Source: UI to name coach today
School looking at SDSU’s Eck to replace Petrino
MOSCOW — The long-awaited announcement about Idaho’s next football coach could come today, a source close to the situation told the Tribune.
The hire is expected to be South Dakota State offensive coordinator Jason Eck, multiple sources told Vandal insider Brian Marceau of Tubs at the Club, who relayed the information to the Tribune. A Tribune source and outside reports also point to Eck.
Sources asked to remain anonymous because an official announcement has not yet been made.
Eck and the Jackrabbits (11-3) play Montana State (11-2) at 11 a.m. Pacific today in the semifinal round of the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.
SDSU has qualified for the playoffs all three seasons Eck has led the team’s offense, including a run to the national championship last season. He’s also coached the offensive line at the school since 2016.
Under Eck’s guidance, Jackrabbits running back Pierre Strong leads the FCS in rushing yards with 1,592. SDSU averages 37.5 points per game, No. 8 in the FCS this season.
In 2019, Eck was named the Football Championship Subdivision assistant coach of the year by the American Football Coaches Association.
If Eck is the guy, it won’t be his first time in Moscow. Eck coached the offensive line at Idaho from 2004-06.
A 1999 graduate of Wisconsin, Eck played on the Badgers’ 1998 Big Ten championship team, which went on to win the Rose Bowl. He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Wisconsin under famous Badgers’ coach Barry Alvarez.
The finalists for the UI position were Eck and Saints running backs coach Joel Thomas, sources say. Thomas was offered the job and accepted it, per sources, but he later chose to remain in New Orleans after getting a raise from his current employer, per multiple Marceau sources close to the situation.
Thomas is a 1998 UI graduate who still holds Vandal records in rushing yards (3,929) and rushing touchdowns (51).
He was on Nick Holt’s Vandal staff with Eck in 2004-05 as UI’s co-offensive coordinator and running backs coach.
Eck also has served coaching stints at Winona State (2007-08), Ball State (2009-10), Hampton (2011) and Western Illinois (2012).
Wiebe may be contacted at (208) 848-2260, swiebe@lmtribune.com or on Twitter @StephanSports.
