Montana State, North Dakota State Retain HC’s, Prove it Can Be Done Even in Today’s FCS

November is often a turbulent time of year for many college football programs, especially those at the upper crust of the lower levels of the sport. It’s a window where head coaching jobs open up at the same time that other teams are preparing for the postseason; whether they be playoff runs or bowl games. That overlap can… and many times does… lead to unfortunate situations in which sought-after head coaches are all but forced to leave their current teams for their new ones if they do indeed get hired. This phenomenon is never more apparent in the top tier of the FCS.

Almost every year at this time one or two of the top teams in the subdivision face such a dilemma. Two years ago, North Dakota State lost then-head coach Matt Entz right before the playoffs started and, while Entz was able to stick it out for that postseason, the news was still something that loomed large over the Bison during that run and everyone knew he’d be gone when it was over.

This season was no different in terms of the rumor mill. Notable head coaching gigs at Colorado State, Oregon State and several others became available. The carousel looked as though it would be turning again when guys like Tim Polasek and Brent Vigen started get their names tossed about and rightfully so. Polasek led NDSU to a national title in his first season in 2024 and has them sitting at 12-0 heading into this fall’s playoffs. Vigen has guided Montana State to two national championship appearances and won his third Big Sky title this fall. Both would have been A+ hires for either OSU, CSU or someone else in the FBS. To the surprise of some, however, neither are going anywhere and it’s a testament to the success and ingenuity of both programs.

North Dakota State announced earlier this week that they had reached an agreement to keep Polasek around and athletic director Matt Larsen made no small talk about it., calling Polasek’s impact on the program “remarkable”. Then, two days later after it was announced that Oregon State had narrowed its coaching search to two finalists with Vigen being one, Montana State made a similar move. At what seemed like the 11th hour on Wednesday evening, MSU met with Vigen and found a way to keep him in Bozeman.

Not only do these commitments come at a time that both the Bison and the Bobcats need it most, but they come as a statement to the sport as a whole; there is sometimes worth in staying at the “small school” and that it can indeed be done even in the face of the modern, big money machine the sport has become.

Oregon State undoubtedly was able to offer both Polasek and Vigen bigger paychecks than either currently bring in. The Beavers were also able to offer the prestige that comes with coaching at the FBS level in a bigger stadium, a bigger conference in whatever the new Pac-12 will look like and more overall resources in terms of recruiting and scholarships. There would also be more national exposure at a place like OSU. And yet, somehow in the face of all those enticements, both NDSU and MSU were able to keep their guys.

As the old adage goes, “the grass isn’t always greener on the other side of the fence” and what took place at both Montana State and North Dakota State this week might serve as an example of how the almighty dollar may not actually be the ticket to the top. Polasek and Vigen have the opportunity now to continue to build further upon the powerhouses they each have in football communities that are fully and rabidly behind them. Heck, both might end up meeting each other again in this year’s big game. It’s a sight that isn’t all that common anymore but, as these two schools proved, it is possible.