Under defensive coordinator Mark D’Onofrio, Temple University went from last to top 20 in total defense in the NCAA. | Courtesy UH Athletics

For the third time since 2011 the Cougars football team has gone through a head coaching change after Tom Herman and eight others left to work at the University of Texas.

Over the break head coach Major Applewhite rounded out his staff with three hires: Mark D’Onofrio, Darren Hiller and Dan Carrel.

Mark D’Onofrio

D’Onofrio will serve as defensive coordinator and coach inside linebackers after spending five seasons as defensive coordinator at the University of Miami before being fired in 2015. During his time off in 2016, he coached football at the Boys and Girls Club in Miami.

During his time at Miami, he was often under scrutiny as his defenses ranked near the bottom nationally in scoring, passing, rushing and total defense.

Before going to Miami, D’Onofrio spent five seasons as assistant head coach and defensive coordinator at Temple University where he helped lead a defense that ranked last in the NCAA to seventeenth during his final season there in 2010.

While at USF offensive line coach Darren Hiller led a unit ranked fourth in the NCAA in scoring. | Courtesy UH Athletics

Darren Hiller

Hiller joins as the offensive line coach and run game coordinator after spending one season at the University of South Florida and three before that at the University of Cincinnati.

Under Hiller, the Bulls were explosive on offense, ranking fourth nationally in scoring, fifth in rushing, and eleventh in total offense. The offensive line ranked first in the American Athletic Conference and fourteenth nationally after giving up only 15 sacks in 13 games.

While at both USF and Cincinnati Hiller led offenses the proceeded to break numerous school records and led a Bulls offense that scored more than 30 points in every game in 2016.

After spending two seasons as a graduate assistant outside linebackers coach Dan Carrel joins a unit that ranked first in the AAC in sacks and fourth nationalyl in rushing. | Courtesy UH Athletics

Dan Carrel

Carrel joins Houston as the outside linebackers coach after serving the past two seasons as a defensive graduate assistant under Herman and former defensive coordinator Todd Orlando.

While under Orlando, Carrel helped lead a defense that ranked fourth in the NCAA in rushing and thirteenth in total defense. Under his guidance senior outside linebacker Tyus Bowser was named to the All-Conference second team after picking up 8.5 sacks in just eight games.

Prior to coming to Houston Carrel spent one year as a graduate assistant at Kentucky and one as an offensive assistant under Herman at Ohio State.

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“Applewhite rounds out staff with three hires” was originally posted on The Daily Cougar