Newly hired head coach Mike Norvell is expected to once again add to his growing coach staff. On the heels of Chris Thomsen being named deputy head coach and offensive assistant, Warchant.com has confirmed with a source close to the program that Chris Marve is expected to be added to the defensive staff.
This past season, Marve served as Defensive Run Game Coordinator and Linebackers coach at Mississippi State. Before that he was a defensive assistant for Vanderbilt for six years. It's expected that Marve will coach linebackers but specific position groups have yet to be finalized.
Marve's likely hire would continue the youth movement on Mike Norvell's staff. Offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham is 29 years old while Marve is just a year older at 30. Last year, ESPN.com named him to its 40 Under 40 list of young coaching stars.
Bio from Hailstate.com, the official site for Mississippi State athletics
Chris Marve, one of the rising coaching stars in the country and a former Southeastern Conference standout, was tabbed as Mississippi State’s defensive run game coordinator and linebackers coach on March 1, 2019.
Marve, who has been around SEC football his entire career, arrives in Starkville after serving as the inside linebackers coach at his alma mater of Vanderbilt the past three seasons. In August 2018, ESPN.com named him to its 40 Under 40, a list of ascending coaching stars.
Marve’s unit performed at high level in 2018 with the Commodores. Senior Jordan Griffin registered 119 total tackles, which ranked second in the SEC and among the top 30 nationally. Meanwhile, Dimitri Moore topped all SEC freshmen in tackles with 84 en route to claiming Freshman All-SEC honors.
In 2017, Marve’s top pupil -- Oren Burks -- ranked second on the team with 45 solo tackles and 82 total tackles. After the season, Burks was selected by Green Bay in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft.
Zach Cunningham, Marve’s top understudy in 2016, enjoyed one of the greatest seasons and careers ever by a Commodore.
He earned consensus first team All-America recognition en route to arguably becoming the most decorated defender in program history. Cunningham, who topped the SEC with 125 total tackles as a senior, is now starting in the Houston Texans’ linebacker corps after being taken No. 57 overall by Houston in the 2017 NFL Draft.
Marve joined the Commodore defensive staff in 2014, working as a quality control assistant. After focusing on linebackers as a graduate assistant in 2015, Marve was promoted to the inside linebacker position prior to the 2016 campaign.
Marve also helped Cunningham and fellow linebacker Nigel Bowden to banner campaigns in 2014-15. Cunningham earned first team All-SEC by posting 16.5 tackles for loss among 103 total stops. Bowden was a Freshman All-SEC selection in 2014 after registering 78 tackles.
Marve became one of the most decorated players in Vanderbilt history by garnering All-SEC accolades in each of his four years (2008-11). His performance on the field also helped the Commodores to postseason appearances in the 2008 Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl and the 2011 AutoZone Liberty Bowl
Marve quickly established himself on the defense, earning Freshman All-America and All-SEC honors in 2008 after registering 105 tackles and four forced fumbles. He capped the season with a 10-tackle performance in the Commodores’ Music City Bowl victory over Boston College.
As a sophomore in 2009, Marve earned second team All-SEC recognition from league coaches after posting career highs with 121 total tackles and 57 solo stops. He also averaged 10.1 tackles in conference play. In 2010, Marve again earned coaches’ All-SEC honors as a junior defensive co-captain. That year, he finished with 80 tackles and eight tackles for loss
As a senior captain playing for Bob Shoop, Marve contributed 91 tackles, earned All-SEC recognition from coaches and the Associated Press, and was instrumental in leading the Commodores back to postseason play. Marve’s final appearance came in his hometown at the AutoZone Liberty Bowl.
Marve ranks eighth on the team’s career defensive charts with 397 total tackles. His career total of 28 tackles for loss ranks ninth all-time among Commodores.
Marve completed undergraduate degrees in sociology and human and organizational development in December 2011. He recently earned a Master’s of Education in higher education administration from Vanderbilt’s Peabody School.
Marve, a Memphis, Tennessee, native is married to the former Lauren Dillard, a fellow Vanderbilt graduate.
Personal Information
Hometown: Memphis, Tennessee (born in Fort Worth, Texas)
Education: Vanderbilt; 2011 (Sociology and Human & Organizational Development), 2015 (Master of Education)
Wife: Lauren
Children: Rhyan Monroe (daughter)
Birthdate: March 1, 1989
Coaching Experience
2019-p: Mississippi State (Defensive Run Game Coordinator/Linebackers)
2016-18: Vanderbilt (Inside Linebackers)
2015: Vanderbilt (Defensive Graduate Assistant)
2014: Vanderbilt (Defensive Quality Control)
Bowl Games as a Coach/Player
2018 Texas Bowl (Vanderbilt)
2016 Independence Bowl (Vanderbilt)
2011 Liberty Bowl (Vanderbilt)
2008 Music City Bowl (Vanderbilt)