Eck shuffles staff, adds coaches
From news services
MOSCOW —Idaho football coach Jason Eck announced the hire of two new coaches and a staff shuffle as part of other positions.
The Vandals added former West Texas A&M head coach Hunter Hughes as the sam/nickel coach and former University of Washington running back and two-time KingCo high school Coach of the Year Deontae Cooper as the Vandal running backs coach.
Along with the two additions, tight ends coach Tyler Sutton added special teams coordinator duties, Matt Linehan was named the recruiting coordinator and David Lose added defensive edges to his coaching responsibilities.
Hughes comes to Idaho after a short stint in the USFL, where was a DBS and quality control coach for the New Orleans Breakers. Before coaching in the USFL, he spent six seasons as the head coach at DII West Texas A&M in the tough Lone Star league, posting a record of 32-29.
He came to West Texas A&M after 10 seasons as an assistant coach for Colorado State-Pueblo where he was the defensive coordinator for a dominant stretch that saw the ThunderWolves win six straight RMAC titles and the 2014 DII National Championship.
“Hunter won a national championship as a defensive coordinator, and I am very familiar with from having coached against him and from working with him," Eck said. "He is going to bring a veteran voice to help coach (Dan) Jackson coordinate our defense and do a great job developing our sams and nickels."
Hughes started his college coaching career as graduate assistant at Colorado during 2003 season where he worked alongside Eck as a GA. He stayed at Colorado for three seasons before working at Tennessee in 2006-07.
“I am thrilled to join the staff here at Idaho and be a part of this special team that coach Eck has assembled,” Hughes said. “I have known coach Eck for over two decades and jumped at the opportunity to work with him again. What he and his staff have done here in just two seasons is impressive and I’m excited to be a part of building a great program here in Moscow.”
While Hughes brings a veteran’s knowledge of the game, Cooper brings youth and energy to the running backs room, Eck said.
Cooper is coming off a five-year stint as head coach at Highline High School in Burien, Wash. He took over a program that finished 4-6 in 2018 and led them to 4-0 conference record in 2019 and a trip to the Washington 2A playoffs.
“Deontae did a great job at Highline High School and is a rising star in our profession,” Eck said. “He came highly recommended by Vandal great Joel Thomas, from his time at Washington. Deontae will do a great job of mentoring our student-athletes and recruiting Western Washington.”
“I am really excited to be a Vandal and get my first opportunity as a position coach in the DI ranks,” Cooper said. “I am excited to work with coach Eck and grateful for the opportunity and the chance he has taken on me. I am ready to get to work coaching a tremendous group of running backs.”
During 2017-18, he was a recruiting assistant for the University of Washington.
He had short minicamp stint with the Oakland Raiders in 2017, but never saw the field in the NFL.
His promising playing career at UW was hindered by three ACL tears. After coming to Washington as one of the best running backs in the nation, he didn’t see his first college snap until he was just months away from earning his bachelor’s degree.
He ended up racking up 555 yards and three touchdowns in two seasons.
Sutton spent the last two seasons as the tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator for the Vandals. He was previously the offensive coordinator at San Diego in 2020 and 2021 and was the special teams coordinator for the Toreros in 2018 and 2019. He was also the special teams coordinator at the University of the Redlands for the 2012 season.
Linehan, the youngest full-time coach on the staff, added recruiting coordinator duties to his responsibilities as wide receivers coach.
Lose will take over defense edge coaching duties alongside his defensive line group.
The Vandal staff continues the recruiting process with National Signing Day on Feb. 7. Spring football begins on March 26 with the annual spring game scheduled for April 26 at the P1FCU Kibbie Dome.
Deontae Cooper