Catching up with Ford: Idaho coach talks coaching searches, historic recruiting class and more

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Dec. 11—With his first full season now in the books, Idaho Vandals football coach Thomas Ford Jr. is shifting quickly into offseason mode, doing exit meetings, signing commits, working the transfer portal and looking to rebuild part of his coaching staff.

In a recent exclusive conversation with the Tribune, Ford went through multiple topics including the season in review, the historic 2026 recruiting class, the upcoming transfer portal, the recent staff changes and the plan to hire new coaches, and a quick look at how to improve next season.

Staff changes

Nearly three weeks ago, the Vandals mutually parted ways with offensive coordinator Matt Linehan and let go of running backs coach Lance Dunbar and defensive line coach Tevita Finau.

Ford said that the Vandals did not have great results on offense last year and that was part of the reason for moving on from Linehan, but there was one main issue that stood out as well.

"Leadership. Leadership, that is the biggest thing, especially at the coordinator position," Ford said. "Coordinating the offense is so much more than just calling plays on Saturday. Obviously, we're in a results-based business, and we didn't have great results. … And so, I think obviously the results matter, but leadership was more of the issue. But (I) just really want someone that can lead the staff and the entire offense, as opposed to just call plays on Saturday."

Ford said that the philosophy that he plans to bring into the offense with the new coordinator, soon to be hired, is something similar to what they had in the past.

"I want to be a multiple system, but I want a system. A way that we can get out of bad looks, a way that we can change the play at the line of scrimmage," Ford said. "And again, I want more than just a culmination of plays. I want a system that can be multiple, that can really adapt to the talent that we have in a given year, and one that's very easy to understand and easy to learn."

He said in the era of the transfer portal the chance to hold on to players for four to five years is rare, so it should be a system that is easy to understand so players can play fast on Saturdays.

Idaho has interviewed five different coaches for the offensive coordinator position and has narrowed it down to two applicants. They will be in Moscow this week to further the process. Ford said they hope to have the hire done next week, and the hire will be no later than Christmas.

A defensive line coach has already been chosen, but the plan is to announce him publicly after the hire of the OC.

As for a running backs coach, the plan is to find the best coach available and to work with the new offensive coordinator to see who they want to bring in.

The historic recruiting class and the transfer portal

According to 247sports.com, the 2026 Idaho recruiting class was the best in the Big Sky Conference and second-best in the Football Championship Subdivision.

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That standing is likely to move up as Sacramento State players are likely to leave after head coach Brennan Marion left the school to become the Colorado offensive coordinator. Sac State had the highest-rated FCS recruiting class, but the Hornets will no longer be in the Big Sky starting next season.

According to the University of Idaho and Ford, the 2026 recruiting class is the best in the school's history. The class ranks No. 113 in all of college football according to 247Sports, one spot ahead of FBS juggernaut Nebraska.

Ford said that this happened for a simple reason — relationship building.

"I think it happened because we have a really good vision for what we want this place to be," Ford said. "And I think we have coaches on this staff and a head coach that cares about relationships. A lot of these players I personally have relationships with — for some of them four years — so just these guys, seeing my face, especially in the northwest, seeing my face every year, the last four years, and continuing to build relationships with them is huge."

Ford said that he believes that players see what the coaching staff believes the program can be and want to be a part of it.

Looking for players, athletic measurables that jump off the charts aren't the first thing that Idaho is looking for; rather, it is the character of the athlete.

"We're looking for high-character guys, guys that work really hard," Ford said. "Work ethic is a major point of emphasis for us. If we have guys that are super talented but don't work hard, I'll move on. I'd much rather take a guy that might not quite have the top-end athleticism, but I know what I'm getting every time, and can be consistent.

"And so that high-character piece, love for football and academics is really something that we hold to a very high standard, and something that's very important in our process."

In working the upcoming transfer portal, knowing exactly what you need is crucial, Ford said. He is confident in the core nucleus of the team, but said that there are spots on the team that need help. The plan is to look for production over flashy school names. There are no plans to bring in a player from a Power Four school who has no playing experience.

The Idaho roster went from a group of players with not much experience at the start of the 2025 season to a team that gained that valuable experience and Ford said that the roster does not need more inexperience.

When Ford was asked about any message he had for players who were thinking about leaving the program, he said that he wants them to know the facts. He said that the grass isn't always greener on the other side, and for every success story that has transferred out of Idaho comes five more unsuccessful stories.

"And so just making sure that the two reasons you should ever leave Idaho … should be to get paid significant money at the FBS level, or you're not playing enough (so) you want to transfer down to a lower level to get more playing time," Ford said. "And so that's been my message to our guys, is making sure they fully evaluate their situation, and if they're in one of those two situations we just discussed, I would support them in full."

In just the past week, Idaho edge Matyus McLain announced his plans to transfer with two years of eligibility remaining, and so did linebacker Will Cornelson with one year of eligibility remaining.

On the flip side, for players who are interested in transferring to Idaho, Ford said that players should look for a program that will care about them, and that Idaho is definitely going to care about them.

Junt can be reached at 208-848-2258, tjunt@lmtribune.com or on X (formerly Twitter) @TrevorJunt.

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