Oscar Giles named Wyoming’s defensive tackles coach

* University of Wyoming Athletics media relations release

LARAMIE -- Wyoming Football added a veteran coach to its 2022 coaching staff on Tuesday when head coach Craig Bohl announced the hiring of Oscar Giles to serve as Defensive Run-Game Coordinator and Defensive Tackles Coach for the Cowboys.

Giles most recently coached at his alma mater, the University of Texas. Giles will be entering his 23rd year in college coaching in 2022.

“Oscar (Giles) and I have known each other for 30 years. I tried to recruit him to Wisconsin, but he stayed home and went to Texas,” said Bohl. "We’ve stayed in touch through the years. I’ve followed his career and admired his work as a defensive line coach and recruiter in the state of Texas. He has an impeccable reputation and without a question is going to bring great value to our defensive coaching staff.”

“I’m excited to be a part of the Wyoming football family,” said Giles. “Coach Bohl has created a culture of winning and developing young men to be great football players and great leaders in their respectful communities. I’m excited about the opportunity to assist in the development of our student-athletes in the defensive line room. Let’s Go!”

Giles served as an assistant coach at Texas on two different coaching staffs. He originally coached on the staff of Texas head coach Mack Brown for nine seasons from 2005-13.

During that time, Texas won the National Championship in 2005 and played in the BCS National Championship Game at the conclusion of the 2009 season, finishing as the national runner-up. For four seasons from 2017-20, Giles returned to Texas to serve as the defensive line coach on the staff of head coach Tom Herman. During that four-year period, the Longhorns won four consecutive bowl games.

“Congratulations to coach Bohl and the Wyoming football program on the hiring of Oscar Giles,” said current North Carolina head coach and former Texas head coach Mack Brown. “Coach Giles is a long-time friend and had a tremendous impact on our program as an assistant coach at Texas. He is extremely passionate about mentoring young people and his infectious energy was something I was always fond of. Coach Giles brings a wealth of coaching experience to the program and his knowledge, teaching ability and focus on development will certainly make him a key addition to the Cowboys’ staff."

While serving as the defensive line coach at Texas from 2017-20, Giles helped the Longhorns win four consecutive bowl games, including: the 2020 Alamo Bowl (winning 55-23 over Colorado); the 2019 Alamo Bowl (defeating Utah 38-10); the Sugar Bowl at the conclusion of the 2018 season (winning 28-21 over Georgia); and the 2017 Texas Bowl (defeating Missouri 33-16).

During that time, Giles coached 2020 Consensus All-America defensive end/outside linebacker Joseph Ossai. His 2019 defensive line, included All-Big 12 performer Malcolm Roach and Honorable Mention All-Conference selections Ta’Quon Graham. and Moro Ojomo.

Giles coached two back-to-back Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year honorees in Charles Omenihu (2018) and Poona Ford (2017).

UT’s 2017 defense ranked No. 8 in the nation in rushing defense, allowing opponents only 106.8 rushing yards per game and holding seven of 13 opponents under 100 yards rushing. For three consecutive seasons from 2018-20, Texas ended the season ranked in the Top 25 -- No. 9 in 2018, No. 25 in 2019 and No. 19 in 2020.

Prior to returning to his alma mater, Giles served as the assistant head coach and defensive line coach at the University of Houston under Herman for the 2015 and ‘16 seasons.

Houston concluded the 2015 season with a 13-1 record, were ranked No. 8 in both the Associated Press and Coaches final polls and defeated Florida State, 38-24, in the Peach Bowl.

The 2015 Cougar defense ranked No. 8 in the nation in rushing defense (108.9 yards allowed per game) and ranked No. 20 in scoring defense. In 2016, Houston posted a 9-4 record and played San Diego State in the Las Vegas Bowl. The Cougars defeated No. 3 ranked Oklahoma (33-23) in the 2016 season opener and later in the season defeated then No. 3 ranked Louisville (36-10).

Giles helped develop freshman defensive lineman Ed Oliver, who would go on to earn Consensus All-America honors in 2017 and ‘18 and was selected as the No. 9 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills.

Giles spent one season coaching the defensive line at Louisiana Tech in 2014.  The Bulldogs posted a 9-5 record, won the Western Division of Conference USA and defeated Illinois (35-18) in the Heart of Dallas Bowl.

La Tech’s defense led the nation in turnovers gained (42), ranked No. 4 in tackles for loss (8.1 per game) and ranked No. 17 in rushing defense (118.2 rushing yards allowed per game). Defensive end Houston Bates was named MVP of the Heart of Dallas Bowl, recording 4.5 sacks and 6.0 tackles for loss in the game. Bates also earned Second Team All-Conference USA honors.

For nine seasons, from 2005-13, Giles coached the defensive ends and assisted with special teams at the University of Texas.

During that time, Texas won the National Championship at the conclusion of the 2005 season, defeating USC, 41-38, in the Rose Bowl and posting a perfect 13-0 season. The Texas defense ranked No. 8 in the nation in scoring defense (16.4 points per game) and No. 10 in total defense (302.9 yards allowed per game).

Defensive ends Tim Crowder and Brian Robison were named Honorable Mention All-Big 12 and freshman defensive end Brian Orakpo was named Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year and was also named Defensive Freshman of the Year by The Sporting News.

In 2006, Crowder earned Second Team All-America honors and was a finalist for the Ted Hendricks Award.  Robison earned Second Team All-Big 12 recognition. The defensive ends combined for 24.5 sacks and 44.0 tackles for loss. The Longhorns finished with a 10-3 record and a 26-24 win over Iowa in the Alamo Bowl.

The 2007 Longhorns also compiled a 10-3 record and defeated Arizona State, 52-34, in the Holiday Bowl. The Texas defense allowed opponents only 93.4 rushing yards per game in 2007 to rank No. 6 in the nation in spite of losing two standout defensive ends to the NFL Draft in Crowder (Second Round pick of the Denver Broncos) and Robison (Fourth Round Pick of the Minnesota Vikings).

Giles 2008 defensive end group was led by unanimous All-America selection Brian Orakpo.

Orakpo also won the Nagurski Award (nation’s top defensive player), Lombardi Award (nation’s top lineman) and Hendricks Award (nation’s top defensive end). He was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and was a finalist for the Lott Trophy (nation’s top defensive IMPACT player). He had 11.5 sacks, 19.0 tackles for loss, 30 pressures and forced four fumbles his senior season.

Orakpo was a First Round pick of the Washington Redskins.

Texas led the nation in sacks as a team, with 47.0 sacks for 283 yards and an average of 3.62 sacks per game. Texas enjoyed an outstanding 12-1 season in 2008 and defeated Ohio State, 24-21, in the Fiesta Bowl. UT ended the season ranked No. 4 in the final Associated Press poll.

Senior defensive end/linebacker Sergio Kindle became the first player in college football history to be a finalist for both the Hendricks Award (nation’s top defensive end) and Butkus Award (nation’s top linebacker) during the 2009 season.

Kindle earned First Team All-America honors. Junior Sam Acho had a team high 10.0 sacks and was a semifinalist for the Lott Trophy, and freshman Alex Okafor earned Big 12 All-Freshman honors.

The 2009 campaign saw Texas go undefeated in the regular season before finishing as the national runner-up after losing to Alabama, 37-21, in the BCS National Championship Game. The Longhorns finished the season with a 13-1 record and a No. 2 ranking in the national polls.

In 2010, senior defensive end Acho won the William V. Campbell Trophy as the nation’s top scholar-athlete, won the Wuerffel Trophy and the ARA Sportsmanship Award. He also earned Academic All-America honors for the second straight year, was a Second Team All-American as selected by the WCFF, was named a finalist for the Lott Trophy and was selected to the AFCA Good Works Team. He led the nation with five fumble recoveries, which also tied the UT single-season school record. He was drafted in the fourth round by the Arizona Cardinals.

The 2011 campaign saw Texas post an 8-5 record and defeat Cal, 21-10, in the Holiday Bowl. Defensive end Alex Okafor earned AFCA All-America honors and was a unanimous First Team All-Big 12 selection, while defensive end Jackson Jeffcoat earned Second Team All-Big 12.

Texas went 9-4 in the 2012 season and defeated Oregon State, 31-27, in the Alamo Bowl. Okafor was named First Team All-Big 12 for a second consecutive season and he was awarded the CFPA’s Elite Defensive Lineman Trophy. Jeffcoat earned Honorable Mention All-Big 12 accolades. Okafor went on to be selected in the Fourth Round of the 2013 NFL Draft by Arizona.

Giles defensive line group in 2013 included Jeffcoat, who ranked first in the Big 12 and tied for third in the nation in sacks (13.0), and Cedric Reed, who recorded 10.0 sacks and made Texas one of only two teams in the country with two players with 10 or more sacks for the season.

Jeffcoat won the Hendricks Award in 2013 and earned First Team All-America honors, while being named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. Reed was voted First Team All-Big 12.  Both went on to play in the NFL. Texas finished the 2013 season with an 8-5 record and played Oregon in the Alamo Bowl.

In 2003 and ‘04, Giles coached the defensive line and special teams at the University of Houston. That was preceded by a three-year stint as the defensive line and special teams coach at SMU.

He was a graduate assistant at his alma mater, Texas, in 1999 after getting his first college coaching position at Southwest Texas State (now Texas State) in 1998.

Giles was a four-year letterman at Texas from 1987-90.

He was a three-year starter and earned Associated Press All-Southwest Conference (SWC) honors his senior season as he helped lead Texas to a 10-2 record the 1990 Southwest Conference Championship and an appearance in the Cotton Bowl where the Longhorns played Miami (Fla.).

Texas was ranked as high as No. 3 in the AP poll during the 1990 season and ended the season ranked No. 12 in the final Associated Press poll. He also was part of Texas’ 1987 team than ended the season ranked No. 19 in the nation and captured a 32-27 victory over Pittsburgh in the 1987 Bluebonnet Bowl.

Giles was a semifinalist for the Outland Trophy and was a two-time GTE Academic All-SWC selection. He led Texas in sacks in 1988 (6.5) and ‘89 (7.0), finishing with 22.0 career sacks to tie for No. 10 on the Texas career list. He also recorded nine career fumble recoveries to tie for No. 2 in UT school history.

He later played professionally with the Atlanta Falcons as a defensive end and linebacker, and also played in the Canadian Football League from 1994-97. He was part of the Toronto Argonauts Grey Cup Championship team in 1996.

Giles and his wife, Kim, have two daughters, Olivia and Kourtney. A native of Palacios, Texas, he earned his bachelor’s degree in speech communication from the University of Texas in 1991.

Oscar Giles Year-by-Year Coaching History

Year                 School                          Position

2022-Present     Wyoming                      Defensive Run-Game Coordinator/Defensive Tackles

2017-20             Texas                            Defensive Line

2015-16             Houston                       Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Line

2014                 Louisiana Tech            �� Defensive Line/Special  Teams

2005-13             Texas                            Defensive Ends/Special Teams

2003-04             Houston                       Defensive Line/Special Teams

2000-02             SMU                             Defensive Line/Special Teams

1999                 Texas                            Graduate Assistant Coach

1998                 Southwest Texas State   Defensive Line/Strength Coach