Football 03/09/2023 10:00:00
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COLLEGE PARK, Md. – University of Maryland Head Football Coach Michael Lockley ended his coaching staff on Thursday with hiring Josh Gattis to serve as offensive coordinator and Zac Spavital as the new safety coach.
Gattis, who worked alongside Locksley in Alabama in 2018, spent the 2022 season as offensive coordinator in Miami before spending the last three seasons as offensive coordinator in Michigan. Gattis won the 2021 Broyles Award for the nation’s top assistant manager.
Spavital has spent the last four seasons as defensive coordinator at Texas State. He has also had coaching stints at Texas Tech, Houston and Oklahoma.
“The additions of Josh and Zac really add to our already strong coaching staff,” said Locksley. “Josh and I have a strong relationship and a proven track record of working together to produce a strong offense. He and I share many of the same philosophies and it should be a very smooth transition.
“Zac comes to us with a history of being part of a defense that has been tremendously successful, especially when it comes to being aggressive and taking the ball away,” Locksley continued. “He’s worked with some really strong footballers throughout his career and we’re excited to see what he brings to our staff and how he can develop our players.”
Gattis comes to College Park with 13 years of coaching experience, including the last four seasons as offensive coordinator. In addition to winning the Nation’s Best Assistant award in 2021, Gattis mentored a Biletnikoff Prize winner, multiple All-Americans and numerous All-Conference players. He has been on four conference championship-winning teams and has coached in several college football playoff games.
In 2021, Gattis’ Michigan offense was one of the best-performing units in the country, ranked #16 in scoring offense, #25 in total offense, #15 in rushing offense, #16 in third-down conversion nationally and No. 24 in red-zone offense. Michigan won the 2021 Big Ten title and earned a bid in the college football playoffs in Gattis’ final season at Ann Arbor.
Read Gattis’ full bio here.
In 18 years as a defensive coach for Texas State, Texas Tech, Houston and Oklahoma, Spavital has overseen defenses that have finished in the top-25 in forced turnovers six times and in the top-10 twice. A 2022 Broyles Award nominee, Spavital led a defensive unit that climbed 56 spots in the national rankings in total defense from 2021-2022 and set FBS program records in tackles for losses and near the record in sacks won and turnovers .
Spavital was part of nine bowl teams during his coaching career and helped lead Oklahoma to two Big 12 championships in 2006-07, reaching the Fiesta Bowl each season.
Read Spavital’s full biography here.
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