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Jan. 24—Albuquerque native Mark Cala has been named UTEP’s offensive coordinator, the program announced Friday.
Cala, 32, joins the Miners after spending two years as an assistant quarterbacks coach at TCU. He replaces former UTEP offensive coordinator Jake Brown, who stepped down in December to pursue other opportunities.
“Mark Cala is one of the brightest up-and-coming names in the profession,” UTEP head coach Scotty Walden said in a release. “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 assisted a quarterbacks 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 the Horned Frogs’ primary starter.
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 one interception.
“Mark’s a really smart guy,” TCU head coach Sonny Dykes said in December. “He’s been around a little bit, he’s been with Kendal Briles a number of 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 a great job of game planning and breaking down opponents.
“Really good football coach, and one of those guys that’s got a really bright future.”
An all-state and all-metro selection in football at La Cueva High School, Cala won a state title with the Bears in 2009 and later played defensive back at New Mexico and the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington. At the conclusion of his playing career, he coached the Loggers’ quarterbacks for a season before joining Florida Atlantic in 2016 as an offensive quality control assistant.
Cala then held positions at Houston, Florida State and Arkansas, where he worked as an assistant quarterbacks coach and offensive analyst. While assisting the Razorbacks, he was named to 24/7 Sports’ 30 Under 30 list in 2022 before following former Arkansas offensive coordinator Briles to TCU.
As a first-time offensive coordinator at UTEP, Cala is set to work with Boise State transfer quarterback and former ESPN No. 1 overall recruit Malachi Nelson — the highest-rated prospect in program history. Bolstered by the 6-foot-3, 193-pound quarterback’s commitment, the Miners currently have the fourth-ranked transfer class in Conference USA, per 24/7 Sports.
It is unclear if Cala will serve as the play caller under Walden; the latter called offensive plays during his UTEP debut season, finishing with a 3-9 (3-5 C-USA) record. Cala and Walden, the former head coach at Austin Peay (Tenn.) University, are set 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.