University of North Texas Athletics
Neal Brown Announces First Five Hires for Football Staff
12/30/2025 5:55:00 PM | Football
UNT hires new DC, Chief of Staff, Football GM, Special Assistant to the HC/Edges and Head S&C Coach
DENTON – UNT football head coach Neal Brown has announced the addition of four members to the staff Friday as his first four hires at the helm of the program.
Brown has hired Errin Joe as the Football General Manager, Matt Powledge as Defensive Coordinator, Patrick Johnston as Assistant AD/Chief of Staff, Ray Gates as Special Assistant to the Head Coach/Edge Coach and Jordan Diaz as head strength and conditioning coach.
"Adding these first five members to our staff is an exciting step for our program," Brown said. "Each of them brings experience, energy and a clear commitment to developing our student-athletes on and off the field. This is just the beginning of building a strong, cohesive staff at North Texas, and I'm confident this group will set the foundation as we continue to grow and move the program forward."
As general manager, Joe will oversee all aspects of the UNT roster, recruiting and personnel departments. He comes to North Texas after spending the 2025 season as the director of scouting at the University of Texas.
In his one season with the Longhorns, Joe helped Texas land the No. 8 ranked recruiting class in the nation according to 247Sports including three five-star prospects. The 2025 season also saw Texas post a 9-3 record in the regular season and earn a trip to the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl.
Prior to his time at Texas, Joe worked at his alma mater Georgia Tech for a total of six seasons in two separate stints. In 2024, Joe served as the General Manager for the Yellowjackets after spending the 2023 season as the Director of Player Personnel. He was also the assistant director of player personnel in 2021 and a graduate assistant working with the offensive line from 2018-20.
Joe spent 2022 season as assistant director of player personnel at Alabama, where he helped the Crimson Tide recruit the nation's No. 1-ranked incoming class. During his time at Alabama, he was named one of college football's rising stars in personnel and recruiting staffers by On3.
Powledge joins the staff after spending the last three seasons as the DC at Baylor. He joins the Mean Green with extensive coordinating experience with 12 seasons as either a defensive coordinator or a special teams coordinator working for Baylor, Oregon, Louisiana, ULM and Sam Houston.
In three years with the Bears, Powledge coached three All-Big 12 selections and helped lead one of the best program turnarounds in 2024, winning eight games and earning a spot in the Texas Bowl. Powledge's defense sparked a six-game winning streak to conclude the regular season, the longest streak in Baylor football history.
His defensive until improved drastically in 2024, including moving up 40 spots in the defensive FEI ratings, and in the NCAA stats national rankings, saw the Bears improve 23 spots in total defense, 31 spots in sacks, 42 spots in pass efficiency defense, 34 spots in scoring defense, 43 spots in rushing defense and 73 spots in third down conversion percentage defense. His secondary helped the Bears rank No. 27 in passes intercepted, an 82-spot improvement in the national rankings.
Prior to his time at Baylor, he spent a season as the co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Oregon in 2022. He spent the 2020 and 2021 seasons on Aranda's staff in Waco, following two-year stints at Louisiana-Lafayette (2018-19), ULM (2016-17) and Sam Houston (2014-15). He opened his coaching career at Kentucky (2013), Northwestern State (2012) and Southeastern Louisiana (2010-11) after playing fullback for his hometown Sam Houston (2005-09).
As Assistant AD/Chief of Staff, Johnston will oversee all administrative, recruiting and off-the-field operations for the Mean Green.
Johnston joins the Mean Green after spending seven seasons at West Virginia University, most recently as the assistant athletic director for football operations.
In his role at WVU, Johnston oversaw the internal operations of the football program. He joined the WVU football staff in January 2019 as the director of football operations. He came to West Virginia with head coach Neal Brown after serving as the director of campus recruiting and assistant director of football operations at Troy for two years.
He played a key role in future capital projects. He worked closely with external entities and internal parties surrounding facility improvements and branding. Johnston led all planning and scheduling on behalf of the football program, including team travel, game day operations, preseason training camp and in-season practices. Johnston also served as a lead bowl game management administrator. He organized the team leadership council and handled all event management for the football program.
Gates joins the UNT staff as Special Assistant to the Head Coach/Edges Coach after a stellar four-year stint as the head coach at North Crowley High School. In his time there, Gates turned North Crowley into a national power as he led the Panthers to the 6A Division I state title in 2024 with an unbeaten 16-0 record. He was named the 2024 MaxPreps National Coach of the Year and was named to the DCTF 40 Under 40 Coaches to Watch in 2022.
He posted an overall record of 54-4 in four seasons, with a regional semifinal appearance in 2022, a state semifinal appearance in 2023 and a regional final appearance in 2025 to go along with his state title. North Crowley won 39 of 40 regular season games in Gates' tenure.
Prior to his time with North Crowley, Gates was the defensive coordinator at Cedar Hill High School in 2021 and worked with the program in multiple roles. In total, he worked at Cedar Hill for six seasons from 2017-22 where he helped the Longhorns advance to the state playoffs four times, including being the runner-up in the 6A State Championship game in 2020.
A true Texas High School football veteran, Gates has spent time at five high schools across 17 seasons from 2009-25. Along with North Crowley and Cedar Hill, Gates has also served as an assistant coach on staff at Amarillo Tascosa (2009-13), Dumas (2013-14), Round Rock Cedar Ridge (2014-17), primarily working on the defensive side of the ball.
Diaz joins the Mean Green as the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach after spending the last three seasons as director of speed and associate director of football performance at Georgia Tech.
In three seasons with the Yellowjackets, Diaz helped Georgia Tech appear in three consecutive bowl games for the first time since 2012-14. Across three seasons, Diaz helped the Yellowjackets garner 27 All-Conference honorees including five First Team selections.
Diaz joined Georgia Tech in 2023 after two seasons at USF, where he served as an assistant strength and conditioning coach in 2021 and 2022. With USF, his primary duties included overseeing the speed, agility and conditioning aspects of the Bulls' football program and the use and analysis of the Catapult Sports monitoring system.
Prior to his time at USF, Diaz three seasons at Arizona State, where he began as an assistant coach for football performance in 2018 and 2019 before being promoted to assistant head coach for football performance in 2020. At ASU, he worked with both front-seven and skill athletes, while also monitoring the football weight room nutrition and fueling station.
All five staff members will join the UNT staff under first year head coach Neal Brown.
Season ticket renewals for the 2026 season as well as new season tickets are on sale now.
For more information or to purchase tickets, please head to meangreentickets.com. Fans can also contact the UNT Ticket office at 940-565-2527 or at ticketoffice@unt.edu. Fans can also visit the UNT Athletics Ticket Office located at Gate 2 of DATCU Stadium between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Brown has hired Errin Joe as the Football General Manager, Matt Powledge as Defensive Coordinator, Patrick Johnston as Assistant AD/Chief of Staff, Ray Gates as Special Assistant to the Head Coach/Edge Coach and Jordan Diaz as head strength and conditioning coach.
"Adding these first five members to our staff is an exciting step for our program," Brown said. "Each of them brings experience, energy and a clear commitment to developing our student-athletes on and off the field. This is just the beginning of building a strong, cohesive staff at North Texas, and I'm confident this group will set the foundation as we continue to grow and move the program forward."
As general manager, Joe will oversee all aspects of the UNT roster, recruiting and personnel departments. He comes to North Texas after spending the 2025 season as the director of scouting at the University of Texas.
In his one season with the Longhorns, Joe helped Texas land the No. 8 ranked recruiting class in the nation according to 247Sports including three five-star prospects. The 2025 season also saw Texas post a 9-3 record in the regular season and earn a trip to the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl.
Prior to his time at Texas, Joe worked at his alma mater Georgia Tech for a total of six seasons in two separate stints. In 2024, Joe served as the General Manager for the Yellowjackets after spending the 2023 season as the Director of Player Personnel. He was also the assistant director of player personnel in 2021 and a graduate assistant working with the offensive line from 2018-20.
Joe spent 2022 season as assistant director of player personnel at Alabama, where he helped the Crimson Tide recruit the nation's No. 1-ranked incoming class. During his time at Alabama, he was named one of college football's rising stars in personnel and recruiting staffers by On3.
Powledge joins the staff after spending the last three seasons as the DC at Baylor. He joins the Mean Green with extensive coordinating experience with 12 seasons as either a defensive coordinator or a special teams coordinator working for Baylor, Oregon, Louisiana, ULM and Sam Houston.
In three years with the Bears, Powledge coached three All-Big 12 selections and helped lead one of the best program turnarounds in 2024, winning eight games and earning a spot in the Texas Bowl. Powledge's defense sparked a six-game winning streak to conclude the regular season, the longest streak in Baylor football history.
His defensive until improved drastically in 2024, including moving up 40 spots in the defensive FEI ratings, and in the NCAA stats national rankings, saw the Bears improve 23 spots in total defense, 31 spots in sacks, 42 spots in pass efficiency defense, 34 spots in scoring defense, 43 spots in rushing defense and 73 spots in third down conversion percentage defense. His secondary helped the Bears rank No. 27 in passes intercepted, an 82-spot improvement in the national rankings.
Prior to his time at Baylor, he spent a season as the co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Oregon in 2022. He spent the 2020 and 2021 seasons on Aranda's staff in Waco, following two-year stints at Louisiana-Lafayette (2018-19), ULM (2016-17) and Sam Houston (2014-15). He opened his coaching career at Kentucky (2013), Northwestern State (2012) and Southeastern Louisiana (2010-11) after playing fullback for his hometown Sam Houston (2005-09).
As Assistant AD/Chief of Staff, Johnston will oversee all administrative, recruiting and off-the-field operations for the Mean Green.
Johnston joins the Mean Green after spending seven seasons at West Virginia University, most recently as the assistant athletic director for football operations.
In his role at WVU, Johnston oversaw the internal operations of the football program. He joined the WVU football staff in January 2019 as the director of football operations. He came to West Virginia with head coach Neal Brown after serving as the director of campus recruiting and assistant director of football operations at Troy for two years.
He played a key role in future capital projects. He worked closely with external entities and internal parties surrounding facility improvements and branding. Johnston led all planning and scheduling on behalf of the football program, including team travel, game day operations, preseason training camp and in-season practices. Johnston also served as a lead bowl game management administrator. He organized the team leadership council and handled all event management for the football program.
Gates joins the UNT staff as Special Assistant to the Head Coach/Edges Coach after a stellar four-year stint as the head coach at North Crowley High School. In his time there, Gates turned North Crowley into a national power as he led the Panthers to the 6A Division I state title in 2024 with an unbeaten 16-0 record. He was named the 2024 MaxPreps National Coach of the Year and was named to the DCTF 40 Under 40 Coaches to Watch in 2022.
He posted an overall record of 54-4 in four seasons, with a regional semifinal appearance in 2022, a state semifinal appearance in 2023 and a regional final appearance in 2025 to go along with his state title. North Crowley won 39 of 40 regular season games in Gates' tenure.
Prior to his time with North Crowley, Gates was the defensive coordinator at Cedar Hill High School in 2021 and worked with the program in multiple roles. In total, he worked at Cedar Hill for six seasons from 2017-22 where he helped the Longhorns advance to the state playoffs four times, including being the runner-up in the 6A State Championship game in 2020.
A true Texas High School football veteran, Gates has spent time at five high schools across 17 seasons from 2009-25. Along with North Crowley and Cedar Hill, Gates has also served as an assistant coach on staff at Amarillo Tascosa (2009-13), Dumas (2013-14), Round Rock Cedar Ridge (2014-17), primarily working on the defensive side of the ball.
Diaz joins the Mean Green as the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach after spending the last three seasons as director of speed and associate director of football performance at Georgia Tech.
In three seasons with the Yellowjackets, Diaz helped Georgia Tech appear in three consecutive bowl games for the first time since 2012-14. Across three seasons, Diaz helped the Yellowjackets garner 27 All-Conference honorees including five First Team selections.
Diaz joined Georgia Tech in 2023 after two seasons at USF, where he served as an assistant strength and conditioning coach in 2021 and 2022. With USF, his primary duties included overseeing the speed, agility and conditioning aspects of the Bulls' football program and the use and analysis of the Catapult Sports monitoring system.
Prior to his time at USF, Diaz three seasons at Arizona State, where he began as an assistant coach for football performance in 2018 and 2019 before being promoted to assistant head coach for football performance in 2020. At ASU, he worked with both front-seven and skill athletes, while also monitoring the football weight room nutrition and fueling station.
All five staff members will join the UNT staff under first year head coach Neal Brown.
Season ticket renewals for the 2026 season as well as new season tickets are on sale now.
For more information or to purchase tickets, please head to meangreentickets.com. Fans can also contact the UNT Ticket office at 940-565-2527 or at ticketoffice@unt.edu. Fans can also visit the UNT Athletics Ticket Office located at Gate 2 of DATCU Stadium between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
-- GMG --
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