By Jeff Bugher
6/28/2024
According to reporter Bruce Feldman, former Wyoming defensive coordinator Scottie Hazelton (2017-2018) has reportedly landed a job with the University of Texas. Reports indicate that UT head coach Steve Sarkisian has hired Hazelton as a "special assistant." Hazelton and his colleagues at Michigan State University were dismissed following the 2023 football season for performance reasons.
Recent Coaching Stops for Hazelton
Hazelton coached with retired Wyoming head coach Craig Bohl at North Dakota State University, where he served as the defensive line coach from 2007 to 2009 before being promoted to defensive coordinator and linebackers coach from 2010 to 2011. The NDSU Bison won the 2011 FCS National Championship. He then moved to USC in 2012 to coach linebackers, followed by a stint as defensive coordinator at Nevada in 2013. Hazelton moved to the NFL as an assistant linebackers coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2014 to 2016. Hazelton rejoined Craig Bohl's staff again, this time at the University of Wyoming from 2017 to 2018 as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. Scottie's time at Wyoming was particularly noteworthy, as he helped develop a tough defense that included future Cincinnati linebacker Logan Wilson, and the team won the Idaho Potato Bohl. After Wyoming, Hazelton served as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Kansas State in 2019 before moving to Michigan State, where he held the defensive coordinator position from 2020 until being dismissed along with the entire coaching staff after the 2023 football season. According to Chris Solari of the Detroit Free Press, Hazelton was paid a buyout of $810,684.89 upon his departure.
*In the interest of fairness and balance, it's worth noting that newly hired Wyoming offensive coordinator Jay Johnson was the offensive coordinator at Michigan State University and was also affected by the MSU coaching staff dismissal following the 2023 season.
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