The Washington Redskins announced Wednesday that they have officially hired a new defensive backs coach. The team hired former Virginia Tech secondary coach Torrian Gray.
Gray, 42, joins the Redskins with 18 total years of coaching experience dealing with defensive backfields. Gray worked with several current NFL players including cornerback Brandon Flowers, safety Kam Chancellor and cornerback Kyle Fuller, among others. He also oversaw the development of two Redskins former draft picks: defensive back Kyshoen Jarrett (2015) and cornerback Kendall Fuller (2016).
Last year Gray spent the season with the University of Florida serving as the team’s defensive backs coach. Gray helped cornerback Teez Tabor earn first-team All-SEC honors from both the Associated Press and the league’s coaches. Gray also helped DB Quincy Wilson achieve second-team All-SEC honors.
Prior to his time at Florida, Gray spent 10 seasons coaching defensive backs at his alma mater, Virginia Tech. In his 10 seasons in Blacksburg under defensive guru Bud Foster, Gray’s unit allowed just 185.0 passing yards per game and a 106.5 opponent passer rating – both ranked second in the nation over that span. Opposing quarterbacks completed just 50.4 percent of their passes in those 10 seasons, the lowest percentage against any defense in the nation.
Before returning to Virginia Tech, Gray spent two seasons in the NFL as assistant defensive backs coach for the Chicago Bears from 2004-05. In 2005, Gray’s unit helped the Bears rank fifth in the NFL in passing defense and finished tied for second in interceptions (24) as defensive backs Nathan Vasher and Mike Brown both earned Pro Bowl selections.
Gray began his coaching career at the University of Maine, serving as defensive backs coach for two seasons from 2000-01. He then spent the 2002-03 seasons as defensive backs coach at the University of Connecticut.
GRAY FOOTBALL TIMELINE
H/T via redskins.com–> press release
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