Vigen announces key hires

Newly hired Bobcat football head coach Brent Vigen announced some key hires to the program on Friday, Feb. 19. Vigen has talked about his plans to implement a new offensive and defensive philosophy and he showcased these new schemes in his hires for offensive and defensive coordinator as well as the defensive line.

"We're going to make some subtle tweaks certainly on both sides," Vigen said. "...but the general theme of what we're going after is to play physical, to run the football, to stop the run, to be explosive on the offensive side of things and stop explosive plays defensively. That general philosophy is the same.” Vigen’s new coaching hires will help to implement the new program on both sides of the ball.

Taylor Housewright: Offensive Coordinator & Quarterbacks Coach

Prior to being hired as the Bobcats’ next offensive coordinator, Housewright served as Oregon’s offensive analyst under the Ducks’ current offensive coordinator, Joe Moorhead. Before working at Oregon, Housewright spent one season working under Moorhead as offensive quality control at Mississippi State. Housewright and Vigen worked together in 2018 when Housewright was a graduate assistant at Wyoming working with the running backs and tight ends. He played for Ashland where he was a three-year starting quarterback.

Freddie Banks: Defensive Coordinator

Before Banks was announced as MSU’s defensive coordinator, he served as the cornerbacks coach at Nevada for the 2020 season. Banks has experience both in the FCS and the FBS. In the FCS, Banks was Stephen F. Austin’s recruiting coordinator from 2018-19. Prior to Stephen F. Austin, Banks worked at NCAA Division II Midwestern State as defensive backs coach and recruiting coordinator. Banks is another product of North Dakota State, he played cornerback with the Bison from 2008-10, while Vigen was NDSU’s offensive coordinator.

Shawn Howe: Defensive Line Coach

Howe has served as the defensive quality control analyst at Southern California (USC) since 2019. He also worked at USC from 2011-12 as a defensive assistant coach. Howe’s playing career included two seasons at NAIA Rocky Mountain College before he was hired on as the Battlin’ Bears outside linebackers coach for the 2014-15 seasons. After leaving Billings, Howe coached at North Carolina State (2006), Memphis (2007-09) and Tennessee (2010). After leaving USC for the first time in 2012, Howe served as Humboldt State’s defensive line coach (2013-14), an assistant head coach and defensive coordinator at Dixie State (2015-17), and coached the defensive line at Coastal Carolina in 2018.

Vigen is keeping on multiple assistants from previous head coach Jeff Choate’s staff. Brian Armstrong will continue to coach the offensive line, Jimmy Beal will continue coaching running backs, Nate Potter will remain as tight ends coach and Justin Udy will become the receivers coach after serving as the quarterbacks coach. BJ Robertson will return as the special teams coordinator and Director of High School Relations.