The Texas Longhorns will have more turnover on the coaching staff with nickel backs coach Keynodo Hudson not returning for the 2026 season, according to reports from OnTexasFootball and Inside Texas on Friday.
Hudson’s departure after two seasons on the Forty Acres leaves two openings on new defensive coordinator Will Muschamp’s staff, including the passing
game coordinator role vacated by the termination of Duane Akina. It remains unclear how Muschamp and head coach Steve Sarkisian will fill those vacancies with Sarkisian saying last month that Muschamp will work with the safeties.
However Muschamp decides to fill out his staff, there’s a strong possibility that longtime assistant Travaris Robinson will join it — Robinson has long worked with Muschamp, a relationship that began when Robinson joined the Auburn staff as a graduate assistant in 2006 before continuing at Florida, Auburn, South Carolina, and Georgia.
As the nickel backs coach in 2025, Hudson helped develop freshman Graceson Littleton, who had a phenomenal season despite snubs from the postseason Freshman All-America teams other than 247Sports, stepping into a starting role for the season opener and finishing the year with 47 tackles (33 solo), six passes broken up, four tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, and two interceptions while also playing some snaps at cornerback and free safety.
In 2024, Hudson served as a defensive analyst after spending two seasons at Ole Miss, two seasons at Western Kentucky, two seasons at Illinois, and two seasons at Florida Atlantic. During Hudson’s playing career, he started at Reedley College before transferring to West Virginia Tech. His coaching career started at College of Charleston prior to stints as a high school defensive coordinator and defensive administrative assistant at USC.
