Florida Gators defensive coordinator Austin Armstrong celebrates with Florida Gators linebacker Mannie Nunnery (34) after a stop during the first half against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL. Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK

Houston Secondary Leader Praises New Defensive Coordinator

Originally posted on Houston Cougars on SI
By Diego Saenz | Last updated Aug 26, 2025 6:00 PM ET

After a 2024 campaign in which the Houston Cougars’ defense ranked fourth in the conference in points allowed (22.9), defensive coordinator Shiel Woods departed for Texas Tech. To fill the void, Houston turned to one of the nation’s rising defensive minds: 33-year-old Austin Armstrong.

Armstrong arrives with an impressive résumé that spans both the SEC and Conference USA. During his two years as defensive coordinator at Southern Miss, he developed a reputation for developing young talent, producing 11 All-Freshman selections. At Florida, 17 freshmen earned starts under him in 2023, with three earning SEC All-Freshman honors, the most in the league.

But Armstrong’s impact hasn’t been limited to underclassmen. Veteran leaders, including senior Latrell McCutchin Sr, has had a sea of praise for Houston’s newest defensive coordinator.

What Does Latrell McCutchin Sr Think About Austin Armstrong?

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Veteran players are usually a solid indicator for how a team feels about a new hire. For Houston, that’s good news because senior defensive back Latrell McCutchin Sr is already sold on Armstrong.

“Since I’ve been in college, I’ve probably gone through three or four defensive coordinators and I have never met one that checks on me as much as coach Armstrong does,” McCutchin Sr said.

McCutchin Sr is coming off the best season of his career, starting all 12 games in 2024 while posting personal highs in tackles (37) and pass breakups (3). With Armstrong now calling the shots, he believes Houston’s secondary can take another step forward in 2025.

“I have never met a coach that really wants to know what coverages and what calls we are comfortable with,” McCutchin Sr added. “Just having a guy who is really focusing on what we are comfortable with so that he can be comfortable in calling those calls is something that I feel like is really different and I really love him for it.”

McCutchin Sr will lead a secondary that was fourth in the conference in pass yards allowed with 188.8 yards. Still, he believes that the unit has still another gear.

“You talk about a guy with the most fire you will see,” McCutchin Sr said. “Today for example, in practice, every leader on the team got yelled at because he just didn’t feel like it was good enough and that’s the standard. We are not going to drop the standard for anybody, myself included.”

Armstrong and his revamped defense will get their first chance to showcase that standard Thursday in the season opener against Stephen F. Austin.

This article first appeared on Houston Cougars on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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