Arkansas Targeting Veteran NFL and College Coach Marion Hobby for Defensive Line Role
The Arkansas Razorbacks are zeroing in on a seasoned name to lead their defensive line: Marion Hobby, who most recently served as the assistant defensive line coach at Tennessee. Hobby brings a deep well of experience from both the NFL and college ranks, and if this move materializes, it would be another significant piece in what’s shaping up to be a major staff overhaul in Fayetteville.
Hobby’s résumé is as layered as it gets. He spent eight years coaching defensive lines in the NFL, working with the Cincinnati Bengals from 2021 to 2024, the Miami Dolphins from 2019 to 2020, and the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2017 to 2018.
Before that, he was with the New Orleans Saints in 2006 and 2007. That kind of professional pedigree doesn’t just bring credibility-it brings a nuanced understanding of technique, scheme, and player development at the highest level.
But Hobby’s roots are in college football, and that’s where he first made his mark. He started out in 1995 as a strength and conditioning coach at Tennessee-Martin, then took on dual roles at Louisiana-Lafayette, coaching defensive tackles while continuing in strength and conditioning from 1996 to 1997. He returned to Tennessee in 1998 as an assistant strength and conditioning coach before landing his first full-time defensive line role at Ole Miss, where he stayed from 1999 to 2004.
His time at Clemson is especially worth noting. Hobby coached defensive ends there in 2005, then returned to the program from 2011 to 2016 as co-defensive coordinator and defensive ends coach.
In between, he served as Duke’s defensive coordinator and defensive line coach from 2008 to 2010. That blend of coordinator experience and position-specific expertise makes him a strong candidate to elevate Arkansas’ defensive front.
While no hires have been officially announced yet, Hobby’s name is just one of many swirling around the Razorbacks’ coaching search since the hiring of head coach Ryan Silverfield on November 30.
Arkansas is reportedly looking to build a staff with a mix of SEC experience and tactical versatility. Other names linked to the program include Memphis offensive coordinator Tim Cramsey, Florida defensive coordinator Ron Roberts, Florida State running backs coach David Johnson, Memphis receivers coach Larry Smith, and offensive line coaches Marcus Johnson (Ohio State) and Jeff Myers (Memphis).
Special teams coordinator Chad Lunsford (Auburn), safeties coach CJ Wilford (Georgia State), and secondary coach Deron Wilson (Florida) are also in the mix. ESPN's Adam Rittenberg reported that Auburn’s TJ Rushing is expected to join as cornerbacks coach.
If Hobby does land in Fayetteville, he’d bring not just a wealth of experience, but a proven track record of developing talent at both the collegiate and professional levels. For an Arkansas defense looking to reestablish its identity in the trenches, that could be exactly the kind of leadership it needs.