Idaho football: Fendall named special teams coordinator

MOSCOW — New Idaho football coach Thomas Ford announced the addition of special teams coordinator and safeties coach Neil Fendall.

Fendall comes to Idaho from NCAA Division III powerhouse Linfield of McMinnville, Ore., where he just completed in his second season of his second stint as the defensive backs coach and special teams coordinator for the Wildcats.

"I am very excited to be back in the Big Sky Conference at a Vandal football program that is on the way up," Fendall said in a news release. "I know what kind of culture coach Ford will build and it gets me fired to be a part this staff. I can't wait to get to work."

In 2024, Linfield went 7-0 in Northwest Conference play to earn the league title and a trip to the DIII playoffs. Two players that Fendall coached earned All-American honors. Cornerback Chance Sparks was named a first-team All-American honoree and kicker Gavin Dalziel was named a fourth-team All-American.

Fendall came to Linfield in 2023 after one season at NAIA Southern Oregon in Ashland, where he was the defensive coordinator. He was the head coach at Caldera High in Bend, Ore., in 2021 and at Sisters (Ore.) High from 2015-20.

He was the secondary coach at Cal Poly from 2012 to 2014 and started his collegiate coaching career at Linfield from 2006-2012 where he coached with Ford during the 2007 and 2008 seasons.

"Neil Fendall a master technician and brings a ton of experience to the Palouse," Ford said. "He is very familiar with the Big Sky, having previously been at Cal Poly so understands what it takes to win at this level. He has coordinator experience on defense and special teams and has coached at DIII powerhouse Linfield University at two different stints so fully understands the recipe for winning. He is also a former head coach, so he sees the game from a bird's eye view. Neil is a fiery guy who competes at everything he does, and I couldn't be more excited to have his veteran presence on the staff."

Fendall played safety at Portland State where he was a part of three NCAA I-AA playoff teams and served as the team captain.