University of Wyoming Athletics

         Oscar Giles was promoted to the position of Associate Head Coach and Head Freshmen Coach for Wyoming Football on May 1, 2023.  Giles will be entering his 24th season as a college coach in 2023 and will be in his second season with the Wyoming Football program.  Giles will continue to coach the Wyoming defensive tackles and nose tackles and will continue to serve as the Defensive Run-Game Coordinator.
         During his previous 23 seasons as a college coach, Giles has helped coach 18 teams to bowl appearances, including Wyoming’s appearance in the 2022 Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl.  Included in those postseason appearances was a BCS National Championship at the University of Texas in 2005 and a BCS National Runner-up finish at Texas in 2009.
         Giles joined the Wyoming coaching staff in February 2022 to serve as Defensive Run-Game Coordinator and Defensive Tackles Coach for the Cowboys.  In 2022, Giles interior defensive linemen helped Wyoming rank No. 2 in the Mountain West and No. 21 in the nation in sacks, averaging 2.85 per game.  He coached defensive tackle Jordan Bertagnole, who earned Second Team All-MW honors from Phil Steele in ‘22.  The Wyoming Cowboys entered the 2022 college football season as the fourth youngest team in the country.  But given that, the Cowboys went on to record a 7-6 record, finish second in the Mountain West Conference Mountain Division and earn a spot in the Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl.  Along the way the ‘22 Pokes defeated rivals Air Force, Colorado State, Hawai’i, Utah State and American Athletic Conference member Tulsa.  Wyoming’s 7-6 record gave them their fifth winning season in the past seven seasons.
         Prior to coming to Wyoming, he coached at his alma mater, the University of Texas.  Giles served as an assistant coach at Texas on two different coaching staffs.  He originally coached on the staff of Texas head coach Mack Brown for nine seasons from 2005-13.  During that time, Texas won the National Championship in 2005 and played in the BCS National Championship Game at the conclusion of the 2009 season, finishing as the national runner-up.  For four seasons from 2017-20, Giles returned to Texas to serve as the defensive line coach on the staff of head coach Tom Herman.
         While serving as the defensive line coach at Texas from 2017-20, Giles helped the Longhorns win four consecutive bowl games, including: the 2020 Alamo Bowl (winning 55-23 over Colorado); the 2019 Alamo Bowl (defeating Utah 38-10); the Sugar Bowl at the conclusion of the 2018 season (winning 28-21 over Georgia); and the 2017 Texas Bowl (defeating Missouri 33-16).  UT’s 2017 defense ranked No. 8 in the nation in rushing defense, allowing opponents only 106.8 rushing yards per game and holding seven of 13 opponents under 100 yards rushing.  For three consecutive seasons from 2018-20, Texas ended the season ranked in the Top 25 -- No. 9 in 2018, No. 25 in 2019 and No. 19 in 2020.  During that time, Giles coached 2020 Consensus All-America defensive end/outside linebacker Joseph Ossai.
         Prior to returning to his alma mater, Giles served as the assistant head coach and defensive line coach at the University of Houston under Herman for the 2015 and ‘16 seasons.  Houston concluded the 2015 season with a 13-1 record, were ranked No. 8 in both the Associated Press and Coaches final polls and defeated Florida State, 38-24, in the Peach Bowl.  The 2015 Cougar defense ranked No. 8 in the nation in rushing defense (108.9 yards allowed per game) and ranked No. 20 in scoring defense.  In 2016, Houston posted a 9-4 record and played San Diego State in the Las Vegas Bowl.  The Cougars defeated No. 3 ranked Oklahoma (33-23) in the 2016 season opener and later in the season defeated then No. 3 ranked Louisville (36-10). 
         Giles spent one season coaching the defensive line at Louisiana Tech in 2014.  The Bulldogs posted a 9-5 record, won the Western Division of Conference USA and defeated Illinois (35-18) in the Heart of Dallas Bowl.  La Tech’s defense led the nation in turnovers gained (42), ranked No. 4 in tackles for loss (8.1 per game) and ranked No. 17 in rushing defense (118.2 rushing yards allowed per game). 
         For nine seasons, from 2005-13, Giles coached the defensive ends and assisted with special teams at the University of Texas.  During that time, Texas won the National Championship at the conclusion of the 2005 season, defeating USC, 41-38, in the Rose Bowl and posting a perfect 13-0 season.  The Texas defense ranked No. 8 in the nation in scoring defense (16.4 points per game) and No. 10 in total defense (302.9 yards allowed per game).  In 2006, the Longhorns finished with a 10-3 record and a 26-24 win over Iowa in the Alamo Bowl.  
         The 2007 Longhorns also compiled a 10-3 record and defeated Arizona State, 52-34, in the Holiday Bowl.  The Texas defense allowed opponents only 93.4 rushing yards per game in 2007 to rank No. 6 in the nation.
         Giles 2008 defensive end group was led by unanimous All-America selection Brian Orakpo.  Orakpo also won the Nagurski Award (nation’s top defensive player), Lombardi Award (nation’s top lineman) and Hendricks Award (nation’s top defensive end).  He was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and was a finalist for the Lott Trophy (nation’s top defensive IMPACT player).  Orakpo was a First Round pick of the Washington Redskins.  Texas enjoyed an outstanding 12-1 season in 2008 and defeated Ohio State, 24-21, in the Fiesta Bowl.  UT ended the season ranked No. 4 in the final Associated Press poll. 
         The 2009 campaign saw Texas go undefeated in the regular season before finishing as the national runner-up after losing to Alabama, 37-21, in the BCS National Championship Game at the Rose Bowl.  The Longhorns finished the season with a 13-1 record and a No. 2 ranking in the national polls.  Senior defensive end/linebacker Sergio Kindle became the first player in college football history to be a finalist for both the Hendricks Award (nation’s top defensive end) and Butkus Award (nation’s top linebacker) during the 2009 season.  Kindle earned First Team All-America honors in ‘09.
         In 2010, senior defensive end Sam Acho won the William V. Campbell Trophy as the nation’s top scholar-athlete, won the Wuerffel Trophy and the ARA Sportsmanship Award.  He also earned Academic All-America honors for the second straight year, and was drafted in the fourth round by the Arizona Cardinals.  Texas ended the season with a 5-7 record for the 2010 season. 
         The 2011 campaign saw Texas post an 8-5 record and defeat Cal, 21-10, in the Holiday Bowl.  Defensive end Alex Okafor earned AFCA All-America honors and was a unanimous First Team All-Big 12 selection. 
         Texas went 9-4 in the 2012 season and defeated Oregon State, 31-27, in the Alamo Bowl. 
         Giles defensive line group in 2013 included Jackson Jeffcoat, who won the Hendricks Award in 2013 and earned First Team All-America honors, while being named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year.  Texas finished the 2013 season with an 8-5 record and played Oregon in the Alamo Bowl.
         In 2003 and ‘04, Giles coached the defensive line and special teams at the University of Houston.  The 2003 Houston Cougars earned a bid to the Hawai’i Bowl.  That was preceded by a three-year stint as the defensive line and special teams coach at SMU from 2000-02.
         He was a graduate assistant at his alma mater, Texas, in 1999 and was part of a coaching staff who led the Longhorns to the Cotton Bowl.  His first college coaching position was at Southwest Texas State (now Texas State) in 1998.
         Giles was a four-year letterman at Texas from 1987-90.  He was a three-year starter and earned Associated Press All-Southwest Conference (SWC) honors his senior season as he helped lead Texas to a 10-2 record the 1990 Southwest Conference Championship and an appearance in the Cotton Bowl where the Longhorns played Miami (Fla.).  Texas was ranked as high as No. 3 in the Associated Press poll during the 1990 season and ended the season ranked No. 12 in the final AP poll.  He also was part of Texas’ 1987 team than ended the season ranked No. 19 in the nation and captured a 32-27 victory over Pittsburgh in the 1987 Bluebonnet Bowl.  
         Giles was a semifinalist for the Outland Trophy and was a two-time GTE Academic All-SWC selection.  He led Texas in sacks in 1988 (6.5) and ‘89 (7.0), finishing with 22.0 career sacks to tie for No. 10 on the Texas career list.  He also recorded nine career fumble recoveries to tie for No. 2 in UT school history.
         He later played professionally with the Atlanta Falcons as a defensive end and linebacker, and also played in the Canadian Football League from 1994-97.  He was part of the Toronto Argonauts Grey Cup Championship team in 1996.
         Giles and his wife, Kim, have two daughters, Olivia and Kourtney.  A native of Palacios, Texas, he earned his bachelor’s degree in speech communication from the University of Texas in 1991.
         He recruits central Texas and the Fort Worth metropolitan area.