MOSCOW, Idaho (Dec. 18, 2021) - Idaho announced the hiring of Jason Eck as its new head football coach on Saturday, as a new era in Moscow begins for the Vandals.
For the full release from Idaho on the hiring, click here.
"Thank you to President Scott Green, Athletic Director Terry Gawlik, and the entire search committee for their support and belief in me as their head football coach," Eck said. "The opportunity to return to a place that is very special to my family makes us grateful, humbled, and fired up! My wife Kimberly and our five children are excited to rejoin the Vandal family and Moscow community. The Idaho Vandals are a sleeping giant in FCS football. Our coaching staff can't wait to get to work and help build a championship program for the University of Idaho."
Eck will be introduced at a press conference at 1 p.m. on Monday at the ICCU Arena Alumni Club Room. An open reception will take place Monday at 5 p.m. also at the ICCU Arena Alumni Club Room.
Eck comes to Idaho after spending the last six seasons at South Dakota State, where he helped lead SDSU to three semifinal appearances in four seasons and a runner-up finish this past spring. The 2019 AFCA FCS Assistant Coach of the Year has over two decades of experience as a college coach and returns to Moscow where he began his full-time coaching career.
In three years as the offensive coordinator at SDSU, Eck's teams have averaged 32.5 points per game, including 37.5 this season. Led by the FCS' top rusher Pierre Strong, the 2021 Jackrabbits are eighth in scoring offense, seventh in team passing efficiency and eighth in rushing offense.
Before his time at SDSU, Eck was the offensive line coach and run-game coordinator at Montana State in 2015. The Bobcats were 18th in the FCS for rushing offense and 23rd in the FCS for sacks allowed. MSU was third in the FCS for scoring offense during his one season in Bozeman.
His first time as a Vandal came in 2004 when he coached the Vandal offensive line for three seasons. Eck spent two seasons under head coach Nick Holt and one under head coach Dennis Erickson.
A 1999 graduate of Wisconsin, Eck played on the Badgers' 1998 Big Ten championship team which went on to win the Rose Bowl. He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Wisconsin under head coach Barry Alvarez and later moved on to Colorado.
Eck and his wife Kimberly have five children Quenton (19), Jaxton (17), Palmer (10), Maverick (6) and Lola (1). Kimberly is on the Board of Directors of the American Football Coaches Wives Association.
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