After ranking second-to-last in the Big Sky Conference in total and scoring defense each of the last two seasons, Spencer Toone will not have his contract renewed as the defensive coordinator at Idaho State, ISU athletic director Jeff Tingey confirmed to Madison Guernsey of the Idaho State Journal on Monday night.
Toone was hired by former head coach Mike Kramer before the 2013 season. He served as the defensive coordinator from 2015 until last season while also coaching safeties and outside linebackers. He was the co-defensive coordinator with current inside linebackers’ coach Roger Cooper in 2013 and 2014.
The Bengals did not fair well statistically under Toone. Idaho State ranked 13th in the league giving up 40.9 points per game in 2015, last in the league again in 2016 by giving up 41 points per game and 12th in the league last season by surrendering 35.5 points per contest. ISU gave up 456.6 yards per game in 2015 (8th in the league), 502.2 yards per game in 2016 (12th) and 12th in the league by giving up 485.8 yards per game in 2017.
Idaho State linebackers coach Roger Cooper is a leading candidate to become ISU’s defensive coordinator/ by Brooks Nuanez
Idaho State’s run defense steadily improved, going from giving up a league-worst 268.8 yards per game on the ground in 2015 to 206.3 (9th) last season. But the pass defense got steadily worse as ISU went from giving up 187.7 yards per game in the air in 2015 to 279.5 (12th) last season.
ISU’s total defense ranked 121st out of 123 teams nationally last season.
According to Guernsey, Tingey said Bengals head coach Rob Phenicie approached him about removing Toone as the team’s defensive coordinator during the team’s bye week, a 56-17 home loss to UC Davis. The loss is ISU’s worst home loss since 2012 and the most points scored by an opponent at Holt Arena since 2008. Toone was not with the team during Nov. 18’s season finale at Weber State.
Cooper took over the defense during the final week of the season. The former Big Sky Conference Defensive MVP linebacker at Montana State is considered a candidate to replace Toone, Guernsey reports.
