Idaho hires Dennison as DC, brings in three other assistants

Fresh Idaho head coach Thomas Ford Jr. celebrated the new year by bringing in four new coaches to the Vandal football family.

On New Year’s Eve, UI announced Missouri State inside linebackers coach Cort Dennison as defensive coordinator.

On New Year’s Day, Ford picked Loren Endsley as the run game coordinator and offensive line coach, tabbed Avery Roberts as edge rushers coach and hired Treston Decoud as cornerbacks coach.

They join a staff already consisting of Ford and offensive coordinator Matt Linehan.

Here’s a look at each of the new hires:

DC Cort Dennison

Dennison comes to Moscow with experience from the Power Five ranks, although his most recent stop was one year in the Football Championship Subdivision as an assistant with Missouri State.

He coached three Bears to postseason honors during his lone season in Springfield, Mo.

Most of his experience came during two stints with Louisville, where he served as defensive coordinator from 2019-21 and previously held various roles from 2014-17.

Dennison’s biggest accomplishments with the Cardinals included coaching ESPN Freshman All-American linebacker Dorian Etheridge in 2017 as well as leading to a No. 14 national ranking in total defense (322.2 yards per game) in 2016.

In 2023, Dennison spent the year in his hometown of Salt Lake City, where he served as a defensive quality control assistant with the Utah Utes.

He also spent a season with the Oregon Ducks in 2018 as an outside linebackers coach, where he mentored NFL draft picks Justin Hollins and Jalen Jelks.

As a student, he graduated with degrees from the University of Washington (2011) and Louisville (2015).

“Cort Dennison is a real ball coach,” Ford said in a news release. “He has a phenomenal understanding of defensive football and knows how to adjust the scheme to fit his players. Cort has the ability to build relationships with everyone around him and cares about his players.”

Run game coordinator/OL coach Loren Endsley

Endsley hails from nearby Lake City High School of Coeur d’Alene and has coached at nearly every level from high school to the Football Bowl Subdivision.

But he joins Idaho from NCAA Division II Minnesota Duluth, where was also the run game coordinator and the offensive line coach for the last three seasons.

Under Endsley’s watch, UMD led the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference in nearly every offensive category in 2024.

Some of Endsley’s other stops include Ohio of the FBS (assistant OL coach, 2021), South Dakota of the FCS (quality control, 2020) and Dakota Wesleyan of the NAIA (offensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator, 2018-19).

He began his career in the prep ranks as the head coach at Lake Roosevelt High School in Grand Coulee, Wash., leading the program to two state playoff appearances.

As a player himself, Endsley played on the offensive line at Idaho State and Eastern Oregon, where he received USA Football All-American recognition. He earned degrees from Eastern Oregon in 2013 and 2014.

“As a guy who grew up in north Idaho, joining the University of Idaho’s football program is an incredible honor,” Endsley said. “I’m excited to work with a great group of athletes and a talented coaching staff.”

Edges coach Avery Roberts

Roberts joins the Vandals from Oregon State, where he was an All-American as a player and a defensive graduate assistant in 2023-24 as a coach.

He worked with linebackers in 2023 and edge rushers in 2024.

Ford was quite familiar with Roberts considering they were on the same OSU coaching staff last season when Ford was running backs coach in Corvallis.

“I’ve known about Avery Roberts since his playing days,” Ford said. “He was one of the best defensive players I scouted during my time at UW and he coaches just like he played. Avery is a fierce competitor that comes to the office every day with a lunch-pail-and-hard-hat mentality.”

Roberts was a Phil Steel third-team All-American as a player in 2021 and went on to earn an undrafted free agent deal with the Seahawks before playing one season with the USFL’s Philadelphia Stars.

Cornerbacks coach Treson Decaud

Another man with Beaver connections, Decaud makes his way to the Palouse with even more NFL experience.

He has seven years of pro football experience, including two years in the NFL with the Houston Texans in 2017 and Dallas Cowboys in 2018.

The former Oregon State standout player also coached cornerbacks for the Beavers in 2024.

“Treston Decoud is a guy who comes to us with great experience as a player that was an NFL draft pick at the position that we’re bringing him in to lead,” Ford said. “He is a master technician and will demand the group to be obsessed with the details of playing on the island.

“What stood out to me the most about Treston during our time together at OSU was his care for the players.”