University of the Incarnate Word Athletics

Recruiting Areas: San Antonio East, Coastal Bend, Rio Grande Valley

University of the Incarnate Word gained another long time football coach when Tony Marciano joined the staff in the spring of 2010 as the Cardinals’ offensive coordinator and offensive line coach.  In the spring of 2012, Marciano was named assistant head coach to continue with his responsibilities on the offensive side of the football.
    
In his first two seasons in charge of the offense, the Cardinals allowed less than 1.5 sacks per game despite no individual earning first or second team all-conference honors.  UIW has been a strong ball control offense under Marciano averaging at least 31:25 time of possession in four of five years.
    
Marciano’s offense has produced a pair of outstanding tight ends in Caleb Kocian and Andrew Mocio who were each four-year players.  Kocian was a great blocker and holds the record for most receptions in a game.  Mocio was a first team all-LSC and third team all-region selection in 2012 and was a great pass receiving threat.

The UIW offense broke through in Marciano's fourth season, 2013.  They set school records for rushing yards, passing yards and total offense.  For the first time, the team had a pair of 500-yard rushers and went over 2,000 yards on the ground.  The duo of Trent Brittain and Casey Jennings became the most prolific pass-catch combination in school history with 54 completions for 738 yards.  The team averaged 24.4 points per game and went over 30 points on four occasions.

The 2014 season was turned upside down for the offense when Brittain suffered a season-ending injury in the first quarter of the first game.  Marciano had to juggle the quarterback situation until Jordan Scelfo took the reigns over the final four games of the year passing for nearly 900 yards and seven touchdowns during that span.  The team averaged 24.5 points per game over the final four games after averaging less than 10 points per game for the first seven games.  The offensive line provided excellent pass coverage allowing the third fewest sacks per game in the league.

In 2015, Marciano's offense gained over 400 yards in three games and went for 593 yards against Abilene Christian.  They rolled up 45 points against Northwestern State.  The offensive line blocked for a passing offense that set a school record with 2,357 yards through the air.  The unit also paved the way for three games of over 200 yards rushing.
    
Marciano brings an impressive resume to the Cardinals including his eight years experience in the NFL and another four years in the CFL.  In 1994, Marciano made his first appearance in the Canadian Football League where he would head up the offensive line unit for the Toronto Argonauts.  After one short year and a playoff appearance, Marciano would take an opportunity within the CFL jumping over to the Calgary Stampeders to become the offensive line coach and eventually the offensive coordinator in 1997.
     
While in Calgary, Marciano coached some football greats like Doug Flutie in the 1995 season who took the Stampeders to the Grey Cup that year.  Also, in the 1996 and 1997 seasons, Marciano would have the opportunity to work with quarterback Jeff Garcia who took the Stampeders to the Western Finals both years and would go on to start for the San Francisco 49ers.
     
After going 10-8 in 1997 as the offensive coordinator of the Stampeders, Marciano made his jump to the NFL as tight ends coach for the Indianapolis Colts.  From 1998-01, Marciano called Indianapolis home and was part of the biggest turnaround for a franchise in NFL history.  Drafting Peyton Manning in 1998 paid off for the Colts in 1999 going 13-3, which was a tremendous turnaround, going only 3-13 the year before.  Marciano tutored two Pro Bowl tight ends for the Colts in 2001 by way of Ken Dilger and Marcus Pollard.
     
This would lead Marciano to his next position with the Houston Texans in 2002.  He was part of the Houston Texans inaugural game played and victory over the Dallas Cowboys in 2002.  For the 2002-03 seasons, he headed up the offensive line, before returning back to the tight ends in 2004.
     
A graduate of Indiana University in Pennsylvania, Marciano began his coaching career at his alma mater coaching tight ends. The very next year, 1979, he made his way to Texas by the way of Texas Christian University. It only took one year for him to move from a graduate assistant position into the full time head strength and conditioning director/offensive line coach for the Horned Frogs.
    
In 1981, Marciano made a short move over to Southern Methodist University becoming the tight ends/special teams coach for the Mustangs from 1982-86.  While at SMU, the Mustangs won the Southwest Conference in ‘81, ‘82, and ‘84 beating Pitt in the Cotton Bowl that year.
     
Marciano took his first offensive coordinator position in 1987 at Brown University.  Only staying two years at Brown, the coaching profession led Marciano to the University of Richmond labeling him the special teams coordinator/offensive line coach for the 1989 Season.
    
In 1990, Marciano once again became an offensive coordinator/special teams coordinator/offensive line coach for the Spiders.
     
In 1991 and 1992 Marciano was named assistant head coach of Kent State University, as well as the offensive line coach.
          
Most recently, Marciano was the director of football operations from 2007-10 at Florida’s All-Star Sports Training which develops athletes through scientifically advanced training methods.  He was also part of Football University which conducts national invitational football camps and the US Army All American Bowl yearly.
    
Athletics and football run in the Marciano family.  Marciano’s brother Joe is in his 28th season as an NFL coach and is currently the special team’s coordinator for the Detroit Lions.
     
Marciano and his wife Kelly, a Churchill graduate, are the parents of Anthony, who is on the UIW football team and Anna, who currently attends UIW.