Lamar hires Reggie Marshall as defensive line coach from Texas State

Lamar did not just fill a staff opening. It added a defensive line coach with FBS proof, Southland roots and a résumé that reaches from San Marcos to San Antonio, the kind of hire that can matter in the trenches and on the recruiting trail.

Pete Rossomando announced April 28 that Reggie Marshall was joining the Cardinals as defensive line coach, taking over for Lorenzo Jackson. Rossomando said Marshall brings energy, recruiting ability and continuity to a staff still carving out its identity, and that blend is the point of the move. Lamar is betting that Marshall can help it build a line room with both edge and structure while giving the program a coach who already understands Texas football from multiple levels.

Marshall arrives after two seasons at Texas State, where the Bobcats won 13 games across 2023 and 2024 and posted back-to-back winning records for the first time since the 2008-09 seasons. Texas State’s defense produced five All-Sun Belt selections during his run, and defensive lineman Mike Green was named the 2024 Sun Belt Player of the Year. For a Lamar staff trying to build credibility fast, that matters. Marshall has spent time around a defense that produced awards, wins and bowl results, and that background should play well when the Cardinals are trying to sell development to recruits in the Golden Triangle and across central Texas.

The Southland angle is just as important. Before Texas State, Marshall spent three seasons at UIW, starting as a graduate assistant in 2020 and later serving as a defensive quality control coach in 2022 under GJ Kinne. During that stretch, the Cardinals won the Southland Conference title and reached the FCS semifinals, where they fell 35-32 to North Dakota State on Dec. 16, 2022, in Fargo. That path gives Marshall direct experience inside one of the league’s benchmark programs, and it connects Lamar to a staff tree that understands how to win in the modern FCS.

Marshall’s own background fits the assignment. His first coaching job came at Madill High School in Oklahoma, and he also coached defensive ends there. He played at Southeastern Oklahoma State, appearing in 44 games and finishing with 116 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss and 6.0 sacks before earning his bachelor’s degree in 2017. He also worked with Durant Physical Therapy and C4 Sports Performance and Fitness, adding player-development experience that could matter as Lamar tries to sharpen its defensive line and expand its footprint across Texas and neighboring recruiting lanes.