MOSCOW, Idaho – Idaho football head coach Thomas Ford Jr. 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. "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!"
 
The receivers thrived under Linehan's tutelage, at least one receiver in the past three seasons has 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," Linehan 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 returns 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.

His Vandal heritage is deep, along with his father, who played and coached for the Vandals, two of his uncles also suited up for the Silver and gold. The elder Linehan has a 35-year coaching career that includes a stint as the St. Louis Rams Head coach from 2006-08.
 
Linehand is engaged to Dani Hippe, a member of the Idaho Athletics staff for Student-Athlete Support.