Staff Directory
Criner, Mark
Mark Criner
- Title:
- Defensive Quality Control
Mark Criner joined the Oregon State football team in 2025 in defensive quality control.
Criner had been with Southern Miss as the program’s outside linebackers coach since 2021. His linebacking corps helped Southern Miss finish among the nation’s leaders in scoring defense, turnovers forced, sacks and tackles for loss during his four-year tenure.
Criner spent the 2020 season with Seattle of the XFL, and previous was a defensive analyst for Tulane in 2019. He was also the linebackers coach and special teams coordinator for the Atlanta Legends in 2019. He’s also spent time as a defensive analyst at LSU (2018), the defensive coordinator at CSU-Pueblo (2017) and the linebackers coach and special teams coordinator at Rhode Island (2016).
He is no stranger to the Pacific Northwest, also serving as the assistant head coach at defensive coordinator at Idaho from 2007-12 and was on staff at Portland State from 1993-99.
He has professional experience coaching the Las Vegas Outlaws (2000) of the XFL and additional collegiate experience at Utah State (1991-92), Cincinnati (2002-03), Middle Tennessee (2004-05), Minnesota (2006) and Eastern Michigan (2014).
Criner started his collegiate playing career at Iowa State University (1986) before transferring to Boise State University (1987-1990). He completed his bachelor’s degree in physical education from Boise State in 1990.
His father, Jim Criner, won a Division I-AA national title at Boise State in 1980 and an NFL Europe World Bowl title with the Scottish Claymores in 1996.
Criner and his wife, Angie, have four children, Madison, Calin and twins Jackson and Brooklyn.
Criner had been with Southern Miss as the program’s outside linebackers coach since 2021. His linebacking corps helped Southern Miss finish among the nation’s leaders in scoring defense, turnovers forced, sacks and tackles for loss during his four-year tenure.
Criner spent the 2020 season with Seattle of the XFL, and previous was a defensive analyst for Tulane in 2019. He was also the linebackers coach and special teams coordinator for the Atlanta Legends in 2019. He’s also spent time as a defensive analyst at LSU (2018), the defensive coordinator at CSU-Pueblo (2017) and the linebackers coach and special teams coordinator at Rhode Island (2016).
He is no stranger to the Pacific Northwest, also serving as the assistant head coach at defensive coordinator at Idaho from 2007-12 and was on staff at Portland State from 1993-99.
He has professional experience coaching the Las Vegas Outlaws (2000) of the XFL and additional collegiate experience at Utah State (1991-92), Cincinnati (2002-03), Middle Tennessee (2004-05), Minnesota (2006) and Eastern Michigan (2014).
Criner started his collegiate playing career at Iowa State University (1986) before transferring to Boise State University (1987-1990). He completed his bachelor’s degree in physical education from Boise State in 1990.
His father, Jim Criner, won a Division I-AA national title at Boise State in 1980 and an NFL Europe World Bowl title with the Scottish Claymores in 1996.
Criner and his wife, Angie, have four children, Madison, Calin and twins Jackson and Brooklyn.
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