It's now one down and one to go when it comes to filling vacancies on the University of Utah football staff.
On Monday, Kyle Whittingham announced the hiring of Blake Miller as the Utes' new offensive line coach. The former Rice assistant replaces Charlie Dickey, who took a job at Kansas State.
"Blake is a good hire for our program on many levels," Whittingham said in making the announcement. "Blake has offensive coordinator experience and is a highly regarded offensive line coach. In addition, Blake's long-time recruiting ties in Texas will give us an even stronger presence in the Lone Star state. Rice runs a spread offensive scheme very similar to ours, which should make for a smooth transition."
Miller, who coached the offensive line and served as run game coordinator at Rice, helped the Owls go 10-3 last season and win the Texas Bowl.
Rice averaged 41.3 points per game last season. Miller's line blocked for a prolific passing game led by All-American receiver Jarrett Dillard and quarterback Chase Clement, who was the Conference-USA Offensive Player of the Year.
As a player, Miller was a four-year letterman at Louisiana State who went on to play three seasons in the NFL.
Miller was recommended to Whittingham by new offensive coordinator Dave Schramm.
The hiring leaves the Utes with just one coaching vacancy to fill in the wake of departures to Kansas State by Dickey and offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig.
Whittingham said the final offensive assistant could be hired by the end of the week. The field of candidates has already been pared to a short list and interviews are being scheduled.
EXTRA POINTS: Kicker Nick Marsh of Petaluma High School in California has signed a letter-of-intent with the Utes ... Whittingham confirmed that wide receiver Marquis Wilson, who walked on last season in an effort to gain reinstatement after losing his scholarship for violating team rules, is no longer with the program.
E-mail: dirk@desnews.com