Matt Linehan
Playing career
2014–2017Idaho
2019Salt Lake Stallions
PositionQuarterback
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
2020San Diego State (GA)
2021Missouri (GA)
2022–2024Idaho (WR)
2025Idaho (OC/QB)

Matt Linehan is an American football coach and former player who is currently the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for Idaho Vandals football team.

Playing career

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Linehan attended St. Mary's Preparatory in Orchard Lake Village, Michigan.[1] He committed to play college football at Idaho, where his father and two uncles had played.[2]

Linehan redshirted his true freshman season at Idaho after breaking his elbow.[3] He started ten of the Vandals' 11 games as a redshirt freshman and passed for 2,540 yards with 11 touchdown passes against 18 interceptions.[4] Linehan was named second-team All-Sun Belt Conference after passing for 3,184 yards and 19 touchdowns and was named the MVP of the 2016 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl in the Vandals' last bowl appearance.[5] As a redshirt senior, he completed 173 of 281 pass attempts for 2,056 yards with 16 touchdowns and four interceptions through nine games before suffering a season ending thumb injury.[6]

After going unselected in the 2018 NFL draft, Linehan took part in a rookie minicamp with the Minnesota Vikings on a tryout basis but was not offered a contract.[7] He later played for the Salt Lake Stallions of the Alliance of American Football.[8]

Coaching career

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Linehan began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at San Diego State in 2020. He was hired as an offensive graduate assistant at Missouri the following season.[9]

Linehan was hired as the wide receivers coach at Idaho in 2022.[10] He was promoted to offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach after the 2024 season.[11]

Personal

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Linehan's father, Scott Linehan, played quarterback at Idaho and coached in the NFL and was the head coach of the St. Louis Rams.[2]

References

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  1. ^ Blanchette, John (September 11, 2014). "Idaho QB Matt Linehan follows in father's footsteps". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
  2. ^ a b "Vandals nab son of ex-QB Scott Linehan". Moscow-Pullman Daily News. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
  3. ^ Drew, David (September 8, 2014). "Idaho football QB Matt Linehan, son of Dallas Cowboys coordinator, could give Western Michigan headaches Saturday". MLive.com. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
  4. ^ "Idaho Vandals: players to watch". Idaho Statesman. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
  5. ^ "Washington State's Luke Falk, Idaho's Matt Linehan added to Manning Award watch list". Associated Press. August 16, 2017. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
  6. ^ "Vandals have two weeks to get injured QB Matt Linehan back on field". The Spokesman-Review. November 6, 2017. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
  7. ^ "Vikings Invite 31 Rookies to Minicamp on Tryout Basis". Vikings.com. May 4, 2018. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
  8. ^ "Linehan, Rehkow make final roster for Salt Lake Stallions". Moscow-Pullman Daily News. February 1, 2019. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
  9. ^ "Locally: Former Idaho quarterback Matt Linehan hired as Vandals' wide receivers coach; Tyson Degehnart settles into role at Boise State". The Spokesman-Review. January 31, 2022. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
  10. ^ Wiebe, Stephan (May 26, 2022). "Idaho receivers coach Matt Linehan's football journey comes 'full circle'". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
  11. ^ "Ford names Linehan as Idaho offensive coordinator". Moscow-Pullman Daily News. December 20, 2024. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
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