Fresno State has hired USC assistant and former North Dakota State coach Matt Entz to be its next head coach, the team announced Wedensday. Entz follows Jeff Tedford, who resigned before the season due to health issues.
Entz worked his way through the small college ranks at Northern Iowa primarily before landing at North Dakota State as defensive coordinator under Chris Klieman. When Klieman left for Kansas State, NDSU promoted Entz, who won two national championships (2019, 2021) in his first three seasons as part of a run of nine titles in 11 years for the Bison.
NDSU went 23-7 in his next two seasons, however, marking the most losses in a two-year period since 2010. Entz ultimately decided to leave North Dakota State for USC to serve as associate head coach, linebackers coach and head coach of the defense. In his first season, the Trojans jumped from No. 119 to 70 in total defense.
Now, Entz joins a proud Fresno State program that won 29 games in Tedford’s final three seasons and has four 10-win seasons since 2017. However, the program went only 6-6 in 2024 under interim coach Tim Skipper, a former Fresno State linebacker. Star quarterback Mikey Keene entered the transfer portal on Tuesday.
Entz’s hire continues a trend of former small college coaches getting opportunities at the next level. Last season, Nevada hired former Montana State coach and Texas co-DC Jeff Choate. Temple hired K.C. Keeler, who upset Entz’s NDSU en route to the spring 2021 national championship at Sam Houston. Ball State’s Mike Uremovich (Butler) and Rice’s Scott Abell (Davidson) also came from the FCS ranks this cycle.
Both Craig Bohl and Klieman had successful runs at the FBS level after entering via NDSU. Klieman led the Wildcats to their first outright Big 12 title since 2003 and has won at least eight games in every non-pandemic season. Bohl led Wyoming to a program record 61 wins in two seasons and their first division title since Joe Tiller in 1996.
