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Raymond Anthony Horton, better known as Ray Horton, is the head coach of the Pittsburgh Maulers and a seasoned defensive coaching mastermind. The former Dallas Cowboys cornerback is a three-time Super Bowl winner and one of the brightest defensive minds out there.
Horton recently led the Maulers to the 2023 USFL Championship game, so it's time we look at his legacy. So, without further ado, let's look at the head coach behind one of the more improbable runs in USFL history.
Ray Horton's playing career
Ray Horton was a stellar cornerback and special team option for the University of Washington. He started at college from 1980 to 1982.
During college, Horton was a first-team All-Pac 10 selection and honorable-mention All-American. He ended his college football career with a stat line of ten career interceptions and 22 passes defended, including 14 (school record) in 1981 and two Rose Bowl appearances.
He went undrafted, was chosen by the Cincinnati Bengals in the second round of the 1983 Draft, and earned the starting CB job pretty early in the season. He was a member of the Bengals from 1983 till 1988 before taking his talents to Dallas.
He played the safety position for the Cowboys and helped Jerry Jones' team to victory in Super Bowl XXVII. Horton left the Cowboys on June 1, 1993, as he was released following rotten luck Ruth injuries. He ended his NFL career with a stat line of 19 interceptions, 11 fumble recoveries, three sacks and five defensive touchdowns.
Ray Horton's coaching career
Following his retirement from the NFL, Horton jumped right into coaching, with the former Cowboy being appointed as a defensive assistant with the Washington Redskins.
Horton later became the defensive backs coach for the Bengals and the Detroit Lions. Horton was the assistant DB coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 2004 to 2006 before getting promoted to defensive backs coach in 2007. He won two Super Bowl rings as a prominent member of the Steelers coaching staff.
After leaving the Steelers, Horton once again occupied the Defensive coordinator position for the likes of the Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns, Tennessee Titans and the Browns.
He was appointed as the Washington Redskins' Defensive Backs coach in 2019, and he left after a brief stint. Horton got his first head coach gig with the USFL side, the Pittsburgh Maulers, and led them to the 2023 USFL Championship Game in his very first season.
