North Texas Football Shakes Up Coaching Staff with Surprising New GM and DC Moves Following Neal Brown Hire

Ever wonder what it takes to turn a decent college football program into a serious contender practically overnight? Well, North Texas Mean Green’s new head coach Neal Brown is about to show us, by shaking things up fast and furious . Monday saw the Mean Green snatch two heavy hitters from the Power Five trenches — Texas director of scouting Errin Joe stepping in as general manager, and Baylor’s defensive maestro Matt Powledge taking the reins on defense. It’s not just a shuffle; it’s a full-scale expedition to reforge this roster with finesse and real regional clout. Joe’s rich resume spans Alabama to Georgia Tech, while his insider bond with Brown—built in the Austin hustle—signals a smarter, sharper North Texas on the rise. Meanwhile, Powledge brings a defensive pedigree sharpened under legendary programs, making this a classic case of Brown tapping past alliances to catapult the Mean Green into new turf. With an 11-win season freshly in the bag and a New Mexico Bowl showdown ahead (though Brown won’t be on the sidelines), the real game’s happening behind the scenes—stabilizing the squad and crafting a bold new vision. Intrigued? You should be. LEARN MORE

North Texas Mean Green’s rapid staff overhaul under newly hired head coach Neal Brown continued on Monday, as the Mean Green made two significant additions to their football infrastructure.

According to CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz, Brown is pulling from major Power Five programs to build out his front office and defensive staff. Zenitz reported that Texas director of scouting Errin Joe is set to become North Texas’s new general manager, giving the program an experienced personnel evaluator with deep ties across the region.

“North Texas is expected to hire Texas director of scouting Errin Joe as its general manager, sources tell CBS Sports. Before Texas, Joe was general manager at Georgia Tech. Prior to that, he worked at Alabama,” Zenith posted on X, formerly Twitter.

Joe’s arrival isn’t coincidental. He and Brown established a relationship this past season when Brown spent time in Austin after being dismissed by West Virginia.

He worked as an analyst for Steve Sarkisian, contributing behind the scenes while interacting with members of the Longhorns’ scouting and personnel staff. That connection helped pave the way for the move to Denton.

With Texas consistently producing elite recruiting classes, Joe’s background in building rosters and evaluating in-state prospects positions him as a key figure for a North Texas program eager to elevate its talent base.

Neal Brown also brings Matt Powledge to lead the defense

Matt Powledge leads a practice session during the second week of fall camp — © Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

In addition to Joe, the Mean Green are set to hire Baylor defensive coordinator Matt Powledge for the same role, per another post from Zenitz.

“Baylor defensive coordinator Matt Powledge is expected to be hired as the defensive coordinator at North Texas under new coach Neal Brown, sources tell CBS Sports. Worked at Baylor the last three years. Was previously the co-defensive coordinator at Oregon,” Zenith posted on X, formerly Twitter.

Brown and Powledge have worked together before at Kentucky in 2013 when Brown served as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, while Powledge joined Mark Stoops’ staff as a graduate assistant. Both have climbed the coaching ranks massively since, with Powledge taking on coordinator duties at Oregon and Baylor.

North Texas is coming off an 11-win season and still has the New Mexico Bowl ahead, though Brown will not coach in the game. His immediate priority is stabilizing the roster and retaining key pieces before implementing his vision.

The post North Texas football adds new GM, DC after Neal Brown hiring appeared first on ClutchPoints.