BOZEMAN, Mont. – The 2020 season was the most challenging Craig Bohl and Brent Vigen went through in their 18 years coaching together.
A couple months after Wyoming’s 2-4 finish to the pandemic-shortened campaign, it was finally time for Bohl’s longtime offensive coordinator to become a head coach by blazing his own Bozeman Trail.
Vigen, who helped Bohl build North Dakota State into an FCS powerhouse before following him from Fargo, N.D., to Laramie in 2014, officially took over the Montana State program on Feb. 7.
Now the mentor will try to beat the protege when UW hosts the Bobcats in Saturday’s season opener at War Memorial Stadium.
It might get a little dusty at midfield when the coaches meet for the on-field reunion.
“I’m sure it will be emotional,” Vigen said during an interview with the Star-Tribune after one of Montana State’s fall camp scrimmages at Bobcat Stadium when asked about facing Bohl. “I owe a lot to him, there’s no question about it. I think underneath the core of both of us we’re emotional and there is a lot of respect and love for each other.
“I don’t how it will be pregame, I don’t know how it will be postgame. You just let it happen. I’m very thankful for all the years I had with him, and I think the feeling is mutual. I guess if you’re going to play him, play him right away and see how it goes.”
Vigen and his wife, Molly, “had a great seven years” making some life-long friends in Laramie while raising their sons Jake, Grant and Luke.
During his time with Bohl at NDSU, Vigen’s alma mater, the Bison won three consecutive FCS national championships. He also recruited future NFL first-round picks Carson Wentz and Josh Allen.
Bohl’s voice started to crack when speaking about Vigen’s looming visit to Laramie following a recent UW practice.
“Brent Vigen is like a brother or son to me. Molly has got the same birth date that I do,” Bohl said. “I’m really happy for them, but I’m sure Brent would say the same thing: it’s about our players.”
There were also some special times on the field together at UW.
Vigen helped turn the Cowboys into a consistent winner in the Mountain West with Allen and a power running game.
“Bringing that level of consistency that hadn’t been there for probably two decades, that wasn’t and isn’t easy,” Vigen said. “It’s a credit to (Bohl) and the state and all the right people coming together. That’s the unique thing about Wyoming is it can be all about one team. I think coach tapped into that right from the start. That consistency is there, and as long as coach is there, that’s going to stay.”
‘Why did this just happen?’
UW had four consecutive non-losing seasons, including three eight-win campaigns, three bowl appearances and one MWC championship game appearance, from 2016-19.
But Vigen’s final fall overseeing the Cowboys’ offense was a nightmare from start to finish.
The late-starting, conference-only 2020 season was marred by Sean Chambers’ season-ending leg injury on the third snap of the opener at Nevada. Levi Williams played the final four games with a dislocated throwing shoulder.
UW went a miserable 2-4 with home games against Air Force and Utah State getting canceled due to COVID-19 issues within those programs and head-scratching losses to Colorado State and New Mexico.
“A couple minutes following Sean’s injury, you just kind of get selfish and you ask yourself, ‘Why did this just happen?'” Vigen said. “On that given day, we only had Levi. Our two freshmen (quarterbacks) were both quarantined still, and we had moved Ryan Marquez to receiver. So you’re trying to protect Levi as much as you can. He probably played his best game that night. We got that game to overtime.
“You’re thinking about, ‘How can we get through seven games with one quarterback?’ I had never had to think that way before. Then Levi got hurt and it progressively got worse.”
UW finished 14th in the FBS in rushing offense (219.5 yards per game) but a dismal 113th in passing offense (153.3 yards per game).
Many Pokes fans pointed the finger of blame at Vigen, who opted for the high road on his way back to 7,220 feet when asked about the criticism.
“The one thing that changed in that time were those expectations,” Vigen said. “We didn’t live up to those expectations last year. I grew thick skin long before that. You want to perform as well as you can and you have those internal expectations. I appreciate all those fans.”
‘It will definitely be strange’
Speaking of elevated expectations, this could be Bohl’s best UW team. It’s certainly the deepest and most experienced roster he has had entering his eighth season with the Cowboys.
Vigen isn’t exactly in rebuilding-mode either.
The Bobcats, who return most of the key players from the 2019 team that lost to eventual national champion NDSU in the national semifinals, are ranked No. 7 in the FCS preseason poll.
Matthew McKay, a 6-foot-4, 208-pound North Carolina State transfer, is hoping to become the next quarterback to make it to the NFL after playing for Vigen.
“It’s a great opportunity for our guys. I hope that’s the thing that doesn’t get lost,” Vigen said. “Our guys haven’t played in a long time, and an opportunity to play against an FBS teams is a big opportunity for the FCS. It’s becoming less regular, I guess, especially for the top of the heap to get these games. So it’s a good opportunity.
“I hope more is made about that than coach and I and all that stuff.”
The Big Sky’s fall season was canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 health crisis, and the program decided not to play a spring schedule like some of its peers.
The Bobcats went through a normal spring, which gave Vigen a chance to start implementing his culture and the players 15 practices to get up to speed with their new offensive and defensive coordinators.
“Having gone through the ups and downs and everything at Wyoming in the fall, I had a really good appreciation for why Montana State chose not to play,” Vigen said. “I think it was the right thing to do. When we were sitting back at the tail end of mid-August at Wyoming and they were talking about a spring schedule it was like, ‘How is that going to be feasible?’ Then we were able to get our season in and that was kind of how it was, you just got it in.
“I could at least articulate to the guys that, from my perspective, we are doing the right thing. This is about what we can do in the fall of ’21.”
Vigen’s former players are also looking forward to a fresh start Saturday.
“It will definitely be strange when we come out for warmups and he’s taking care of his team over there,” Chambers said of the reunion with UW’s former offensive coordinator, who was also the quarterbacks coach. “It’s going to be good and it’s going to be fun and I’m excited for the challenge.”
Vigen’s successor, Tim Polasek, will also be in the spotlight as UW’s new offensive coordinator attempts to back up all of the offseason talk about a more balanced attack.
The Cowboys’ veteran offensive line will still be paving the way for Xazavian Valladay and Trey Smith like it did last season, but with Chambers and Williams both healthy there aren’t any excuses to ignore the forward pass.
Ayden Eberhardt led the team in receiving with 16 receptions for 252 yards. Gunner Gentry had the team’s only touchdown catch of the season.
“Coach Vigen, I owe a lot to him,” said Eberhardt, who returned for his super senior season to finish on a higher note. “I came in as a walk-on. He gave me every opportunity since I’ve been here. I have nothing against him. He has a great family. They brought us in and they’re awesome.
“But it’s going to be a little different to see him on that other sideline. Our thinking is we have to go 1-0, no matter who is on the sideline or what we’ve been through. We’re not thinking about that. We just want to win. That’s the end goal.”
Vigen knows UW’s roster as well as any opposing coach possibly could. Beating his former team in his first game leading the Bobcats will be a monumental challenge.
“I think we had some better offenses going back, some better defenses, but I don’t think collectively it has been this good a team,” Vigen said of Bohl’s experienced roster. “There’s probably not going to be a lot of secrets either way that day, so we’ve just got to get our guys as prepared as possible and play as hard as we can. They certainly will, too. They’re not going to take us lightly, I wouldn’t suspect.”
Bohl couldn’t have predicted the storyline of coaching against Vigen would develop when the non-conference contract between UW and Montana State was signed in 2017 before Allen’s final season with the Cowboys.
After Saturday’s meeting, both men will be rooting for the other to win every game this season.
“I think the pregame … it’s hard to describe that,” Bohl said of welcoming Vigen back to War Memorial Stadium and into the head coaches club. “It’s special.”
