Bobby Daly returns to MSU as D-coordinator
MSU Communications and Daily Inter Lake | Daily Inter-Lake | UPDATED 2 hours, 42 minutes AGO
BOZEMAN — Bobby Daly, a Montana State great who spent 2024 as the Bobcats defensive coordinator, is returning to the fold to take on the job again for 2026, football coach Brent Vigen announced Thursday.
One of the greatest linebackers in Bobcat history and an MSU assistant from 2019-24, Daly rejoins the program after one year as UTEP’s defensive coordinator.
The Helena Capital product was all-Big Sky and a first-team All-America with the Bobcats as a junior in 2007; he began his coaching career at Idaho as a graduate assistant in 2013.
He started his first tenure with the Bobcats as a linebackers coach in 2019; he moved up to associate head coach in 2021 and was named defensive coordinator in 2024. When Daly left for UTEP, co-defensive coordinator Shawn Howe became the sole DC; Howe was recently hired as an assistant for the NFL Pittsburgh Steelers.
During his time at MSU Daly coached four All-America linebackers and six first-team all-Big Sky players; one of his players at UTEP, linebacker Micah Davey, was first-team all-Conference USA. The Miners went 2-10 last season.
Daly’s time on MSU’s defensive staff includes one of the best defensive eras in program history, with the Cats rising from 23rd in the FCS in scoring defense during his first season as linebackers coach to 11th when he called defensive signals in 2024. MSU finished sixth in that category in 2021.
Linebackers coached by Daly make up a distinguished list, including Idaho’s Christian Elliss, now a member of the New England Patriots, and MSU star Troy Andersen, who is with the Atlanta Falcons. Callahan O’Reilly (2022) and McCade O’Reilly (2024) earned All-America honors under Daly’s tutelage, along with first team All-Big Sky Bobcats Josh Hill and Amandre Williams. Idaho’s Kaden Elliss also earned all-league kudos.
Daly was on staff for the Bobcats’ trip to the FCS title games in 2021 and 2024; MSU won the Division I Football Championship for 2025 in January.
His 382 career tackles sit fourth in Bobcat history; post-MSU he played for the Billings Outlaws of the Indoor Football League for three seasons, 2009-11.