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Blood is truly thicker than water in College Park this season. Maryland football is making waves with its latest hire, bringing in longtime NFL assistant Pep Hamilton as the new offensive coordinator. And this isn’t just any coaching move — it’s a reunion.
“Family reunion: Pep Hamilton has signed to become the new Maryland offensive coordinator, I’m told, following his son Jackson — who has also signed with the Terrapins,” Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network posted on X Friday night. “The former Colts and Texans OC had plenty of opportunities in the NFL, but picked family.”
At 50, Hamilton comes to Maryland with an impressive coaching résumé that spans more than two decades across both the college and pro levels. Most recently, he ran the Houston Texans’ offense in 2022, but his experience is far-reaching. He’s worked with seven different NFL teams, including the Jets, 49ers, Bears, Colts, Browns, and Chargers.
If you’re a quarterback, you probably want to work with Pep Hamilton. Just ask Justin Herbert, who thrived under his coaching in 2020, winning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. Or Andrew Luck, whom Hamilton coached both at Stanford and later in Indianapolis.
A Howard University graduate, Hamilton’s roots in college football run deep. He’s been an assistant head coach and passing game coordinator at Michigan, and his coaching career started at Howard. In fact, Maryland has considered him for its head coaching job twice before, according to C.J. Doon of The Baltimore Sun. Hamilton was interviewed first when Randy Edsall was let go in 2015, and again after DJ Durkin’s departure in 2018.
Now, he finally lands in College Park, and the timing couldn’t be better. Hamilton will coach his son, Jackson Hamilton, an intriguing quarterback prospect out of Manvel, Texas. Jackson is rated as a three-star recruit by 247 Sports, ESPN, and Rivals. According to ESPN, he ranks as a top-40 dual-threat quarterback in his class.
In 2022, during his sophomore season at Manvel High School, he threw for 1,413 yards and 17 touchdowns while adding 225 rushing yards and three touchdowns on the ground. His potential was recognized early — he received his first scholarship offer as an eighth grader.
Maryland struggled last season, finishing 4-8 overall and a brutal 1-8 in the Big Ten — the worst conference record since head coach Mike Locksley took over in 2019.
