Bobcats Add Coaching Veteran Willie Mack Garza as Defensive Coordinator
1/28/2022 2:47:00 PM | Football
MSU coach Brent Vigen and Garza have worked together previously
BOZEMAN, Montana – Willie Mack Garza, a college football coaching veteran of nearly three decades who worked with Montana State head coach Brent Vigen at North Dakota State and Wyoming, joins the Bobcat staff as defensive coordinator, Vigen announced Friday.
"Willie Mack is a man I've known for quite some time and been fortunate to work with," Vigen said. "In my time with him, I always felt that he is a great person who demonstrated a deep passion and concern for the student-athletes that he worked with. He brings a wealth of experience to our staff, along with an extensive knowledge of our defensive system. He's coached at all levels and is not only very knowledgeable but also a great technician and recruiter."
Garza spent the 2021 spring and fall seasons at McNeese as safeties coach, his 14th stop as an assistant coach. He spent 2005-08 as North Dakota State's defensive backs coach, adding defensive coordinator duties in the final three of those campaigns. Vigen and Garza worked under head coach Craig Bohl during that time.
Before his time at McNeese in 2020-21, Garza coached safeties on Bohl's staff at Wyoming in 2019, and coached safeties and coordinated the defense at Dixie State in 2017 and '18. In 2016 he coached cornerbacks at Lamar, and the season before that worked as linebackers and special teams coordinator at Prairie View A & M.
A 1993 graduate of Texas, Garza starred as a defensive back for then-head coach David McWilliams in 1988, when he earned Freshman All-America and Southwest Conference Newcomer of the Year honors, and 1990-92. The 1990 Longhorns won the Southwest Conference and played in the Cotton Bowl.
"Montana State has always had a great winning tradition in football," Garza said, "and Brent Vigen has been a friend of mine for 15 or 20 years, a great coach, a great man, a great family man, and I saw what he's doing here and I see the values that are important to me as a coach and as a man. I know that they play great football here, and have great young men that represent their families and their communities very well."
Garza began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Texas from 1994-96. He moved to Western Michigan (secondary, 1997-2000), TCU (cornerbacks, 2001-03), and Tarleton State (secondary, 2004) before his time in Fargo.
Bohl hired Garza as defensive secondary coach in 2005, and promoted him to defensive coordinator for the 2006-08 seasons. Garza then joined the Tennessee staff as secondary coach in 2009, and worked at USC in the same capacity in 2010. After two years away from coaching Garza became defensive coordinator and secondary coach at Pearl River (Mississippi) Community College for the 2013 and '14 seasons.
WILLIE MACK GARZA COACHING CAREER
2020-21 – McNeese, Safeties
2019 – Wyoming, Safeties
2019 – Texas A&M Commerce, Defensive Backs
2018 – Dixie State, Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Backs
2017 – Dixie State, Defensive Backs
2016 – Lamar, Cornerbacks
2015 – Prairie View A&M, Linebackers/Special Teams Coordinator
2013-14 – Pearl River C.C. (Miss.), Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Backs
2010 – USC, Defensive Secondary
2009 – Tennessee, Defensive Secondary
2006-08 – North Dakota State, Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Secondary
2005 – North Dakota State, Defensive Secondary
2004 – Tarleton State, Defensive Secondary
2001-03 – TCU, Cornerbacks
1997-2000 – Western Michigan, Defensive Secondary
1994-96 – Texas, Graduate Assistant Coach
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