Taylor Housewright, widely considered one of the top up-and-coming offensive coordinators in college football, is taking a step back to evaluate all options, FootballScoop has learned.
Housewright, who earlier this offseason agreed to become the next offensive coordinator at Akron in a reunion with mentor Joe Moorhead, has instead opted to reassess his coaching future while dealing with some personal matters.
A record-setting offensive coordinator the previous three seasons at Montana State, Housewright also has logged Power-5 conference experience in his coaching career at both Mississippi State and the University of Oregon.
A former NCAA Division II All-America quarterback at Ashland (Ohio), Housewright in 2023 helped guide Montana State to an FCS Playoffs appearance, where the Bobcats fell by a missed extra point to eventual semifinalist and perennial power North Dakota State.
Per various metrics, the 2023 Montana State offense was tabbed as the top FCS offense of the past 15 seasons in college football. The Bobcats averaged almost 8 yards per play and almost exactly 475 yards’ offense per game; they finished with the nation’s No. 2 FCS scoring offense at 39.9 points per game – one-tenth of a point behind national leader Davidson, which played an 11-game slate compared the MSU’s 12-game campaign.
The Bobcats tallied 3,492 rushing yards during their most recent campaign, leading the nation with their 7.28-yard-per-carry average and also posting the nation’s No. 2 rushing touchdown output with 41 scores on the ground.
In 2022, Montana State averaged almost 43 points per game and advanced to the FCS Semifinals, where it lost to eventual national champion South Dakota State.
Housewright’s first season atop the MSU offense, 2021, saw the unit average almost 29 points per game but help the program advance to the FCS Championship, where it fell to North Dakota State in the title bout.
In addition to his work at Mississippi State, Oregon and Montana State the past three seasons, Housewright has worked at Miami (Ohio), Wittenberg, his alma mater, Ashland, and Wyoming.