Sources: Texas expected to add former Duane Akina to analyst staff
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian has shown a penchant for building out his coaching staff and analyst corps with well-known coaches while he’s been on the Forty Acres. Adding one of the biggest reasons why Texas became known as DBU is another massive step.
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Sources tell Inside Texas that the Longhorns are bringing Duane Akina back to Austin for a role within Sarkisian’s program. Akina was most recently an analyst with Jedd Fisch at Arizona, and worked alongside new Texas assistant coach Johnny Nansen in 2023.
The former Longhorns defensive back coach helped build DBU during his time in Austin. Akina has coached three Thorpe Award winners in Darryll Lewis, Michael Huff, and Aaron Ross, plus other Longhorn finalists for the award in Quentin Jammer and Earl Thomas. Akina sent over a dozen defensive backs to the NFL.
Akina’s coaching career began at Washington as a graduate assistant in 1979 after his playing career as a Husky quarterback ended. College coaching stops include Hawaii, Arizona, Texas, and Stanford. He also coached one year with the Calgary Stampeders in the CFL.
Hired by Mack Brown at Texas ahead of the 2001 season, Akina’s first year in Austin coincided with one of the best seasons ever by a Longhorn defensive back. Jammer became Texas’ first Thorpe Award finalist in a year when he tallied a school-record 24 pass breakups and unanimous first-team All-America honors.
Texas’ pass defense was a strength throughout his tenure, and Akina eventually earned the co-defensive coordinator title as a result. During Texas’ national championship season in 2005, Akina coached Huff to Texas’ first-ever Thorpe Award as part of one of the top pass defenses in the nation. He followed that up with another Thorpe Award winner in 2006 in Ross.
Longhorn defensive backs drafted during Akina’s time include Jammer, Rod Babers, Nathan Vasher, Huff, Cedric Griffin, Michael Griffin, Aaron Ross, Tarell Brown, Thomas, Aaron Williams, Curtis Brown, Chykie Brown, and Kenny Vaccaro.
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After he was not retained by Charlie Strong ahead of the 2014 season, Akina went to Stanford where he coached the Cardinal secondary from 2014 to 2022. Pupils who were drafted out of Palo Alto from Akina’s defensive backfield include Jordan Richards, Alex Carter, Justin Reid, Paulson Adebo, Kyu Kelly, and Kendall Williamson.
