Indianapolis hires SEC coach to help on defense

The Indianapolis Colts are employment Marion Hobby as their defensive line coach, reuniting him with defensive coordinator Lou Anarum, CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz reported Wednesday night.

Hobie brings a wealth of experience from both the NFL and college football ranks, including a stint with the Cincinnati Bengals from 2021 to 2024. During his time in Cincinnati, the 59-year-old coached All-Pro defensive end Trey Hendrickson, who recorded a combined 2020-2020 and 2023 seasons. This span also included the Bengals’ run to Super Bowl LVI in 2022 and an appearance in the AFC Championship Game.

Hobby spent the 2025 season at the University of Tennessee, serving as a defensive analyst for his alma mater. In that role, he helped the Volunteers rank fifth nationally in sacks per game with 3.0 and 13th in tackles for loss per game with 6.8. His return to the NFL comes after being named to Arkansas in December as the Razorbacks’ defensive line coach, a role he agreed to through February 2028 at an annual salary of $700,000. His contract from Arkansas included non-compete clauses for SEC and NFL positions through the 2026 season.

Hobie’s NFL coaching experience spans a decade and includes defensive line coaching positions with the Miami Dolphins (2019–20), Jacksonville Jaguars (2017–18) and New Orleans Saints (2006–07). Impressively, his run with the Dolphins’ 2020 defense contributed to the sixth-ranked defense in points allowed, a top-10 ranking, and the league’s best efficiency against third. While with the Jaguars, he helped Kale Campbell earn first-team All-Pro honors and finish second in Defensive Player of the Year voting after recording 14.5 sacks in 2017 and 10.5 in 2018.

Hobby also has extensive collegiate coaching accreditation. He was co-defensive coordinator and defensive ends coach at Clemson from 2011 to 2016, during which the Tigers appeared in three Orange Bowls, two College Football Playoff appearances and a national championship in 2016. Clemson had a team-best 597 tackles for loss from 2012 to 2016. He was defensive coordinator and defensive line coach at Duke (2008–10), defensive ends coach at Clemson (2005) and defensive line coach at Ole Miss (099). Starting in 1995 at Tennessee-Martin as the strength and conditioning coach, he went on to help Tennessee win the 1998 national championship as an assistant.

Hobby’s playing career also speaks to his defensive background. A three-year starter for the Tennessee Volunteers, he earned All-Conference honors in 1989 and was selected in the third round of the 1990 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings. He later played three seasons for the New England Patriots (1990–92).