Troy native Zac Etheridge named defensive pass game coordinator at Houston 

Published 9:52 am Monday, January 27, 2025

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Former Charles Henderson star Zac Etheridge was promoted to defensive pass game coordinator with the Houston Cougars this weekend. 

Etheridge is heading into his second year at Houston and will also continue his duties as defensive backs coach, which he served as in 2024. The Troy native has been a coach at the college level since 2012. 

Etheridge was a star player at Charles Henderson High School, earning Alabama-Mississippi All-Star honors as a senior defensive back in 2005. Etheridge went on to play at Auburn, winning a National Championship with the Tigers in 2010.

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Etheridge was a starting safety for Auburn for four years despite breaking his neck as a junior in 2009. He went on to not only play his senior season but was named captain as he helped lead the Tigers to the 2010 National Championship. As a senior, he tallied 69 tackles, 1.5 tackles-for-loss, three interceptions and a fumble recovery. 

During his Auburn career, Etheridge earned Freshman All-American and SEC Academic Honor Roll honors and was named the James Owens Courage Award recipient. The award is named in honor of Auburn’s first African-American football player and goes to a player who has shown courage in the face of adversity. 

Etheridge started his coaching carer in 2012 as a graduate assistant at Penn State and then served as grad assistant at Georgia Tech from 2013 through 2014. Etheridge’s first full-time coaching job came as cornerbacks and outside linebackers coach at Western Carolina from 2016 through 2017. 

Etheridge coached cornerbacks at Louisiana in 2018 and at Houston from 2019 through the 2020 season. Etheridge returned to his alma mater, Auburn, in 2021 as secondary coach and then served as associate head coach and secondary coach at Auburn from 2022 through 2023. Known as one of the top recruiters in the SEC, Etheridge returned to Houston in 2024 as defensive backs coach.