The veteran Marion Hobby brings a wealth of college and NFL experience to the Arkansas staff.
He spent the 2025 season at Tennessee, his alma mater, serving as a defensive analyst for the Volunteers. He helped the Vols rank fifth nationally in sacks per game (3.0) and 13th in tackles for loss per game (6.8).
Prior to his most recent return to Rocky Top, Hobby coached in the NFL for eight seasons. His last stop was leading the defensive line for the Cincinnati Bengals from 2021-24. He helped the Bengals to Super Bowl LVI in 2022 after winning the AFC North division in 2021 and 2022. Hobby was a key piece to the development of Pro Bowl defensive end Trey Hendrickson, who came to Cincinnati in 2021 from New Orleans. He earned First-Team All-Pro in Hobby’s final season with the Bengals, collecting 17.5 sacks for the second consecutive year.
Hobby coached the defensive line for the Miami Dolphins for two seasons (2019-20) and the d-line for the Jacksonville Jaguars for two seasons (2017-18). His d-line with the Dolphins in 2020 helped the Miami defense rank sixth in the NFL in points allowed and 10th in sacks while finishing the season as the best team in the NFL in third down efficiency. Hobby helped the Jaguars win the AFC South Division in his first season in 2017 with one of the best defenses in the league, ranking in points allowed and yards allowed. His work with Calais Campbell transformed Campbell’s career as he was named First-Team All-Pro for the first time in his career and finished second in the Defensive Player of the Year voting after registering a career-best 14.5 sacks. He followed up with 10.5 sacks in 2018. Campbell’s only double-digit sack seasons came under Hobby’s watch.
From 2011-2016, Hobby served as the co-defensive coordinator and defensive line coach at Clemson, helping the program reach three Orange Bowls, two College Football Playoffs and win the 2016 National Championship. The Tigers finished in the Top 25 in all six seasons Hobby was on staff, and from 2012-2016, Clemson’s defense totaled a national-best 597 tackles for loss.
Among players Hobby coached at Clemson were Shaq Lawson, Kevin Dodd and Vic Beasley. Lawson was a first-round selection by Buffalo in the 2016 NFL Draft, and Beasley led the NFL in sacks this past season with 15.5 for the Atlanta Falcons. Dodd was a second-round selection by Tennessee in the 2016 NFL Draft.
Hobby was the defensive coordinator and defensive line coach at Duke from 2008-10. His first Blue Devils squad allowed 23.4 points per game – the program’s fewest in 20 seasons – holding three opponents to less than 10 points for the first time since 1976.
Under Hobby’s coaching, Duke defensive tackle Vince Oghobaase earned All-America honors from Sporting News in 2009. In addition, four members of Duke’s defensive unit signed free agent contracts with NFL organizations, including Oghobaase (Miami Dolphins), linebacker Vincent Rey (Cincinnati Bengals), defensive end Ayanga Okpokowuruk (New York Giants) and cornerback Leon Wright (New York Giants).
Prior to joining Duke, Hobby spent two seasons coaching the defensive line for the New Orleans Saints in his first stint in the NFL. His first Saints team in 2006 won the NFC South Division with a 10-6 record on their way to the NFC Championship game. Hobby coached Will Smith, a defensive end who registered 10.5 sacks and was tabbed a starter for the Pro Bowl.
Hobby earned his first defensive line coaching job at Ole Miss in 1999, where he coached the Rebels for six seasons before taking over the defensive line at Clemson for a single season in 2005. The Rebels appeared in four bowl games during his tenure and shared the SEC West Division in 2003. His season at Clemson yielded an 8-4 mark and a final ranking inside the AP’s final poll of the season.
He began his coaching career at UT Martin as a strength and conditioning coach in 1995 before moving to Louisiana-Lafayette for two seasons. He returned to Tennessee in 1998 as an assistant strength and conditioning coach, helping the Volunteers to a perfect 13-0 national championship season capped by a Fiesta Bowl win.
Hobby played at Tennessee for the legendary Vols head coach and former Arkansas assistant coach Johnny Majors from 1986-89 as a four-year letterman and a three-year starter. Hobby was team captain in 1989 as a senior leading his team to an 11-1 SEC championship season capped by a Cotton Bowl victory over Arkansas. That Vols team finished ranked No. 5 in the final AP Poll. Tennessee posted a 33-14-1 record during Hobby’s career.
A First-Team All-SEC selection in 1989, he was a third-round pick of the Minnesota Vikings in the 1990 NFL Draft and played three seasons with the New England Patriots (1990-92).
Hobby and his wife, Constance, have three daughters – Maria, Mariah and Camille.
The Hobby File
Birthdate: Nov. 7, 1966
Hometown: Irondale, Ala.
High School: Shades Valley HS (Ala.)
College: Tennessee, 1990
Family: Wife – Constance; Daughters – Maria, Mariah, Camille
Coaching Experience
1995 UT Martin – Strength & Conditioning Coach
1996-97 Louisiana-Lafayette – Defensive Tackles/S&C Coach
1998 Tennessee – Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach
1999-2004 Ole Miss – Defensive Line
2005 Clemson – Defensive Ends
2006-07 New Orleans Saints – Defensive Ends
2008-10 Duke – Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Line
2011-16 Clemson – Co-Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Ends
2017-18 Jacksonville Jaguars – Defensive Line
2019-20 Miami Dolphins – Defensive Line
2021-24 Cincinnati Bengals – Defensive Line
2025 Tennessee – Defensive Analyst
Playing Experience
1986-89 Tennessee
1990 Minnesota Vikings
1990-92 New England Patriots
