RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) head football coach Travis Bush announced on Thursday the hiring of Theron Aych, who was the wide receivers coach at Oklahoma State last season, as the new co-offensive coordinator.
 
Aych brings three decades of coaching experience to the Vaqueros, having also served as offensive quality control analyst at Marshall in 2024, offensive coordinator at Tennessee State from 2022-23, wide receivers coach at UTEP in 2016 and 2021, wide receivers and tight ends coach at Arizona from 2017-20, offensive coordinator and assistant head coach at Angelo State from 2011-15, special teams and wide receivers coach at Central Missouri from 2004-07, defensive graduate assistant at Washington in 2003, offensive graduate assistant at Houston from 2000-02, assistant head coach at Fort Scott Community College from 1998-99, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Mesabi Range Community College in 1997, and assistant coach at Aberdeen Central High School in South Dakota from 1995-96.
 
"We are extremely excited about the addition of Theron to the staff and how his experience and expertise can help elevate our offense." UTRGV head coach Travis Bush said. "Coach Aych has coordinated and called the offense, he's coached multiple positions and worked for several successful programs.  He's also a phenomenal recruiter and will add so much value in many other areas of our program."
 
Aych was part of a Marshall team that finished 10-3 and won the Sun Belt Conference Championship, helping the Thundering Herd to rank No. 19 in the FBS in rushing yards per game at 201.7, No. 12 in tackles for a loss allowed at 3.92 per game, and No. 11 in turnovers lost with just 10 all season.
 
At Tennessee State, during Aych's first stint as a Division I offensive coordinator, he helped the rushing offensive improve by 18 yards per game in his first season and another 15 yards per game in his second season.
 
While at Arizona, Aych helped the receivers become a consistent and critical force for the Wildcats' explosive offense despite a heavy lean on the run game in 2017, helping starters Shun Brown, Shawn Poindexter, Tony Ellison and Cedric Peterson to combine for 108 receptions for 1,522 yards and 12 touchdowns. The quartet also emerged as willing blockers on the perimeter to set up several long rushing plays, as Arizona tied for the national lead with 28 runs of at least 30 yards. His 2018 group helped Arizona lead the Pac 12 in yards per reception (14.2) and rank third in passing offense (255.3), while the 2019 receivers also helped the unit rank in the top three in passing (266.1) in the conference.
 
In his first season at UTEP in 2016, Aych coached a wide receiver unit that helped haul in 21 receiving touchdowns, the most for the program since 2010. The balance provided in the pass game allowed UTEP to improve its per-game scoring by nearly a touchdown from 20.7 points per game in 2015 to 26.3 points per game in 2016. Additionally, receiver Terry Juniel was named All-Conference USA Honorable Mention.
 
"I am thrilled to have the opportunity to join Coach Bush and his staff at UTRGV Football," Aych said. "I'm looking forward to plugging into the foundation he and his staff have paved as we continue the process of building a championship level program."
 
Aych was a finalist for the 2015 Division II AFCA Assistant Coach of the Year Award while at Angelo State after helping his team lead NCAA Division II in total offense with over 560 yards per game while ranking seventh in points per game (42.5). Aych helped quarterback Kyle Washington earn Lone Star Conference Offensive Player of the Year honors after throwing for 3,691 yards, an Angelo State single-season record, ranking sixth in the nation. Washington registered 27 passing touchdowns and only nine interceptions in the air and 831 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground. He led the nation in total offense and broke ASU's single-season record for total yards with 4,522.
 
Aych's 2014 offense was also stellar, as Angelo State averaged 39.4 points per contest while racking up 469.7 yards of total offense per game to help the Rams go 9-3. Washington set a single-season school record by throwing for 34 touchdowns and becoming the first Ram in history to throw for more than 3,000 yards.
 
During Aych's time at Central Missouri, he coached tight end Delanie Walker, who was drafted as a wide receiver in the 2006 NFL Draft after an impressive collegiate career.
 
Aych spent a season working with the defense at Washington, assisting with the outside linebackers and punters. He coached two Huskies – linebackers Marquis Cooper and Greg Carothers – who signed NFL contracts. Cooper was an All-Pac-10 selection in 2003 and a fourth-round selection of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
 
Aych broke into NCAA Division I as part of the Houston staff from 2000-02, working with the running backs, tight ends, and specialists. He coached running back Joffrey Reynolds, who was named the C-USA Offensive Player of the Year by The Sporting News.
 
Aych earned three letters as a wide receiver at Northern State University in Aberdeen, S.D., and was an All-Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference honorable mention selection. He earned a degree in sociology and criminal justice from NSU in 1996.
 
Aych has two children, Tommy and Katelyn.
 

Year-By-Year
1995-96	Aberdeen Central HS	Assistant Coach
1997	Mesabi Range CC	Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
1998-99	Fort Scott CC	Asst. Head Coach
2000-02	Houston	Offensive Graduate Assistant
2003	Washington	Defensive Graduate Assistant
2004-07	Central Missouri	Special Teams/Wide Receivers
2011-15	Angelo State	Offensive Coordinator/Asst. Head Coach
2016	UTEP	Wide Receivers
2017-20	Arizona	Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
2021	UTEP	Wide Receivers
2022-23	Tennessee State	Offensive Coordinator
2024	Marshall	Offensive Quality Control Analyst
2025	Oklahoma State	Wide Receivers
2026	UTRGV	Co-Offensive Coordinator

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