Troxel named OC at Whitworth

SPOKANE — Matt Troxel, former Lake City High football standout and later an assistant coach at several colleges, has been named offensive coordinator at Whitworth University, Pirates coach Rod Sandberg announced.

Troxel, who has been an offensive coordinator at the professional and NCAA Division I levels, brings a proven track record of success to the Whitworth football program.

“Coach Troxel is an outstanding coach with a contagious passion for the game of football,” Sandberg said in a Whitworth news release. “As we did our research on Matt, common themes were his bright mind and his attention to detail. But what stands out about Matt is his personality and ability to form meaningful relationships with the people around him."

Troxel, who lives in Spokane Valley and has been the Director of Leadership for Vertical Raise since the spring of 2020, last coached for the San Antonio Commanders of the Alliance of American Football as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in the spring of 2019.

The rest of his coaching resume has strong ties to the Pacific Northwest. He was the Offensive Quality Control Analyst at Oregon State in 2018 after working for six seasons at Idaho State (2011-2017), where he was the offensive coordinator the final two years (2016-17). He started with the Bengals as the recruiting coordinator and tight ends coach in 2011, and progressed through special teams coordinator (2012), assistant head coach and offensive line coach (2013-15) until becoming OC. The Bengals ranked 20th nationally in total offense at the FCS level in 2017.

Troxel started his coaching career as a graduate assistant at the University of Idaho (2009-10), where he was part of a Humanitarian Bowl victory in 2009.

Troxel was part of four Big Sky Conference football championships (2004-2007) at the University of Montana as a receiver and kick returner. The Grizzlies played in the FCS national championship game in 2004 and were semifinalists in 2006. A three-year letterman, Troxel also excelled in the classroom as a Naseby Rhinehart Scholar-Athlete Award winner in the fall of 2007.

Troxel played at Lake City High for his father, Van Troxel, who coached the Timberwolves into a powerhouse during his 22-year stint leading the program.

Troxel graduated from Lake City in 2004.

Troxel's sister, Ashley played soccer at Whitworth for four seasons (2002-05) and his brother-in-law, Daniel Jones, played football for the Pirates.

Matt and his wife Katie have two children, Emerson and Grady.