smoking the pack on Mama Briggs
No Father's Son
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redsox907
Topic author - Posts: 3787
- Joined: 01 Jun 2025, 12:40
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redsox907
Topic author - Posts: 3787
- Joined: 01 Jun 2025, 12:40
No Father's Son
Chapter Seventeen: Build the Dam!
Following the FCS National Championship win and the now viral clip of me onstage speaking about coaching following Mom’s death, there was no shortage of interview requests. Interviews with 365 Sports and local 406 MT Sports were places I was familiar with, having had spot conversations with them ahead of key matchups in the past, but when I was contacted by ESPN to join via Zoom on the College GameDay broadcast in advance of the FBS National Championship between Indiana and Miami, I was floored.
During the 10-minute conversation with Coach Saban and Pat McAfee, we talked about my path to Bozeman, though they thankfully did not broach the subject of my three-year playing career and subsequent disappearance from the Falcons program, what it was like preparing for the games with grief in my heart, and most importantly what role my Mom played in my life to that point.
When I credited her with my strong work ethic, citing “never seeing her give up, so I never had an excuse myself,” Saban spoke briefly about the role his own mother played in the coach he would eventually become. “Remember those lessons, Armando,” he added during the interview, “Those are the kind of teachings you can only get from a strong woman. And from everything I’ve heard, your mother certainly qualifies.”
With all the media attention, when an unknown call from the 541 area code flashed across my screen, I assumed it was another interview request. I nearly sent it to voicemail, but Tara Lydia hit the “answer call” button as I reached for the phone, rushing me into a frantic answer.
“Is this Coach Leon?” inquired the voice on the line.
“Yes sir, what can I do for you today?”
“This is Jonathan Smith, Coach. You could make my day by agreeing to fly out to Corvallis so we could speak in person about an opportunity I’ve got for you out here with Oregon State.”
I instantly recognized the name. Coach Jonathan Smith was the former coach of the Oregon State Beavers, a former player at that, who had taken a job at Michigan State two years ago, before being fired earlier this season. Three days ago it was announced that he was returning to Oregon State once again to replace Trent Bray, who was let go in the middle of the season after an 0-7 start.
Coach Smith and I had a quick conversation hashing out the travel details, setting up an official interview for the open defensive coordinator position before hanging up the phone. By the time the conversation had finished, Jessica was returning from the store with AJ in tow.
“Ever been to Corvallis?” I asked with a sheepish grin on my face.
“No,” she added slowly, before recognition began to dawn on her face, “But I’m thinking we’ll be visiting soon enough?”
We spent the rest of the night discussing the pros and cons of a potential move to Corvallis.
“It’s not like we have a lot to pick up,” Jessica continued to press as we ate dessert after putting the kids to bed, “The kids aren’t in school yet, I haven’t worked since AJ was born. We don’t have anything that isn’t tied to your career holding us here anymore.”
The elephant in the room, of course, was that Mom would have been the rock holding us in place previously. Jessica didn’t need to say it, but we’d spent the last few years basing decisions around her illness and therapy schedule, but now, for lack of better term—we were free.
As Jessica continued to weigh the positives of a move to the West Coast, clearly tired of the harsh Montana winters, I finally pushed back at the notion that a move was impending.
“Oregon has a law about minority candidates having to be interviewed for public positions,” I announced, trying to temper the growing enthusiasm on Jessica’s part, “I’m their first interview, far as I know, probably just getting it out of the way early.”
The next thing I knew the cheesecake Jessica had been finishing was smeared across my face in one quick motion.
“What the hell was that for?” I exclaimed, quietly as possible with the kids in bed.
“You were making jokes, so I was trying to give you some clown makeup,” she quipped as she flipped her hair over her shoulder. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to go change. I’ve got cake on my dress.”
There wasn’t a spot of cake on her dress, since she’d smeared the rest of it across my face. Reading between the lines, I quickly shot out of my chair to follow her to the bedroom, insisting I needed more convincing.
The next day I made sure to meet up with Coach Vigen about the call from Oregon State and Coach Jonathan Smith, not only to gauge his thoughts on the legitimacy of the interview, but to make sure I didn’t burn him in the process. It wasn’t lost on me that Vigen helped jumpstart my career, plucking me out of Havre, and I didn’t want to appear ungrateful.
“Coach Smith call you yet?” Vigen questioned before I had even sat down in his office. “I’m assuming that’s why you wanted to see me?”
“Yes sir,” I acknowledged while exchanging a quick embrace with the man who had become my mentor, “Wanted to see what your thoughts are on it. I told Jessica they’re just checking a box, Oregon laws and all.”
Coach Vigen stared at me with a blank expression long enough for the moment to become uncomfortable, before finally letting out a sigh.
“Armando, stop selling yourself short. You and I both know you’ve got the chops to keep climbing the coaching ladder, but until you get that through your head, until you stop thinking you’re moonlighting here and someone is gonna find you out.”
Coach paused for a minute, once again letting the silence thicken, but just when I was about to open my mouth to protest, he continued, “When you’re out there coaching, really in it, you act like you’ve got all the answers. Film room, weight room, on the sideline, you never question yourself. But the minute change presents itself, you start second-guessing. That speech on the podium? That ‘keep looking’ line? That was unbridled confidence, that guy wouldn’t throw shade at himself thinking he’s just being interviewed for checking a box.
“That guy would do the interview and tell Coach Smith straight to his face, if you don’t hire me, I’m going to end up somewhere else. And you’re going to regret it every time you line up against me, bet on that.”
Now it was my turn to sit in stunned silence. This was the tough love that only a father figure could give—someone telling me exactly like it was, no sugar coating, no bullshit, just facts.
After a few beats, I looked Coach Vigen right in the eyes and thanked him. “You’re right, Coach. I guess I just needed someone that wasn’t my wife to reaffirm my ability. I spent a long time fighting to find my way, find where I fit in. I guess I still feel like an outsider, waiting for someone to pull my card. But the tape speaks for itself, always does.”
The family and I officially flew out to Corvallis two weeks after the FCS Championship victory over Illinois State. Jessica insisted on getting her own Turo for the trip, so she and the kids could explore the town while I went to campus to speak with Coach Smith.
“Armando, I want to be straight with you,” Coach Smith began as we took a seat in the conference room, “you weren’t on my radar to be a defensive coordinator a month ago. But after the run you guys went on in the FCS playoffs, I started to do some digging.”
Smith flipped open the manila folder on the table as he was speaking, beginning to flip through stills of various games throughout the season, before deciding on one and sliding it across for me. “Give me a breakdown of this defensive alignment, if you would.”
“It was designed as a simple 3-3-5 look, standard stack formation,” I began explaining, remembering the play from our game against Illinois State, “but the trick was on 3rd and long situations, we’d put in one linebacker with his hand in the dirt as a decoy. He’d stunt inside while the defensive tackle stunted the opposite way, creating confusion, but the extra wrinkle was what got them.
“Wherever the linebacker was, he’d sometimes drop after the stunt instead of rushing, with the rover safety coming off the opposite side on a delayed blitz. The offensive line would be moving one way for the stunt, and often left the rover free.”
I flipped the page to the next still—a picture of the Illinois State quarterback getting blasted from his blind side, never seeing the delayed blitz.
“That’s what stuck out to me,” he continued, already knowing the answer behind the picture, but wanting to see if I was the mastermind, “The creativity. But more than that, the change. Coach Vigen has been at Montana State for four years now and no matter who he had at defensive coordinator, it was the same vanilla coverage scheme.”
“Until you came along,” he said, pointing a finger at me with a smirk on his face. “That’s what we need here. Someone who is confident in what they do and isn’t afraid to think outside the box to get it done.
“Obviously, Oregon State isn’t in the same position it was when I left two years ago. And neither am I. I think I’ve heard enough about you, after my talk with Brent, that you’ve got a hunger to prove something in you too. That speech on the podium all but confirmed it.
“I’ve got something to prove coming back to my alma mater, you’ve got something to prove to yourself, and this school has something to prove to the other guys who left us holding the bag in the Pac-12.”
I hadn’t noticed, but the entire time Coach Smith was talking, a smile had started to creep across my face. This felt right. Oregon State was a discarded program, left to fend for itself. In a way, I saw myself in them. Promising, but now forgotten. But underneath the dirt, the grime, the defeat, was a proud school. A school that with the right spark, could make some magic.
Coach Smith’s words cut through my internal pondering like a knife:
“Armando, are you in? Or are you in?”
“I think it’s time we rewrite what Beaver football is all about, Coach.”
As we shook hands and Coach Smith clapped me on the shoulder, I had to step back for a second and pause.
“Well, hold on Coach,” I cautioned, pulling back slightly, earning a raised eyebrow from him.
“I’ve got to check with the wife first,” I quickly added, putting my hands up in surrender, “I already jumped into coaching without consulting her years ago in Havre. If I do it again before taking a job 800 miles away, I might be moving by myself.”
I stepped out of the conference room before dialing Jessica, knowing full well she’d be more than onboard with the move. “She was the one selling me, long before Coach Smith was,” I jokingly thought to myself before Jessica answered the line.
“So what’s the word, Flyboy? Are we moving, cause I just found the cutest little neighborhood, I think this area is called Timberhill? There’s a school, and a park, and the kids have already fallen in love with the scenery,” she continued, listing off all of the things she loved about the area.
“It reminds me of the area around Ramstein AFB where we lived after my twin brothers were young,” she continued to gush, before catching herself, adding, “But I guess it doesn’t matter if you were just there to check a box, right?”
The question was meant to be framed with a laugh, but I could sense the anticipation behind it.
“Well, I guess we’ll have to pack our bags then-“
The rest of my sentence was cut off by her joyous cheering, as she asked the kids how they’d like to come back soon, forever.
Coach Smith had wandered back out into the hallway right before Jessica’s joyous cry, which could easily be heard through the phone, and asked with a chuckle, “Guess the missus is on board?”
With a nod and a firm handshake I proclaimed, “It’s time to Build the Dam again, Coach.”
That night, back at the hotel, I called Tara Lydia up onto the couch as Jessica and I watched the Miami Hurricanes celebrate their 31-23 Championship victory over Indiana on the podium and pointed to the screen.
“See that, sweetheart,” I whispered into her ear as she nodded along, “We’re all going to be on that stage one day celebrating Daddy winning a championship.”
Following the FCS National Championship win and the now viral clip of me onstage speaking about coaching following Mom’s death, there was no shortage of interview requests. Interviews with 365 Sports and local 406 MT Sports were places I was familiar with, having had spot conversations with them ahead of key matchups in the past, but when I was contacted by ESPN to join via Zoom on the College GameDay broadcast in advance of the FBS National Championship between Indiana and Miami, I was floored.
During the 10-minute conversation with Coach Saban and Pat McAfee, we talked about my path to Bozeman, though they thankfully did not broach the subject of my three-year playing career and subsequent disappearance from the Falcons program, what it was like preparing for the games with grief in my heart, and most importantly what role my Mom played in my life to that point.
When I credited her with my strong work ethic, citing “never seeing her give up, so I never had an excuse myself,” Saban spoke briefly about the role his own mother played in the coach he would eventually become. “Remember those lessons, Armando,” he added during the interview, “Those are the kind of teachings you can only get from a strong woman. And from everything I’ve heard, your mother certainly qualifies.”
With all the media attention, when an unknown call from the 541 area code flashed across my screen, I assumed it was another interview request. I nearly sent it to voicemail, but Tara Lydia hit the “answer call” button as I reached for the phone, rushing me into a frantic answer.
“Is this Coach Leon?” inquired the voice on the line.
“Yes sir, what can I do for you today?”
“This is Jonathan Smith, Coach. You could make my day by agreeing to fly out to Corvallis so we could speak in person about an opportunity I’ve got for you out here with Oregon State.”
I instantly recognized the name. Coach Jonathan Smith was the former coach of the Oregon State Beavers, a former player at that, who had taken a job at Michigan State two years ago, before being fired earlier this season. Three days ago it was announced that he was returning to Oregon State once again to replace Trent Bray, who was let go in the middle of the season after an 0-7 start.
Coach Smith and I had a quick conversation hashing out the travel details, setting up an official interview for the open defensive coordinator position before hanging up the phone. By the time the conversation had finished, Jessica was returning from the store with AJ in tow.
“Ever been to Corvallis?” I asked with a sheepish grin on my face.
“No,” she added slowly, before recognition began to dawn on her face, “But I’m thinking we’ll be visiting soon enough?”
We spent the rest of the night discussing the pros and cons of a potential move to Corvallis.
“It’s not like we have a lot to pick up,” Jessica continued to press as we ate dessert after putting the kids to bed, “The kids aren’t in school yet, I haven’t worked since AJ was born. We don’t have anything that isn’t tied to your career holding us here anymore.”
The elephant in the room, of course, was that Mom would have been the rock holding us in place previously. Jessica didn’t need to say it, but we’d spent the last few years basing decisions around her illness and therapy schedule, but now, for lack of better term—we were free.
As Jessica continued to weigh the positives of a move to the West Coast, clearly tired of the harsh Montana winters, I finally pushed back at the notion that a move was impending.
“Oregon has a law about minority candidates having to be interviewed for public positions,” I announced, trying to temper the growing enthusiasm on Jessica’s part, “I’m their first interview, far as I know, probably just getting it out of the way early.”
The next thing I knew the cheesecake Jessica had been finishing was smeared across my face in one quick motion.
“What the hell was that for?” I exclaimed, quietly as possible with the kids in bed.
“You were making jokes, so I was trying to give you some clown makeup,” she quipped as she flipped her hair over her shoulder. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to go change. I’ve got cake on my dress.”
There wasn’t a spot of cake on her dress, since she’d smeared the rest of it across my face. Reading between the lines, I quickly shot out of my chair to follow her to the bedroom, insisting I needed more convincing.
The next day I made sure to meet up with Coach Vigen about the call from Oregon State and Coach Jonathan Smith, not only to gauge his thoughts on the legitimacy of the interview, but to make sure I didn’t burn him in the process. It wasn’t lost on me that Vigen helped jumpstart my career, plucking me out of Havre, and I didn’t want to appear ungrateful.
“Coach Smith call you yet?” Vigen questioned before I had even sat down in his office. “I’m assuming that’s why you wanted to see me?”
“Yes sir,” I acknowledged while exchanging a quick embrace with the man who had become my mentor, “Wanted to see what your thoughts are on it. I told Jessica they’re just checking a box, Oregon laws and all.”
Coach Vigen stared at me with a blank expression long enough for the moment to become uncomfortable, before finally letting out a sigh.
“Armando, stop selling yourself short. You and I both know you’ve got the chops to keep climbing the coaching ladder, but until you get that through your head, until you stop thinking you’re moonlighting here and someone is gonna find you out.”
Coach paused for a minute, once again letting the silence thicken, but just when I was about to open my mouth to protest, he continued, “When you’re out there coaching, really in it, you act like you’ve got all the answers. Film room, weight room, on the sideline, you never question yourself. But the minute change presents itself, you start second-guessing. That speech on the podium? That ‘keep looking’ line? That was unbridled confidence, that guy wouldn’t throw shade at himself thinking he’s just being interviewed for checking a box.
“That guy would do the interview and tell Coach Smith straight to his face, if you don’t hire me, I’m going to end up somewhere else. And you’re going to regret it every time you line up against me, bet on that.”
Now it was my turn to sit in stunned silence. This was the tough love that only a father figure could give—someone telling me exactly like it was, no sugar coating, no bullshit, just facts.
After a few beats, I looked Coach Vigen right in the eyes and thanked him. “You’re right, Coach. I guess I just needed someone that wasn’t my wife to reaffirm my ability. I spent a long time fighting to find my way, find where I fit in. I guess I still feel like an outsider, waiting for someone to pull my card. But the tape speaks for itself, always does.”
The family and I officially flew out to Corvallis two weeks after the FCS Championship victory over Illinois State. Jessica insisted on getting her own Turo for the trip, so she and the kids could explore the town while I went to campus to speak with Coach Smith.
“Armando, I want to be straight with you,” Coach Smith began as we took a seat in the conference room, “you weren’t on my radar to be a defensive coordinator a month ago. But after the run you guys went on in the FCS playoffs, I started to do some digging.”
Smith flipped open the manila folder on the table as he was speaking, beginning to flip through stills of various games throughout the season, before deciding on one and sliding it across for me. “Give me a breakdown of this defensive alignment, if you would.”
“It was designed as a simple 3-3-5 look, standard stack formation,” I began explaining, remembering the play from our game against Illinois State, “but the trick was on 3rd and long situations, we’d put in one linebacker with his hand in the dirt as a decoy. He’d stunt inside while the defensive tackle stunted the opposite way, creating confusion, but the extra wrinkle was what got them.
“Wherever the linebacker was, he’d sometimes drop after the stunt instead of rushing, with the rover safety coming off the opposite side on a delayed blitz. The offensive line would be moving one way for the stunt, and often left the rover free.”
I flipped the page to the next still—a picture of the Illinois State quarterback getting blasted from his blind side, never seeing the delayed blitz.
“That’s what stuck out to me,” he continued, already knowing the answer behind the picture, but wanting to see if I was the mastermind, “The creativity. But more than that, the change. Coach Vigen has been at Montana State for four years now and no matter who he had at defensive coordinator, it was the same vanilla coverage scheme.”
“Until you came along,” he said, pointing a finger at me with a smirk on his face. “That’s what we need here. Someone who is confident in what they do and isn’t afraid to think outside the box to get it done.
“Obviously, Oregon State isn’t in the same position it was when I left two years ago. And neither am I. I think I’ve heard enough about you, after my talk with Brent, that you’ve got a hunger to prove something in you too. That speech on the podium all but confirmed it.
“I’ve got something to prove coming back to my alma mater, you’ve got something to prove to yourself, and this school has something to prove to the other guys who left us holding the bag in the Pac-12.”
I hadn’t noticed, but the entire time Coach Smith was talking, a smile had started to creep across my face. This felt right. Oregon State was a discarded program, left to fend for itself. In a way, I saw myself in them. Promising, but now forgotten. But underneath the dirt, the grime, the defeat, was a proud school. A school that with the right spark, could make some magic.
Coach Smith’s words cut through my internal pondering like a knife:
“Armando, are you in? Or are you in?”
“I think it’s time we rewrite what Beaver football is all about, Coach.”
As we shook hands and Coach Smith clapped me on the shoulder, I had to step back for a second and pause.
“Well, hold on Coach,” I cautioned, pulling back slightly, earning a raised eyebrow from him.
“I’ve got to check with the wife first,” I quickly added, putting my hands up in surrender, “I already jumped into coaching without consulting her years ago in Havre. If I do it again before taking a job 800 miles away, I might be moving by myself.”
I stepped out of the conference room before dialing Jessica, knowing full well she’d be more than onboard with the move. “She was the one selling me, long before Coach Smith was,” I jokingly thought to myself before Jessica answered the line.
“So what’s the word, Flyboy? Are we moving, cause I just found the cutest little neighborhood, I think this area is called Timberhill? There’s a school, and a park, and the kids have already fallen in love with the scenery,” she continued, listing off all of the things she loved about the area.
“It reminds me of the area around Ramstein AFB where we lived after my twin brothers were young,” she continued to gush, before catching herself, adding, “But I guess it doesn’t matter if you were just there to check a box, right?”
The question was meant to be framed with a laugh, but I could sense the anticipation behind it.
“Well, I guess we’ll have to pack our bags then-“
The rest of my sentence was cut off by her joyous cheering, as she asked the kids how they’d like to come back soon, forever.
Coach Smith had wandered back out into the hallway right before Jessica’s joyous cry, which could easily be heard through the phone, and asked with a chuckle, “Guess the missus is on board?”
With a nod and a firm handshake I proclaimed, “It’s time to Build the Dam again, Coach.”
That night, back at the hotel, I called Tara Lydia up onto the couch as Jessica and I watched the Miami Hurricanes celebrate their 31-23 Championship victory over Indiana on the podium and pointed to the screen.
“See that, sweetheart,” I whispered into her ear as she nodded along, “We’re all going to be on that stage one day celebrating Daddy winning a championship.”
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Soapy
- Posts: 13693
- Joined: 27 Nov 2018, 18:42
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Caesar
- Chise GOAT
- Posts: 13812
- Joined: 27 Nov 2018, 10:47
No Father's Son
I think that’s what’s called fan service there at the end with Miami winning the natty.
Time to see if Mando got the chops to coach with the big boys or if he gonna end up back in Havre.
Time to see if Mando got the chops to coach with the big boys or if he gonna end up back in Havre.
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redsox907
Topic author - Posts: 3787
- Joined: 01 Jun 2025, 12:40
No Father's Son
thank you sir! I think Oregon State is in a position where they would take a chance on a lesser known commodity hoping to catch lighting in a bottle, more so than other schools in the region. Plus with the new look Pac-12, gives him a chance to establish himself early. We're going to let the game decide how long he stays. Depending on the offers that come, we may bounce to a bigger school as the DC, then go to a HC or jump straight into a G6 head coach. We'll see what the game throws at us.
blame the sim. I got Indiana and Miami into the Natty and push advance. secretly wanted Indiana to win tbqhso going forward - since we're into team updates now - there's going to be a mixture of articles about the team, weekly previews, and game updates in addition to chapters from Leon still. Not going to do a chapter for each game, going to let the game play determine the chapter timing type beat. Obviously, big games are going to get attention, tough losses the same. Meaningful recruiting trips. etc. etc.
I had up to this point mapped out and from here on I've got storyline beats and things to address, but it's going to be more by ear than structured so we'll see how it shakes out
For now, we're building dams
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redsox907
Topic author - Posts: 3787
- Joined: 01 Jun 2025, 12:40
No Father's Son
Jonathan Smith Is Back - But Can He Reignite The Spark In New Look Pac-12?
Ricky McKinley // Dam Daily • Published: January 7th, 2026
Guess who's back, hoping that the third time's the charm? Jonathan Smith is once again pulling the orange and black blazer out of his closet, and while his recent 4-8 showing at MSU isn't inspiring, Beaver Nation is willing to forgive and forget—so long as the former quarterback turned head coach is bringing the winning ways back with him.
His return comes on the heels of a 9-15 tenure in two years at Michigan State that saw the Spartans win just one conference game in 2025—a campaign that ended with his firing. But if you ask Smith, he's never been happier to be coming home.
"There were a lot of factors that went into my departure, but I think landing my 'dream job' so early in my career kind of left me wanting more. But now that I'm home? I'm ready to get the Beavers back on track," the coach announced to reporters in his welcome back press conference.
When Smith left the program following the 2023 season, the Beavers were ranked 10th in the Associated Press' end of season ranking, their highest finish since 2012.
The Beavers have fallen on tough times since their former QB departed for Lansing, with last year's 2-10 record being an ultimate low, in addition to being one of only two schools left in the nearly defunct Pac-12.
But 2026 brings new life to both Smith and the Pac-12. With several Mountain West schools transitioning into the conference, there's hope of rejuvenating the once-proud league—and Smith sees it as the perfect clean slate.
"I think it is a great opportunity to bring some new blood, build some new rivalries, and really show that the Pac never left, it just took a break," added Smith when asked about the new-look Pac-12.
Smith isn't coming alone. He's bringing new blood to Corvallis with the recent hiring of offensive coordinator Mitch Dahlen and defensive coordinator Armando Leon.
Dahlen has served as the assistant offensive coordinator for Kalen Deboer at Fresno State (2020-21), Washington (2022-23), and most recently Alabama (2024-25). Coach DeBoer called Dahlen “A critical piece to everything we do” during a recent interview.
During that stretch Dahlen helped engineer one of the most explosive passing offenses in the country, leading to multiple college football playoff selections, a National Title appearance, a Heisman Trophy candidate, and multiple NFL Draft selections at quarterback (Jake Haener, Mike Penix, Jalen Milroe and potential first round pick Ty Simpson).
“I couldn’t be more excited to be coming back to a place I consider home,” Dahlen said. “I have spent many Saturdays in the stands at old Parker Stadium and to see how far this place has come is amazing. The history of this football program has been in my blood since I was a kid, and I couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunity to lead this offense. Coach Smith is a true leader of men and I am excited to get to work for one of the best coaches in the country. I am looking forward to hearing the chainsaw in front of a sold out Reser in the fall.”
Armando Leon is a lesser known commodity in the FBS coaching circle, but recently caught the attention of the national media as the orchestrator of Montana State's dominant defensive effort in the FCS playoff, culminating with an FCS trophy for the Bobcats. Leon, who was coaching through the recent loss of his mother - Tara Briggs - went viral with a heartfelt speech on the podium following the win.
But below the Hallmark moment lies a coach who has made an immediate impact wherever he's landed. A former linebacker for the Air Force Falcons, Leon earned praise as a special teams ace before evolving into a key pass rusher in his junior season, notching six sacks. Leon left the program prior to his senior season, but eventually resurfaced at his alma mater in Havre, Montana. Leon quickly moved up the coaching ranks for the Havre High Blue Ponies, starting as a Strength and Conditioning coach during the chaotic COVID 2020 season, eventually being promoted to defensive coordinator from 2022-2023.
Two years of leading the Montana Class A ranks in nearly all defensive metrics, including a 2001 Hurricanes-like effort in the 2024 State Playoffs en route to a State Championship, earned Leon a promotion to the Montana State Bobcats in the same role under Brent Vigen. Leon's defense was stalwart once again, leading the Bobcats to back to back FCS Championship appearances, a loss in 2024 before the breakthrough win last week.
"Armando Leon is an innovator, who thinks outside of the box and maximizes the talent on his team," said Brent Vigen in a statement acknowledging Leon's departure, "I was blessed to have him, even if only for a few seasons, and have the utmost confidence that he'll bring the same fire, determination, and stalwart work ethic to Corvallis."
Jonathan Smith has the resume. He's got a pair of young, innovative coordinators riding shotgun. But the Oregon State Beavers are a shell of the team he left behind two years ago. So here's the billion-dollar question facing Beaver Nation: Will the sequel live up to the original? Or will this feel more like a direct-to-streaming reboot nobody asked for?
Notable 2026 Coaching Moves
► Show Spoiler
Last edited by redsox907 on 15 Jan 2026, 18:20, edited 3 times in total.
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djp73
- Posts: 11478
- Joined: 27 Nov 2018, 13:42
No Father's Son
Will be interesting to see what the roster looks like and how you manipulate the personnel and scheme balance
Will you be recruiting for both sides of the ball?
Think you may have the timeline mixed up in the section outlining Leon’s career
Will you be recruiting for both sides of the ball?
Think you may have the timeline mixed up in the section outlining Leon’s career
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Soapy
- Posts: 13693
- Joined: 27 Nov 2018, 18:42
No Father's Son
Gundy got fired into a better job lmao
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redsox907
Topic author - Posts: 3787
- Joined: 01 Jun 2025, 12:40
No Father's Son
roster got gutted
37 total players leaving between graduation and the portal. I'm going to be using a customer 3-3-5 playbook, since Armando developed his scheme with his 3-3-5 concepts with Vigen's 4-2-5 preference thrown in Recruiting both sides of the ball - mainly because if I put it on auto recruit it would fuck with the defensive recruiting too. So we recruit both sides and I'll follow whatever scheme the HC has to tailor the targeted arch types too.
And you were correct sir - fixed
I had to double check when I saw it lol that's one thing I don't like about this year's portal. blue chip school opens up, hires away another good coach. But by the time that school has an opening in the 2nd window, most of the good coaches on the market are gone. Seen situations like this too many times where they get fired and end up with a better job out of default
