Northwest Notes Dec. 28, 2024

Linehan announced as Vandals offensive coordinator, quarterbacks coach

MOSCOW — Idaho head football coach Thomas Ford Jr. officially announced the promotion of Matt Linehan to offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

Linehan, the last Vandal bowl-winning quarterback and son of former Vandal quarterback and NFL head coach Scott Linehan, spent the past three seasons as the Idaho wide receivers coach and the last year as the recruiting coordinator.

"Excited to continue my time In Moscow as a part of Thomas Ford's staff," Linehan said in an Idaho news release. "This opportunity has always been a dream of mine, and I couldn't think of a better place to do it at. Let's keep this thing rolling."

Under Linehan's tutelage, at least one receiver in the past three seasons hit the 1,000-yard receiving mark. In 2022, Hayden Hatten caught 83 passes for 1,209 yards and a school-record 16 touchdowns and Jermaine Jackson caught 54 balls for 1,049 yards and five TDs. In 2023, Hatten caught 93 passes for 1,231 yards and nine TDs. 

This season, Jordan Dwyer caught 78 passes for 1,192 yards and 12 TDs.

Hatten and Jackson both earned first-team All-Big Sky honors in 2022, while Hatten earned first-team honors in 2023. Dwyer picked up second-team All-Big Sky honors during the 2024 season. Hatten was a consensus All-American in 2022 and 2023.

Jackson and Hatten were both in NFL camps this year and Jackson earned a roster spot with the New Orleans Saints while Hatten signed a contract with the BC Lions with the Canadian Football League.

"Matt is an incredibly talented young coach that has a great understanding of offensive football," Ford said. "He's going to be in a constant pursuit of an edge and will challenge our guys to be great. He will be an incredible mentor for our QBs and I know he will find ways to get the ball into our best players' hands."

In 2022, Linehan returned to Idaho, the place where he led the Vandals to the 2016 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Championship. He passed for over 10,000 yards and 62 touchdowns in his career, including 3,184 yards and 19 TDs during the 2016 bowl championship season.

Linehan holds records for career attempts and completions, he is second for yards, third for yards per game. He is fifth in school history for touchdowns. He was a second-team All-Sun Belt selection and was the 2016 Potato Bowl MVP.

Linehan returned to Moscow after a one-year stint as an offensive graduate assistant where he worked with the quarterbacks and receivers. 

Prior to Missouri, he spent one year as a graduate assistant at San Diego State as an offensive GA working with quarterbacks.

He played for the Salt Lake Stallions in the short-lived Alliance of American Football in 2019.

Along with his father, who played and coached for the Vandals, two of his uncles also suited up for Idaho. Scott Linehan has a 35-year coaching career that included a stint as the St. Louis Rams head coach from 2006-08.

UT-Arlington's Wenger named Gonzaga volleyball coach

SPOKANE — J.T. Wenger, who won 141 matches in eight seasons at UT-Arlington, was named Gonzaga head volleyball coach, GU athletic director Chris Standiford announced.

This past season, Wenger guided UTA to a 29-3 record, an NCAA Tournament berth, and a Western Athletic Conference title, following a 16-0 undefeated league season.

Wenger replaces Katie Wilson, who resigned after going 10-74 in three seasons, including 1-27 this past season.

He previously served as an assistant coach at Michigan State in 2016, the associate head coach at Colorado from 2012-15 and the men’s assistant coach at UCLA from 2006-11.

Before that, Wenger led the Marymount High girls team to the 2011 California DI state championship game and the 2002 California DIII state championship. He also coached the Sunshine Volleyball Club 14s in 2003-04 and 2006.

Wenger has been active in the USA Volleyball organization, serving as an assistant coach on the 2011 USA team during the World University Games in Shenzhen, China. He also helped coach the 2009 USA Men’s Junior National Team at the World Championships in Pune, India, and he spent time with the USA High Performance program in 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2015.

Wenger starred for the UCLA men’s volleyball team from 2000-04, where he was part of a team that claimed a national championship in 2000, a national runner-up finish in 2001 and made the national tournament each one of his seasons. 

Following his collegiate career, Wenger played for Corozal Plantaneros in Corozal, Puerto Rico.