Aug. 14, 2010; Glendale, AZ, USA; Houston Texans defensive tackle Frank Okam against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. Arizona defeated Houston 19-16. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Houston Texans Hire Former Texas Longhorns DT

Originally posted on Texas Longhorns on SI
By Jon Alfano | Last updated Feb 12, 2025 4:30 PM ET

Former Texas Longhorns defensive tackle Frank Okam is no stranger to the Lone Star State, and now he returns for the first time as an NFL coach.

According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 , the Houston Texans have hired Okam as their new assistant defensive line coach. Okam, 39, spent the past two years as Toledo's defensive line coach.

He will now work with Texans defensive line coach Rod Wright, his former Longhorns teammate.

The Texans' pass rush was their greatest strength this season, and now two former Longhorns will coach Will Anderson Jr., Danielle Hunter and co.

Okam played at Texas from 2004-07, recording 7.5 sacks in that time, five of which came in his final season. He was a Freshman All-American in 2004 and a third-team All-American in 2007. Of course, he was also a member of the Longhorns' 2005 national championship team.

The Texans selected Okam in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft, where he played alongside current head coach DeMeco Ryans. He also played for the Seattle Seahawks, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New York Giants in his four-year career. He recorded 33 total tackles and a fumble recovery in 25 NFL games.

As a coach, Okam got his start as a graduate assistant at Rice in 2014, moving up to being the defensive line coach two years later. He also coached at Baylor from 2018-19, then made the leap to the NFL with the Carolina Panthers (2020-21) and Las Vegas Raiders (2022). Some of the notable players he's coached include Brian Burns and Derrick Brown in Carolina and Maxx Crosby in Las Vegas.

This article first appeared on Texas Longhorns on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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