get around our kids and our coaching staff. Coach Strong has been great through this process, and I just can’t wait to meet and see our kids.”

Gilbert spent this past season at Tulsa as co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks/receivers coach, helping the Golden Hurricane rank 14th nationally in total offense (502.8 ypg), 25th in scoring (35.9 ppg) and 11th in passing (329.5). That offense scored at least 40 points in five of Tulsa's six wins, leading to an Independence Bowl bid versus Virginia Tech.

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“We just made two great hires for our staff,” Strong said. “They’re outstanding coaches who will do a great job of not only developing our players, but also representing this university and doing things the right way. We did a lot of research on both of them and we know they will be the right fit for our staff. I really feel we have two quality coaches who work well together, and they’ll do an outstanding job.

“Sterlin is an outstanding coach, and he’s done a great job developing quarterbacks everywhere he’s been. He has a great mind for the offense and will do a great job leading it.”

The offense was led by American Athletic Conference first-team WR Keyarris Garrett, who is second in the country in receiving yards (1,451) and receiving yards per game (120.9 ypg), and tied for ninth in receptions (88). WR Josh Atkinson is just short of 1,000 receiving yards with 932, while QB Dane Evans is seventh in the country in passing (329.8 ypg) and 25th in efficiency (151.3).

“Charlie Strong has high character,” Gilbert said. “I like the direction that he’s taken the program. The support and just his openness to what we want to do offensively, that was a fit for us, and a fit for him. Texas is home for me. I was a Texas high school football coach. If you cut me open that’s what I am. So it’s good to be back in Texas.

“I’ve always been a Texas fan. It’s just an unbelievable program. The tradition, and the people that have been involved with this program, the players that come out of this program, the coaches – it’s just an unbelievable place.”

Prior to his appointment at Tulsa, Gilbert was the co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the 2014 season at Bowling Green. That year, the Falcons gained 432.9 total yards per game (41st NCAA), while averaging 173.0 yards on the ground and 259.9 yards passing. That production all came without the services of starting QB Matt Johnson who was injured and would this year become the 2015 Mid-American Conference Offensive Player of the Year.