(Editor's note: Montana State athletics press release)
BOZEMAN—After historic seasons, Montana State University Director of Athletics Leon Costello announced new four-year contracts for women’s basketball coach Tricia Binford and football coach Brent Vigen on Friday.
The deals replace existing contracts, and last through the 2025-26 academic years. Costello indicated that these moves reward Vigen and Binford for the performance of their teams in competition as well as in the classroom.
“Continuity and consistency are keys to success and retaining high performing coaches helps us accomplish this,” Costello said. “Both Coach Binford and Coach Vigen are outstanding leaders, teachers, and people and I am excited to have them as at MSU for at least four more years. It’s a great day to be a Bobcat!”
The Bobcats finished Binford’s 17th season with a 22-13 overall record, including 14-6 in the Big Sky, and won the team’s third Big Sky Tournament Championship to advance to the NCAA tourney. Her 292 career wins is a Bobcat record and third-most in Big Sky history and her 182 Big Sky wins is the most ever by a female coach.
Binford has developed and coached among the finest student-athletes in MSU and Big Sky history. Binford recruited and coached three of the school’s eight all-time conference MVPs, four of the five league defensive players of the year, and five of the program’s 10 all-time leading scorers. She has won three of MSU’s four Big Sky Coach of the Year awards.
Vigen led Montana State to its first NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision Championship appearance in 38 years after a 2021 season that saw the Cats tie a school record with 12 wins. Last season’s Bobcats not only thrilled the fans, but attracted them at a record rate. MSU sold out all six of its regular season games – and one of its two playoff tilts – for the first time in history.
One of the three greatest seasons by a first-year head coach in Big Sky Conference history, MSU’s 2021 campaign also featured amazing individual performances. Five Bobcats earned All-America honors, the most in a decade, with three of them transitioning to new positions last fall. Senior linebacker Troy Andersen earned national FCS ADA and Big Sky Conference Defensive Player of the Year honors, while earning CoSIDA First Team Academic All-America honors and was named one of 13 National Football Foundation Scholar-Athletes.
