UPDATE (12:48 p.m. on Friday): Houston head coach Dana Holgorsen officially announced that the program will hire Arkansas State defensive coordinator Joe Cauthen as coordinator and linebackers coach.

The Coogs also named Arkansas State defensive line coach Brian Early to the same position. 

Cauthen has coached all over the state of Texas during a lenghty coaching career. He's had stints at Stephen F. Austin, Texas A&M-Commerce and Trinity Valley Community College. After his success at TAMUC, Cauthen's star rose at Valdosta State, Middle Tennessee and UAB. 

Most recently Cauthen, helped lead an aggressive Arkansas State defense that set a program record with 146 sacks over the last four seasons. The Red Wolves posted at least five tackles for loss in 39 of the last 42 games, and have scored 22 defensive touchdowns in four seasons. 

Early played a critical role in developing ferious defensive lines to cause havoc. He has deep ties in the state of Arkansas, including a successful stint at Fayetteville High School as defensive coordinator. 

With the moves now official, Houston is up to eight assistant coaches out of 10. The Cougars have an assistant spot remaining on each side of the ball. 

Original story: Houston football coach Dana Holgorsen is well underway in filling his first staff, and is pulling new staffers from all over the map.

Holgorsen brings co-defensive coordinator/cornerbacks coach Doug Belk and co-offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Marquel Blackwell from his former job at West Virginia. Wide receivers coach and former Houston receiver Tyron Carrier also returns to H-Town from WVU.

Ryan Dorchester also comes from West Virginia as director of football operations, and former WVU wide receiver Daikiel Shorts Jr. is director of player of development. Darl Bauer also comes as director of strength and performance.

Other coaches have previous connections to Holgorsen. Former Texas Tech assistant Brandon Jones was a grad assistant when Holgorsen was at the school. Now, he joins Texas Tech as co-offensive coordinator, along with Blackwell.

Southern Miss offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson also joins the staff as an unassigned on-field offensive assistant. He was previously offensive coordinator at West Virginia under Holgorsen.

The only assistant coach with no connections to Holgorsen is safeties coach and special teams coordinator Blake Gideon. Gideon spent the last three years at Western Carolina and Georgia State. However, he’s best known for being a four-year starter for Mack Brown at Texas.

Houston still has several holes left to fill. Six assistant coach spots out of 10 have officially been filled – four on offense and two on defense. If Holgorsen’s West Virginia staff is any indication, Houston will likely hire assistants to coach running backs, tight ends, linebackers, defensive line and another defensive assistant. Dawson will likely coach one of those offensive spots.

Multiple sources are reporting that Houston will hire Arkansas State Joe Cauthen as co-defensive coordinator. He led an opportunistic defense in Jonesboro, Ark., and previously served as both linebackers and defensive line coach at Middle Tennessee. Brian Early is also reportedly headed from Arkansas State to Houston to coach the defensive line. That would push the staff up to eight members.

Holgorsen’s defensive coordinator at West Virginia, Tony Gibson, has already taken another job at North Carolina State. At West Virginia, Gibson served as defensive coordinator, and shared linebackers responsibilities with another assistant. If Cauthen is hired, he could share position coach responsibilities with another coach.

There’s also a chance Holgorsen opts for Cauthen to serve as just defensive coordinator. The 10th assistant spot has given coaches much more flexibility when building a staff.

Dana Holgorsen’s Houston staff – 

• Co-offensive coordinator/QBs: Marquel Blackwell

• Co-offensive coordinator/offensive line: Brandon Jones

• Wide receivers/assistant head coach: Tyron Carrier

• Offensive assistant: Shannon Dawson

• Co-defensive coordinator: Joe Cauthen

• Co-defensive coordinator/cornerbacks: Doug Belk

• Safeties/special teams: Blake Gideon

• Defensive line: Brian Early