Report: Idaho DC Cort Dennison to become co-DC at Oregon State

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Dec. 12—Idaho Vandals defensive coordinator Cort Dennison is leaving after one year in Moscow to become the co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Oregon State, according to a report by The Oregonian (Portland) on Thursday.

Oregon State recently hired JaMarcus Shephard, a former Alabama assistant head coach, co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach, as its next head coach.

Shephard at one time was the wide receivers coach at the University of Washington, which Dennison has ties to, as he was a linebacker for the Huskies for five years.

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This season, the Vandals ranked No. 5 in total defense in the Big Sky Conference under Dennison, allowing 405 yards per game. Idaho was No. 8 in the Big Sky in scoring defense, allowing 29.6 points per game and No. 5 in red zone defense.

Some previous stops for Dennison include linebackers coach for Oregon in 2018, defensive coordinator at Louisville from 2019-21, a defensive quality control assistant at Utah in 2023 and a linebackers coach at Missouri State in 2024.

Idaho is now without an offensive coordinator and a defensive coordinator after parting ways with OC Matt Linehan on Nov. 25. Vandals coach Thomas Ford Jr. will look to rebuild his staff after just one year as the headman.

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

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