With a second FCS national championship appearance on the horizon, Montana State and Brent Vigen have agreed to a new four-year contract through the 2028 season. Vigen is 47-9 overall and 29-3 in the Big Sky over his four seasons with the Bobcats.
Before joining Montana State as head coach, Vigen spent two decades with North Dakota State as a player and assistant coach. He was a tight end from 1993 through 1997 followed by a graduate assistant for three seasons (1998 through 2000). In 2001, he was named the tight ends coach and moved to the quarterbacks coaching role the following season. In 2003, he was the running backs coach followed by five seasons as the passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach from 2004 through 2008. Vigen ascended to the offensive coordinator role at NDSU in 2009 while also maintaining his quarterback coaching responsibilities. He remained in that role from 2009 through 2013 and left in 2014 alongside Craig Bohl to join Wyoming. He took the same role with the Cowboys and was promoted to associate head coach from 2017 through 2020.
Vigen took the head coaching job at Montana State in 2021 following Jeff Choate’s departure. Vigen immediately took MSU to the FCS Championship game in his first season where he and the Bobcats lost 38-10 to NDSU. The team returned to the semifinals in 2022 while capturing a share of the Big Sky title but fell to eventual champion South Dakota State 39-10. In 2023, the Bobcats lost in the second round against NDSU at home 35-34 in double overtime when the game-tying extra point was blocked. This season will end in the FCS National Championship as Vigen faces his alma mater in the FCS Playoffs for the third time in four seasons.
Montana State has not finished worse than second in the Big Sky over Vigen’s four seasons with two conference titles in 2022 and 2024. In addition to a 47-9 overall record, Vigen is 8-3 in the FCS Playoffs with three seasons ending in a semifinal or national championship appearance. The FCS National Championship game against North Dakota State will start at 7 PM Eastern on Monday, January 6, 2025, and be broadcast by ESPN.
Photo Credit to Montana State University Athletics
