BOZEMAN, Montana – On the heels of a disappointing end to the 2023 campaign, Montana State head coach Brent Vigen made a change to his coaching staff this week, Skyline Sports confirmed through multiple sources.
Bobby Daly, an All-American linebacker at Montana State in the mid-2000s and MSU’s linebackers coach since 2019, has been promoted by Vigen to defensive coordinator. He will replace Willie Mack Garza, who served as Vigen’s DC in 2022 and 2023. Garza will not have his contract renewed.
Garza’s one-year contract expires in March. Daly called plays for Montana State’s playoff game against Weber State in 2022 because Garza was suspended for a DUI he was cited for two weeks earlier. The DUI charge was the third for Garza.
Garza’s DUI came six months before offensive coordinator Taylor Housewright was also cited with a DUI (click for link to story).
Garza’s most recent DUI case is ongoing. He has an omnibus hearing scheduled for January 4, per a report from the Billings Gazette citing Gallatin Valley Justice Court documents. Garza pleaded not guilty to all of his charges, which included speeding and operating a vehicle with an out-of-state driver’s license beyond 60 days of living in the state in addition to the DUI. Garza lost his last job at Wyoming for a DUI charge in 2019.
Daly, a Helena native who’s a second-generation Bobcat, has helped coach outstanding linebackers at Montana State since returning to his alma mater. He helped mentor Troy Andersen to first-team All-Big Sky and All-American honors in 2019 and 2021. Andersen, who went on to become a second-round draft pick by the Atlanta Falcons, was the 2021 Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year and one of three finalists for the Buck Buchanan Award, given to the top defensive player in the FCS.
FCS news: Montana State has opted not to renew defensive coordinator Willie Mack Garza's contract, a source tells @247Sports.
— Brandon Marcello (@bmarcello) December 14, 2023
Daly also helped mentor Josh Hill to first-team all-conference honors in 2019 and helped mold Callahan O’Reilly from a high school quarterback into a two-time all-conference pick who earned first-team All-Big Sky as a senior in 2022.
This past season, Nolan Askelson returned from a potentially career-ending knee injury to earn first-team All-Big Sky honors and captain the Bobcats.
Daly, who was a three-time all-conference pick at linebacker after walking on out of Helena Capital, finished his playing career with 382 tackles, the fourth-most in MSU history still. He pursued a professional football career, playing for the Billings Outlaws and other Indoor Football League teams in the late 2000s before getting into coaching at the high school level in 2010. He worked at Bozeman High under Troy Purcell, who went on to coach at Idaho and is now the head coach at Carroll College.
In 2013, Daly joined Paul Petrino’s staff as a graduate assistant at the University of Idaho while the Vandals were still in the FBS. In 2015, he became UI’s director of football operations. Daly spent 2017 and 2018 coaching linebackers in Moscow, mentoring Kaden Elliss to All-American honors. Both Kaden and Christian Elliss still play in the NFL, Kaden for the Falcons alongside Andersen (who’s out for the season with an injury) and Christian for the New England Patriots.
Kaden Elliss and Andersen were each starters on Atlanta’s depth chart before the season.
Daly returned to his alma mater ahead of the 2019 season when Jeff Choate was in his fourth and final season as the head coach at MSU. Daly has served as Montana State’s assistant head coach under both Choate and Vigen.
Daly will be Montana State’s fourth DC in five seasons, including the third under Vigen as the head coach enters his fourth year. Freddie Banks was Montana State’s DC in 2021 before taking the same position at Colorado State.
The 37-year-old has a wife, Jasmine, and a daughter, CJ. His father, J., was a captain for the Bobcats, as was his younger brother, Brad, who was the 2013 Buck Buchanan Award winner.
