Jan. 24 – Albuquerque native Mark Cala has been named UTEP’s offensive coordinator, the program announced Friday.
Cala, 32, joins the minors after spending two years as an assistant quarterbacks coach at TCU. He replaces former UTEP offensive coordinator Jake Brown, who resigned in December to pursue other opportunities.
“Mark Cala is one of the brightest names in the profession,” UTEP head coach Scotty Walden said in a statement. “I was extremely impressed with his football knowledge and philosophical alignment offensively in the interview process. His expertise in utilizing and getting the most out of our personnel will help our offense take the next step.”
In two years with TCU, Cala helped a quarterback room that finished seventh nationally in passing yards per game both seasons. Quarterback Josh Hoover notably passed for 3,939 yards (second in the Big 12), 27 touchdowns (third in the Big 12) and 11 interceptions in 2024, earning All-Big 12 honorable mention in his first season as a as the main starter of the Horned Frogs.
Cala was also on hand for TCU’s 34-3 win over Louisiana-Lafayette in last month’s Isleta New Mexico Bowl, a game in which Hoover passed for 252 yards, four touchdowns and an interception.
“Mark is a really smart guy,” TCU head coach Sonny Dykes said in December. “He’s been there a little bit, he’s been with Kendal Briles for several years, (he’s) our offensive coordinator. And Mark is one of the guys that Kendal really leans on – he’s really, really smart, really does an excellent job of planning the game and breaking down opponents.
“Really good football coach, and one of those guys who has a really bright future.”
An all-state and all-metro selection in high school football at La Cueva, Cala won a state title with the Bears in 2009 and later played defensive end at New Mexico and Puget University Sound in Tacoma, Washington. Following the end of his playing career, he coached the Reporters quarterbacks for one season before joining Florida Atlantic in 2016 as an offensive assistant on quality control.
Cala then held positions at Houston, Florida State and Arkansas, where he worked as an assistant quarterbacks coach and offensive analyst. While helping the Razorbacks, he was named to the 24/7 Sports 30 Under 30 list in 2022 before following former Arkansas offensive coordinator Briles to TCU.
As first-time offensive coordinator at UTEP, CALA is expected to work with Boise State transfer quarterback and former ESPN No. 1 overall recruit Malachi Nelson – top-rated prospect of the history of the program. Bolstered by the commitment of the 6-foot-3, 193-pound quarterback, the Miners currently have the fourth-ranked transfer class in Conference USA, according to 24/7 Sports.
It’s unclear whether Cala will serve as a play-caller under Walden; The latter called the offensive plays in his first UTEP season, finishing with a 3-9 record (3-5 C-USA). Cala and Walden, the former head coach at Austin Peay (Tenn.) University, are ready to work with each other for the first time.
The Miners are in C-USA for one more season and will join the Mountain West in July 2026.
