Montana State defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Bobby Daly is expected to take the same position at UTEP, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel. On the same day, the Detroit Lions announced the hiring of MSU running backs coach Justin Mesa as an offensive quality control coach. Daly’s departure means Montana State will be looking for two new coordinators this season. Last month, offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Tyler Walker and offensive line coach Al Johnson left for Temple. The Bobcats have already replaced Walker with Pete Sterbick and Johnson with Matt Smith, local sources say.
Daly, a Helena native and a Bobcat Athletics Hall of Famer, was an All-American linebacker at MSU. He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Idaho in 2013, and later served as the linebackers coach for the Vandals from 2017-2018. Daly joined Montana State in 2019 as linebackers coach and was promoted to defensive coordinator prior to the 2024 season, helping the team reach the FCS title game. UTEP, an FBS team in Conference USA, had a disappointing 3-9 record in 2024, with their last winning season in 2021 (7-6).
Meanwhile, Justin Mesa spent four seasons at Washington State, where he held multiple roles including director of transfer recruiting in 2021, offensive quality control coach from 2022-2023, and assistant special teams/tight ends coach last year. Mesa began his coaching career in 2009 as a graduate assistant at USC, worked as a wide receivers coach at Dixie State (now Utah Tech) in 2016, and served as Wyoming’s director of player personnel from 2017-2018, where current MSU head coach Brent Vigen worked as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
Other notable changes include Marcus Monaco being promoted to special teams coordinator and Matt Smith taking over as the offensive line coach after Udy’s departure.
