Brent Vigen’s 48th win as the head coach at Montana State University went by with little fanfare two weeks ago. That probably wouldn’t be significant if it wasn’t for the fact that it moved him past the legend of all legends at MSU – Mr. Bobcat himself, Sonny Holland.
Vigen entered the season tied with Holland at 47 wins. The Bobcats took on a national marquee team in the University of Oregon, then faced FCS No. 2 ranked South Dakota State. Those overwhelming losses – in their own separate ways – may have been a distraction. Whatever the case, Vigen passed Holland with a win over University of San Diego and that was followed by … crickets.
The feat wasn’t even recognized after MSU’s 17-0 win over Mercyhurst. Finally, late in his Monday press conference Skyline Sports asked Vigen about what moving past Holland meant.
Sonny Holland has done what few – if any – people involved with college football have ever done. He won a national championship in 1956 as a Bobcat center and was subsequently named an All-America center for the next three seasons. After that, he became an assistant coach at MSU and eventually the head coach, leading Montana State to the 1976 national championship. The south end-zone at Bobcat Stadium is named after him, and a striking statue sits at the gateway to the stadium.
“Coach Holland is everything here,” Vigen said. “Everything that he was for so long as a player; an All-American, national championship player. Coming back as a (national champion) head coach and then beyond that on the administrative fund-raising side. His legacy is at the top of the list here at Montana State.”
Vigen seemed to wave off the comparison while making sure that everyone understood he isn’t anywhere near Holland despite the milestone.
“As a coach you can be compared on the wins and losses side for sure but to ultimately get to the end of your career to be compared to someone like him as far as the impact you had on young men and men as they grow and become husbands and fathers and all that stuff,” Vigen said. “That’s what really marks who you were and the legacy you have left. He clearly did that and deserves all the praise and the statue and the end zone. That comes with the territory for what he did for so many.
“Different times from where he was coaching to where I’m coaching. More opportunities to win games, win playoff games and all that stuff. It’s quite an honor to be mentioned alongside him.”
In Holland’s era seasons were much shorter, consisting of nine or 10 games with significantly less teams involved in post-season play. The current era sees teams play as many as 16 games – as MSU did last season – including the playoffs. Still, Vigen’s accomplishment is nothing to scoff at. His 49 wins have come against just 12 losses with three of those to FBS schools and six to the winners of the last four FCS national championships – North Dakota State (3) and South Dakota State (3). The other three are to top ten teams at the time – Montana (2) and Idaho.
“I know his time as a coach was a very successful run for the Bobcats,” Vigen said. “To be, I guess, mentioned alongside him, or whatever, does certainly mean a lot. I got a chance to meet him a few times and spend some time with him before he passed and got to know his daughters and his family. As much as anything I’d hear from the guys that he coached during that stretch. How much he meant; he’s something else. This place clearly meant the world to him, and he made sure he left his fingerprints all over it.
“Just the other night we had our Quarterback Club banquet and there was a group of guys that were on the ’76 team. They were giving me some compliments I suppose and said, “you know we played for Sonny” and I said, “I know you played for Sonny, I know what years you went through here.” I think the thing about him is it really has nothing to do with X’s and O’s and any of that. It’s who he was to those men as a mentor, father figure and I know that didn’t end when they walked off campus. That was a forever thing for those guys, and I had a chance to go to his memorial service back in December of ’22 and the guys that made their way back for that. It’s those kinds of days where you see it up close and personal for all these people, you hear the stories.”
Vigen will no doubt pass 50 wins this season and the only man ahead of him at MSU is Rob Ash, who coached the Bobcats for nine seasons from 2007 to 2015 and picked up 70 wins.
Vigen is the winningest post-season coach in MSU history with eight.
The Bobcats take on Eastern Washington to open the conference season this Saturday at Bobcat Stadium for homecoming. Vigen has a record of 29-3 in Big Sky Conference play. He’ll be gunning for his 50th overall and 30th BSC win but is most focused on his first league victory of the 2025 season.
“This is where the next step needs to occur for us,” Vigen said of the upcoming matchup.
