Texas man turned Tech man
Georgia Tech made a major offseason move by bringing in Blake Gideon to bolster its defensive coaching staff, and he arrives with a proven track record of success.
A native of Leander, Texas, Gideon grew up immersed in football. His father, Steve Gideon, was a longtime Texas high school coach who led Blake’s alma mater to six playoff appearances in eight seasons. That early exposure to the game laid the foundation for a standout career.
Gideon played collegiately at the University of Texas, where he became a four-year starter at safety. His accolades speak for themselves: Freshman All-American, two-time team captain, and four-time All-Big 12 honorable mention. After college, he had stints with the Arizona Cardinals and Denver Broncos before turning to coaching.
set number: X83383 TK2 R2 F9
Photo by Al Pereira/Getty Images
He launched his coaching career at the University of Florida as a quality control assistant. He quickly climbed the ranks with stops at Auburn, Western Carolina University, Georgia State University, the University of Houston, and Ole Miss. In 2021, he returned to Texas to coach safeties.
Under his leadership, Texas ranked in the top 10 nationally in a staggering number of categories: interceptions, passing efficiency defense, total defense, scoring defense, takeaways, red zone defense, and third-down defense. In 2024, Gideon’s work was recognized nationally—he was named Football Scoop’s National Defensive Backs Coach of the Year. Texas finished third nationally in total defense and second in the SEC last year.
Now, Gideon brings that elite-level experience to The Flats. He faces the task of transforming a Georgia Tech defense that struggled in recent years. In 2023, the unit ranked near the bottom nationally – 120th in total defense, 128th in rushing defense, and 109th in red zone defense. Although 2024 showed signs of improvement, there’s still a work to be done.
So far, Coach Gideon is optimistic about the future. During spring practice, he praised his new unit’s intelligence and quick grasp of the playbook. “Their information retention has been really impressive,” he said. “Their football intellect and their base knowledge of the game… It’s huge. It’s more important than the call on defense… The guys have a great attitude, and they want to learn, they want to be good, and so do I.”
When asked what makes a great defense and what helped make Texas’s defense so successful, Gideon didn’t hesitate: “Confidence in your ability, confidence in your technique, and confidence in the guy next to you.” That trust, he says, is what turns a group of individuals into a dominant, unified defense. About a month into the job, Gideon is still evaluating his personnel and adapting his scheme to fit their strengths. His approach is less about forcing a system and more about building one around what his players do best.
Now with Blake Gideon in charge, Tech may have finally found the missing piece to turn things around on the defensive side of the ball.