Mark Scott is in his second season on the Baylor coaching staff and his first as the special teams coordinator in 2025. He also led the special teams in 2024 as a quality control coach.
Scott joins the Bears after a strong tenure as the special teams coordinator at Houston from 2020-23, which followed the 2019 season that saw him serve as an analyst working with special teams.
Scott also worked on the staff at West Virginia from 2012-18, in a variety of roles, including a graduate assistant (2012-14), as a defensive assistant also working with special teams (2015-16) and as an assistant coach working with linebackers and special teams (2017-18).
A native of Defiance, Ohio, Scott has also gained experience at Trine University (2011), working with outside linebackers and special teams, Indianapolis University (2008-10), working with defensive backs and outside linebackers and at his alma matter Hillsdale College (2007), where he coached linebackers.
Under Scott, the Cougars had one of the most explosive and reliable special teams units in the nation. Houston return specialists earned all-conference teams in four straight seasons (2023 – Matthew Golden; 2022 - Jayce Rogers; 2020-21 - Marcus Jones). Since 2019, six Cougar special teams members were named all-conference.
In 2023, Houston ranked fourth in the Big 12 in kickoffs, with Golden leading the league in kickoff returns, which featured two returned for TDs out of his nine total returns. Mark Fleming also ranked in the top half of the league in punt return average (7.2 yards)
Houston is the only school in the country to have recorded a kickoff return touchdown and punt return touchdown each of the last five seasons (2019-23). The Cougars led the nation with 13 return touchdowns (8 kickoff, 5 punt) since the start of the 2019 season.
The Cougars registered 245 kicking points since the start of the 2021 season with its total leading the American from 2021-22. Houston converted 131 of 134 extra points during the stretch.
In 2021, Jones returned two kick returns for touchdowns, ranking second nationally, and returned a national-best two punts for touchdowns. Scott helped guide Jones to consensus All-America status including being named Associated Press First-Team All American as the nation's best return man. During his rookie season with the New England Patriots in 2022, Jones ranked third in the NFL in kickoff return grade by PFF (80.2) and second in punt return grade (78.3).
Also in 2021, Houston led the nation with six blocked kicks including a national-best four blocked punts. The Cougars did not allow a blocked punt on the season and ranked third in The American with just one blocked kick allowed.
Place kicker Dalton Witherspoon, who spent three seasons alongside Scott, capped his decorated career with 345 points -- a mark that ranks third in school history. The point total was the ninth-most nationally between 2018-21. His 192 extra-points converted during the timeframe ranked fourth nationally and third in school history. His 51 made field goals checked in at No. 22 nationally and third in school history.
Scott spent the 2019 season as Houston's special teams analyst, after seven seasons at West Virginia, his final two seasons working with the Mountaineers’ linebackers and special teams units.
In Scott’s six seasons at West Virginia, two players under his leadership earned All-America honors in David Long (2017 & 2018) and Isaiah Bruce (2013) while five earned All-Conference honors in Long (2017), Al-Rasheed Benton (2017), Marcus Simms (2017), Daryl Worley (2015) and Will Clarke (2013).
In 2018, Long was named the Big 12’s Defensive Player of the Year and earned All-America honors for a second straight season after leading the Big 12 with 19 tackles for loss.
The 2017 defense ranked No. 16 nationally in most defensive three-and-outs per game and No. 24 in best third-down defense. Long was named All-American Second Team by Pro Football Focus (PFF) and was an All-Big 12 Conference First Team honoree by ESPN.com. He finished with 16.5 tackles for loss, ranking No. 4 on WVU’s single-season tackle for loss list.
Benton averaged six solo tackles per game, ranking No. 10 nationally and 8.5 total tackles per game, ranking No. 50 nationally. He also had 13.5 tackles for loss, ranking No. 17 on the WVU’s single-season tackle for loss list.
The special teams finished No. 16 nationally in kickoff returns, spearheaded by Simms, who was No. 13 nationally in kickoff returns, No. 27 in all-purpose yards and No. 36 in punt returns.
In 2016, the defense ranked No. 24 nationally in fumbles recovered (11) and turnovers gained (25) and No. 35 in pass interceptions (14) and scoring defense (24.0). In Big 12 games, WVU’s defense was No. 1 in scoring defense, total defense and fewest opponent first downs, No. 2 in rushing defense land No. 3 in third-down defense.
In 2015, the defense ranked No. 2 nationally in interceptions, No. 5 in turnovers per game, No. 8 in most opponent three downs-and-outs, No. 11 in opponent third-down defense and No. 15 in turnover margin. The special teams ranked No. 11 in kickoff returns and No. 22 in net punting and punt return defense.
Worley earned All-Big 12 First Team honors and was drafted in the third-round of the NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers.
In 2012-14, Scott was the on-field graduate assistant coach working with the defense for two-and-a-half years, working with the outside linebackers, the defensive line and the cornerbacks.
Scott spent a year as an assistant coach at Trine University (Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association), an NCAA Division III school in Angola, Indiana. While at Trine, he was the special teams coordinator and outside linebacker coach for the 2011 season, helping the team to a 7-3 record.
He also spent three years (2008-10) as a quality control defensive assistant coach at the University of Indianapolis, a school which competes at the NCAA Division II level. He also worked with special teams prior to the 2008 season.
At Indy, Scott worked with the outside linebackers for two seasons and the defensive secondary for the 2010 season. His defense was No. 1 in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, while finishing No. 10 nationally in passing defense and No. 16 in total defense in 2009 and No. 12 in passing defense in 2010.
Scott began his coaching career as a student assistant during his final semester at Hillsdale College, assisting with the linebackers during the 2007 season.
During his collegiate playing career, Scott was a four-year letterman and three-year starter at outside linebacker at Hillsdale. He amassed more than 200 career tackles and was named All-GLIAC Honorable Mention in 2006.
Scott and his wife, Kelsey, have two sons, Theodore and Harrison.
Scott File
2025: Special Teams Coordinator – Baylor
2024: Quality Control/Special Teams – Baylor
2020-23: Special Teams Coordinator – Houston
2019: Special Teams Analyst – Houston
2017-18: Assistant Coach/Linebackers/Special Teams – West Virginia
2015-16: Quality Control/Defense/Special Teams – West Virginia
2012-14: Graduate Assistant – West Virginia
2011: Assistant Coach/Outside Linebackers/Special Teams – Trine University
2010: Quality Control/Defensive Backs – Indianapolis University
2008-09: Quality Control/Outside Linebackers – Indianapolis University
2007: Assistant Coach/Linebackers – Hillsdale College
