Coaches | Houston Texans - HoustonTexans.com

Cory Undlin enters his second season with the Houston Texans as the defensive passing game coordinator in 2024 after spending two seasons (2021-22) as the San Francisco 49ers defensive passing game specialist/secondary coach, where he worked alongside former 49ers defensive coordinator and current Houston Texans Head Coach DeMeco Ryans.

Cory Undlin enters his second season with the Houston Texans as the defensive passing game coordinator in 2024 after spending two seasons (2021-22) as the San Francisco 49ers defensive passing game specialist/secondary coach, where he worked alongside former 49ers defensive coordinator and current Houston Texans Head Coach DeMeco Ryans.

In his first season with the Texans, Undlin guided CB Derek Stingley Jr. to the best year of his career, recording three consecutive games with an interception and earning one AFC Defensive Player of the Week honor and one AFC Defensive Player of the Month accolade. Stingley finished the season with 39 tackles (28 solo), one tackle for loss, 13 passes defensed and five interceptions, which was the fourth-most in the NFL. Undlin also coached CB Steven Nelson, who racked up 63 tackles (48 solo), 12 passes defensed and four interceptions, which tied his career-high from 2018, when he was a member of the Kansas City Chiefs. In the AFC Wild Card game against Cleveland, the Texans recorded two interception returns for touchdowns, becoming the seventh team in NFL history to record multiple interception returns for a touchdown in a playoff game and the first team to do so since the Seattle Seahawks on Jan. 15, 2008.

During the 2022 season, Undlin guided the 49ers secondary to a league-high 20 interceptions, a league-low 71 big plays allowed and an appearance in the NFC Championship Game. Under Undlin's mentorship, nine-year veteran S Jimmie Ward finished the season with the sixth-highest overall defensive grade (80.6) and second-highest run defensive grade (91.4) among all NFL safeties, according to Pro Football Focus. In addition, Undlin also helped with the development of second-year S Talanoa Hufanga, who finished the regular season with 95 tackles (65 solo), 2.0 sacks, four interceptions, nine passes defensed, two fumble recoveries and earned AP first-team All-Pro, PFWA All-NFL Team, PFWA All-NFC Team and his first Pro Bowl nod.

In 2021, eight defensive players recorded an interception for the 49ers, including DB Emmanuel Moseley, who posted a career-high 11 passes defensed and one interception on the season. The 49ers defense finished the 2021 season allowing just 206.5 passing yards per game, the sixth-best in the NFL.

As the defensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions (2020), Undlin worked with DL Romeo Okwara, who became one-of-four players in the NFL to have at least 10.0 sacks, 10 tackles for loss (11), three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery on the season.

Undlin joined the Lions after spending the previous five seasons (2015-19) as the defensive backs coach for the Philadelphia Eagles, where he worked closely with former Eagles assistant secondary coach and current Texans defensive backs coach Dino Vasso. In 2019, Undlin's secondary registered 82 passes defensed (the sixth-most in the NFL) and 7.5 sacks (tied for the most). In 2018, Undlin guided S Malcom Jenkins to 93 tackles, eight passes defensed, three forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, one interception, 1.0 sack and his third career Pro Bowl selection. Undlin was a part of the 2017 Eagles defensive coaching staff that claimed a 41-33 victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII. The defense accounted for the fourth-most takeaways (31) and interceptions (19) that season. In Undlin's first year in Philadelphia (2015), the Eagles were one of five teams to have three defensive backs register 10-plus passes defensed on the season.

Prior to his time with the Eagles, Undlin was the defensive backs (2013-14) and defensive quality control coach (2012) with the Denver Broncos. He helped the unit finish the 2014 regular season ranked third in total defense (305.2 yards per game), fourth in passes defensed (91) and saw CB Chris Harris Jr., CB Aqib Talib and S T.J. Ward each earn Pro Bowl selections. Undlin helped the 2013 Broncos defense record the fourth-most passes defensed (97) in the NFL and reach Super Bowl XLVIII. As a quality control coach for the Broncos defense in 2012, Undlin's defense was the only unit in the NFL that did not allow a 300-yard passer all season.

Undlin joined the Denver Broncos following three years with the Jacksonville Jaguars, where he started as a defensive assistant (2009) before being promoted to defensive backs coach (2010-11). He also spent four seasons with the Cleveland Browns as the team's defensive quality control coach (2005-06), secondary/assistant special teams coach (2007) and defensive backs coach (2008). His first NFL coaching role came as a defensive coaching assistant (2004) for the New England Patriots, when he helped the team defeat the Philadelphia Eagles, 24-21, in Super Bowl XXXIX.

Undlin landed his first coaching role as the linebackers coach at California Lutheran (1998-99), his alma mater, before being promoted to defensive coordinator for three seasons (2000-02). He also coached defensive backs as a graduate assistant at Fresno State (2003) before transitioning to the NFL.

Undlin played defensive back at California Lutheran (1990-94) and registered the third-most interceptions in school history (12). He was part of the 1993 California Lutheran team that finished third in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) for the first time in school history.

The Sauk Centre, Minn., native and his wife, Amy, have one son, Caden, and two daughters, Brooke and Taylor.

Pro Bowl Players Coached (5): S Talanoa Hufanga (2022), S Malcolm Jenkins (2015, 2017-18), CB Aqib Talib (2014), S T.J. Ward (2014), CB Chris Harris Jr. (2014)

All-Pro Players Coached (4): S Talanoa Hufanga (2022), CB Patrick Robinson (2017), S Malcolm Jenkins (2015), CB Chris Harris Jr. (2014-15)